Denali Climb II

[Jim Dockery]

Most of the climb up the West Buttress is snow slogging with heavy loads. We would carry a load of food and fuel up to the next camp a few thousand feet higher, ski back down with empty packs, then pack up everything the next day and bring it all up to that next camp. This not only makes each day easier, but gives your body the necessary time to acclimatize.

The climbing may be boring, but the scenery isn't.

Denali (82)

• Jim Dockery
• Feb 13, 2018

Typical Glacier View. Of course the route avoids the icefall areas.

Denali (105)

• Jim Dockery
• Feb 13, 2018

View from 11,000

Denali (139)

• Jim Dockery
• Feb 13, 2018

Looking out the tent. Note feet & socks drying. Keeping your feet in good shape is key. On warm days lower on the glacier our thermometer read near 90º in the tent.

Denali (16)

• Jim Dockery
• Feb 13, 2018

We were caught in a 3 day storm at 11,000 ft. Here my partners are digging out a tent so the snow doesn't collapse it.

Denali (127)

• Jim Dockery
• Feb 13, 2018

Cornices on a ridge at about 13,000 ft.

Denali (133)

• Jim Dockery
• Feb 13, 2018

Climbing under the midnight sun

Denali (143)

• Jim Dockery
• Feb 13, 2018

Pat at our 14,000 ft. high camp. This is a crowded area, with many teams hanging out waiting for conditions and acclimatization before their summit climb. We were lucky to find an empty spot left by a previous party.

Denali (232)

• Jim Dockery
• Feb 13, 2018

Mt. Hunter from high camp

Denali (231)

• Jim Dockery
• Feb 13, 2018

Sunrise on Mt. Foraker

Denali (237)

• Jim Dockery
• Feb 13, 2018

View up the slopes we intended to climb and ski (know as The Orient Express).

Denali (193)

• Jim Dockery
• Feb 13, 2018

A huge ice cliff high above the 14,000 ft. camp.

Part I / Part III

 

[AlanLichty]

This is not a pastime for the feint of heart. Almost hard to believe you could get 90 degree temps looking at these images.

You had to wait out a 3 day storm in your tents? I would need a really deep pile of reading materials (that somehow didn't weigh much) for that

 

[MonikaC]

90 degrees - wow, what a test for the breathability of your tent!

 

[Jim Dockery]

Alan, we all had paperback books, but two friends we met had a better system where they shared an audio book on an iPod with splitter headphones. They could snuggle down in their sleeping bags and not expose their hands holding the book that way.

Monika, those hot days down low were ok in the tent since humidity was low then and we kept the door open as you see in this shot. Overall we lucked out with the weather, which is the biggest wild card in any climb up there. The day we summited was the only weather window for the next 3 weeks - high winds and cold shut down all other summit attempts during that period.

 

[Ben Egbert]

Not for the feint of heart, or the out of shape either. My one hike to the top of Whitney about 1966 was my one and only, and nothing like this.

 

[Jameel Hyder]

Just wow !!!

 

[JimFox]

Amazing work Jim! This series is so interesting.

 

[Rafael]

This is great. It's interesting you brought up how going back and forth to the camps isn't such a bad thing, since it also helps with acclimatize. Sounds like a good way to use the available time while being easier on the body, instead of lugging the whole cargo in one go.

That's a cool system for reading books outdoors in inclement weather - using an audio book!