Denali Summit?

[DiskDoctr]

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

[AlCar]

DiskDoctr wrote:
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.

Last I heard, the National Park Service is requiring you have insurance/bond to cover your rescue if needed. It's something like $25k. Have you factored that in?

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

[DiskDoctr]

PUCampin wrote:


Just so you know, there is an additional well known trail for Mt Whitney called "The Mountaineer's route" It is 7mi and class 3 instead of 11mi hike, and significantly more challenging! There are also several lesser known mountaineering routs of various difficulty.

Very nice, I'll have to check it out. We don't want to die, but we don't want a stroll by the lake, either!

@AKsilvereagle.. Thank you for the info

To all, thank you for the info and concerns. I was hesitant to ask anything, expecting "You'all shoot your eye out' blasting 😉 But all the posts have been helpful and appreciated, thanks!

Keep any info coming, and feel free to share experiences. I really like these kind of challenges :B

[AKsilvereagle]

I am not a mountain climber nor adventurous as I used to be, however as others have noted reference to climbing Denali - there are a lot of preparations and mandatory requirements involved, and there are deaths recorded every year.

Weather in the area generally does not cooperate, the winds tend to get real fierce, as well as being lucky enough to see the whole mountain in it's clear state with no cloud cover of any kind for an average of only seven percent of the time.

I know one person who has climbed the peak tell me the group was three and a half days behind schedule because they had to wait out for the bad weather to improve while crossing their fingers for the weather to actually improve in the higher elevations facing uncertainty, dealt with practically zero visibility quite a few times, and claimed he didn't start using his oxygen until he reached past the 18,000 foot level....and if he had the money and the opportunity he would attempt to go take on the K2 Summit, yikes.

I was also told that once you proceed past the base camp at the 17,000 foot level, you are pretty much on your own from that point on upon being rescued in a proficient matter.....Army rescue helicopters proclaim they are pushin the threshold beyond the 16,000 foot level and dependent on the current conditions to even make it that high at times, as they did rescue a group a few years back at the 18,000 foot level but the elements were right enough upon a small break in the weatherfront along with major concerns of the rescue helicopter used upon potential stalling at that high altitude.

The official name of the mountain once again has created scrutiny everytime the state of Alaska gets the opportunity to propose a name change pleading their case to the federal government.

In Hollywood California while I was in grade school, they taught us kids the name of Mount McKinley as I never heard of Denali until the national park name change.

After living in Alaska for over 31 years (well after the national park's official name change to Denali or "post Denali era"), I refer to the mountain as "Denali" more often than I do "Mt. McKinley" as I have grown accustomed to most Alaskans that I associated with that do the same.

Upon the latest proposals by the state of Alaska to have the mountain name officially changed, the US Government still rejected the name change due to strong opposition from Ohio senators and reps with McKinley's ties to Ohio to not only keep the name stake, but then added stronger stipulations and guidelines to ensure the McKinley name stays official for that mountain.

In the eyes of the federal US Government, the official name is Mt. McKinley....

In the eyes of the state of Alaska Government, the official name has been Denali since 1975 as that is the only name the state will recognize...

After the latest name change proposal to the feds was rejected again, the state legislation held a brief special session to also keep the name stake intact, adding stronger stipulations and guidelines in the same manner as the feds did to ensure the Denali name stays official for that mountain.

As far as the "peak" is concerned, I always heard both the north peak and (the highest point) south peak of the mountain summits are always referred to as "McKinley Peak".

[PUCampin]

DiskDoctr wrote:
I appreciate all the good suggestions and advice. Mt. Whitney sounds like a reasonable compromise.

Pushing to the highest peak in the contiguous US but not needing all the mountaineering gear up front sounds like great practice, allowing us to push out the McKinley peak to next year for more skills, gear, and experience.

I'll have to chat with the guys.

Just so you know, there is an additional well known trail for Mt Whitney called "The Mountaineer's route" It is 7mi and class 3 instead of 11mi hike, and significantly more challenging! There are also several lesser known mountaineering routs of various difficulty.

[sue_t]

2010 images from the park road







More at http://suethomas.ca/20100906_Denali.html

South side here http://suethomas.ca/20100902_TrapperCk.html

[sue_t]

Officially still titled Mount McKinley despite numerous efforts to officially rename it Denali.

http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2013/01/30/alaska-senator-again-proposes-renaming-mount-mckinley-to-de...

[DiskDoctr]

I appreciate all the good suggestions and advice. Mt. Whitney sounds like a reasonable compromise.

Pushing to the highest peak in the contiguous US but not needing all the mountaineering gear up front sounds like great practice, allowing us to push out the McKinley peak to next year for more skills, gear, and experience.

