Forum Discussion

DiskDoctr's avatar
DiskDoctr
Explorer
Feb 26, 2014

Denali Summit?

I've got this group of cousins and friends. We take an annual adrenaline and testosterone adventure for a number of years and during our brainstorming I decide to shoot my mouth off and show them a pic of me on the side of Mt Ranier about 11k' when I was younger with no gear, no experience, etc.

To make a long story short...anybody climb Denali?

I've started collecting info and cost$, which is when we realized how friggin' expensive it is to climb Everest! So we are looking to practice on Denali.

I would really like to connect with someone who has actually done it, or is planning to do it, before we lock in this late Summer.

Flights from Pittsburgh to Fairbanks are $730/ea round trip. Park permits are about $400. Avg age of climbers is 40 on the West Buttress route.

I don't know the price or arrangements for flight to/from base camp, just what is in the prepackaged expeditions, which aren't really our speed.

We aren't looking for a Guide, per set, but we may have a spot for a well experienced climber ;)

DW says I'm nuts. Other opinions are welcomed, too :B
  • Yes, I have done Mt. McKinley. (By the way, the peak is named McKinley. It's located in Denali National Park.) It was 1977,and I was 38 at the time. It would not be a good idea for an inexperienced person to attempt such a mountain. Would you know how to detect a crevase? Would you be able to rescue someone who fell into a crevase ? Would you be able to rescue yourself? People die every year on McKinley.

    We had to perform one crevase rescue on our trip. He was the middle person on a rope of three and was (fortunately) not injured.
  • Perhaps "nuts" is too strong of a term. Have you done any other climbing higher than Mt. Whitney? Have you done any technical climbing? Do you know how to self-arrest with an ice axe? Can you get yourself out of a crevasse?

    You might want to start with some less-ambitious climbs -- maybe even Rainier. There is a big difference between walking to the 11,000 foot level on Rainier and climbing to the summit. But if you are already skilled, and you have all of the equipment and you know how to use it, then Denali might just be within reach.