Climbing Denali

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Yes, the weather is broadcast nightly on FRS 1. Weather is also available from rangers at the 7, foot and 14, foot camps. At check in, you will also be given a phone number with a daily weather forecast recording. However, forecasting weather for Denali and Mt. Foraker is imprecise and difficult. Do not rely solely on the forecast; good judgment should always be used. What type of equipment will I need to climb Denali? You will need gear that will keep you warm in temperatures that can dip below degrees F, mph winds, heavy snowfall, freezing rain, blazing sun.

Furthermore, this gear needs to be capable of doing so for weeks at a time. Be sure to review the Equipment and Clothing section of the Expedition Planning Tools for our recommended list of gear. Choosing what gear to bring and knowing what you need to survive the highly variable conditions on Denali is a big part of what you should be accomplishing in your climbing training and expedition apprenticeship leading up to Denali.

On this and any expedition or technical endeavor, your gear is your life and it should be selected and maintained accordingly. What means of communication is recommended? FRS channel 1 is monitored for emergencies. CBs are no longer monitored. Satellite phones are also encouraged. Do cell phones work on Denali and Mt. However, climbers are encouraged to bring an alternate form of communication in case of an emergency.

On mountain cell phone coverage can change substantially year to year. In the only cell phones that worked were those of Matanuska Telephone Association, the local phone company. Reception was possible at 9, feet, at Windy Corner and in the 14,foot basin only. This really comes down to personal preference. Most climbers leave their floatation at Camp 3, 11, feet and put on their crampons from there.

It takes a very experienced skier to descend with a pack and sled. Snow shoes do provide adequate floatation and having either is far superior to none for safety on the glacier. What kind of food do climbers take for this type of trip? Expedition food varies widely from trip to trip, and from person to person. Being a longer expedition, consideration should be given to long term health and enjoyment in addition to packing things that are lightweight and easy to prepare. Most expeditions mix and match some heavier but more enjoyable items with more convenient dehydrated foods.

Many menu and meal plans suggestions exist in various climbing guidebooks and online resources. There are many variables that affect fuel consumption on Denali expeditions. A few initial considerations revolve around what sort of stove and fuel combination is most appropriate for your group. The options include white gas, propane, and Isobutene. Of these options, most average sized members expeditions prefer white gas fuel and stoves. Isobutene or other canister stoves are very convenient, light, and easy to work with, but canister fuels don't perform well at high altitude and in very cold environments.

With regard to white gas quantities, there are a number of formulas that climbers have applied over the years, and again your actual usage will depend on how much you cook, the temperatures on your climb, the efficiency of your stove and cooking system, etc. Typically climbers take one gallon of fuel per person for a three week trip on Denali and plan for one extra gallon.

This method usually allows for a small safety buffer. As with your equipment, fuel is your link to food and water and life safety on the mountain. Plan accordingly and manage your fuel conservatively on your climb. What is the official name of the mountain, Denali or Mount McKinley? The mountain is officially named Denali. Learn more about the name change.

Part of our mission is to assist climbers in need when objective hazards can be managed to an acceptable level. Due to the many environmental difficulties including wind, visibility, altitude, and terrain, it is rare that we or anyone can help in a timely manner should you and your teammates find yourself in need of a rescue. For these reasons and others, we cannot stress enough the importance of maintaining self-sufficiency and planning for self-rescue.

Neither technology nor support from others can take the place of proper planning and preparation combined with good decision making. In the end, if your situation is an emergency and we are able to help, we will. We undertake rescue missions at our discretion and with rescuer safety as the highest priority.

The National Park Service does not have a policy to charge climbers for rescue services, however, any hospital, air ambulance or other associated costs after leaving the mountain are the sole responsibility of the climber.

Do I need to bring something to use to remove my human waste? No, when you check in for your climb your expedition will be issued a Clean Mountain Can CMC and degradable bags for removing human waste. There is no additional cost for the use of this system. Is there someone I can talk to about climbing Denali? The Ranger Station has administrative and mountaineering staff available year round who are happy to field your registration or climbing-related questions.

We encourage you to call or email us anytime should you need assistance in planning your expedition. Click here for more valuable planning information for routes accessed from north of the Alaska Range. You can ski, hike, mush, or you can fly into Kantishna, approximately 5 miles from Wonder Lake, with an authorized air taxi.

Most Muldrow climbers use a dog freight service to cache gear the winter before the climb. Please remember when you are done with your climb, it is your responsibility to remove all gear from the park before leaving. Dog freighting gear out after your climb is not an option, you must pack it out. For a Muldrow climb, do I need a backcountry permit as well as a climbing permit? The BIC is open from 9 am to 6 pm daily. You will be travelling through bear country and designated Wilderness, and therefore you must go through Denali's backcountry orientation.