I'll have to chat with the guys.

[retraite]

While I'm not a "climber", some roads in our "B" will take us well above 10,000'. We live near sea level.

That said, I've always used as a rule of thumb that a 1,000' gain per day is workable. More than that and one needs to make some adjustments to what and how much one does. Descend as rapidly as one wants.

Separately, I've also always used as a rule of thumb that one can adjust to two time zone changes per day when flying. Whenever I've had to go to Europe on business, I've always tried to plan my business activities for Mondays and following, and then I'd travel eastbound on the preceding Friday. Worked for me. Folks could never figure out why I wasn't obviously jetlagged, and I never did tell 'em.

But, back to vertical change. Go too high to fast and trouble - maybe big trouble - could well be in one's future.

Cheers.

[PUCampin]

Elevation is definately something to be concerned about. I did Mt Whitney about 10 years ago with my brother. At the time I lived at about 300ft elevation. We camped at Whitney portal at 8900ft for 3 days to aclimatize, and then did the main trail which is a 22mi round trip hike (no real climbing) over 3 days. Even with 3 days to get used to the higher elevation, the hike nearly did me in. Torwards the end I would take a few steps, stop and breath, take a few more. Because my body was used to the almost sea level elevation, I was significantly affected by the elevation.

While the atmosphere is always 21% oxygen, the lower pressure at higher elevations means there is less molecules for a given volume, and thus less oxygen for each lung full of air. The below numbers give you an idea of the equivilant persentage if at sea level.

Sea level is 21%
8900 Whitney portal is 14.8% equivilant
11000 Trail camp was 13.7% equivilant
14505 aprox summit was 12% equivilant
20322 McKinley is about 9.7% equivilant

So near the summit of Whitney there was just over half the available oxygen I was used to!

I really would not throw yourself at McKinley with no guide and little preparation, living and hiking in the 1500-3000 ft range.

Elevation affects different people in different ways. If you want to see how it affects you, Whitney is a great way to try yourself out. The trailhead is easily accessable by car. The main trail is essentially a 22mi round trip hike, no mountaineering equipment is required, and water is available along the trail(bring a filter) It can be done in a day (my more athletic brother did it) if you are in good shape and day permits are not as hard to get. You will know pretty quickly if elevation is going to bother you a little or a lot!

Good luck!

[joe_b_]

The state park, Denali State park, just south of the National Park calls the mountain "Denali" but the National Park calls it McKinley as do most of the people I know in Alaska do. Denali is the Athabascan word for the mountain, according to some, but none of my Athabascan speaking friends in Alaska, ever called it that until the name of the national park was changed from McKinley National Park to Denali NP, but the name of the mountain wasn't changed. I will totally disagree with Murray on this one.

[DiskDoctr]

I've read the avg time is 17 days from West Buttress route.

I've spent a fair amount of time in ice and snow, hiking, and even tent camping with several feet of snow. But We have never climbed in ice.

I've always tied off out top ropes, being the one who ascended without and to set lines. But I have never set anchors.

I have hiked in formal clothes and dress shoes nearly a mile in a blizzard to rescue a young couple. I ended with hypothermia, but not hospitalized, and no frostbite.

I've spent hours (years ago) in -80F windchill and know how to catch one's breath in extreme cold.

I can hike 12-25 miles in a day with under 50lb pack, depending on terrain. I'd have to increase that load capacity.

Those are some strengths and weaknesses. I have begun getting into better shape again.

Our budget for both time and $$, would be tight, so that's why not looking for guide service or commercial expeditions.

Sure, you can 'buy' the summit with some of these expeditions, but that's not our style.

Elevation concerns me the most. Here in Western PA, most of our climbing is 3k and below.

I told my buddies that to train for altitude here, we have to do whiskey shots and hold our breath! 😉

That was a good link above, thanks.

[loggenrock]

I, too, am a climber. I have NOT tried Denali, but have several fellow friends who have. These are very experienced mountaineers. 1 made it (he actually has now done the "Seven Summits"), 2 were turned back on different trips. It is not a "day trip" - plan to be on the mountain for 2 to 4 WEEKS. It is a true expedition. If you don't have ice experience then Denali is not where you belong - sorry... Plenty of other peaks in the Cascades to play on! Enjoy them and live to tell about them. ST

[explorenorth]

RoyF wrote:
(By the way, the peak is named McKinley. It's located in Denali National Park.)

It's called Mt. McKinley by people from Outside - Alaskans (and Yukoners) call it Denali.

[Little_Kopit]

sue.t wrote:
Interesting article
http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/20130521/glory-or-death-await-climbers-hoping-summit-mount-mck...

Yep, very interesting, espcially, since it's dated May, 2013.

:C