Allow approximately 45 minutes, so please arrive at the BIC by 5 pm. Be sure to include this stop in your trip planning! Can our group traverse from the Muldrow Glacier to the West Buttress route, or vice versa? Please be aware that you must pack everything out. Good planning is very important for a traverse. Frequently Asked Questions about the Registration Process. When do you begin accepting registration forms for the upcoming climbing season? The registration period begins October 1 of the prior year.

For instance, for the season, climbers can begin registering through the Pay. Gov site in October The form and fee structure will be updated by mid-October. We regret any inconvenience for this delay. Yes, before we can move forward with the registration process, we must have forms on file for all expedition members. We use the total listed on the "total in party" line on the registration form to determine if all the forms have been received.

It is the responsibility of the expedition leader to ensure all forms and payments have been submitted in time for the preferred expedition start date. If the expedition's registration forms are not received 60 days before the requested start date, the expedition leader will be notified of the earliest possible start date based on the date the registration forms were received.

We do allow expeditions to add one climber at least 30 days before the start of the climb. See below for more information. One of our expedition members cancelled and we would like to replace him with another climber, is that possible? However, there is a provision to allow one climber to add into the expedition at least 30 days before the start of the climb. If your expedition has not already utilized this one add-on climber, you would be allowed to replace a member this way. Please note that the fee from the cancelled climber is not transferrable to the new climber.

Should I Climb Denali?

A separate registration form and fee is required for each climber. Also, we require explicit approval from the expedition leader to use the 30 day add-on option. Please contact the office to provide approval in a timely manner so the registration can be processed in time for your start date. If I have climbed Denali before, do I still need to register 60 days out? Foraker since and are listed in our climbing database cancelled climbs do not count! However, this exception is made on a per person basis; in order for the entire expedition to qualify, every member would need to be on file as having climbed Mt.

Foraker or Denali since Can I use both the '30 day add-on' rule and the '7 day exception' in one expedition? No, only one special rule can be used per expedition.

How Difficult is Climbing Denali's West Buttress?

Only expeditions that register 60 days before the start of the climb have the option of adding one climber 30 days before the start of their climb. Please e-mail us or call if you have questions about this policy. Yes, climbers are required to pay the full permit fee when they submit the registration form. Note that each year the mountaineering special use fee is subject to increase based on Consumer Price Index changes. Interagency passes are accepted in lieu of the entrance fee.

Passes must be presented at the time of check in along with identification.

Alerts In Effect

Cancellations after January 15 will not be refunded. Climbers should consider purchasing trip insurance in the event an expedition is cancelled due to unforeseeable circumstances. Climbers are encouraged to register and pay on-line using Pay. For manual submissions, please e-mail us or call us at for other options.

The form asks for the name of the expedition leader. Do we have to identity a leader? The expedition leader is the point of contact for the group. This is the person who will be contacted in case of questions or problems, and is emailed the confirmation letter and responsible for arranging the orientation appointment.

The expedition leader is not required to 'lead' the group while climbing or be the strongest climber of the group. It should be the person who will be responsible for the group's registration process. We are not sure which air taxi we will be using. Can we leave that blank? Yes, but it is highly recommended that you book your air taxi early. When you arrive for your orientation, we will verify your air taxi choice as well as other details of your climb.

The registration code is a four digit number that you will find while reading through the Expedition Planning Tools, which every climber is required to read before registering. This code must be entered on your registration form or it will not be accepted. The information provided on these four pages is essential to ensuring a safe and enjoyable climb. It just might save your fingers, toes, or even your life!

Yes, there is a limit of 1, climbers on Denali from April 1 to August 1. There is not a daily or weekly limit, only a seasonal limit. The Walter Harper Talkeetna Ranger Station will email a confirmation letter to the listed expedition leader once the registration process is complete and the permit has been approved. At this time, the expedition leader will also be given access to our online appointment scheduler in order to set up an orientation appointment for the expedition. If you want or need a hard copy of the letter, email us or call the Ranger Station at If you are the designated expedition leader and do not receive a confirmation letter, do not consider the expedition to be registered.

Once all the registration forms for the expedition have been received, the file undergoes an internal review by mountaineering staff. The time this process takes varies by group and time of year-- please allow up to a few weeks for this process after all forms are received. The confirmation letter will be emailed after this process is complete.

Foraker, do I need to register for each separately? No, you only need to register once per season. The only requirement is to register 60 days before the start of the climb. We will begin accepting registration forms October 1 of the year before the climb. For instance, for the season, we begin taking registrations on October 1, However, if we reach our seasonal limit of 1, climbers, we will cease registering new climbers.

To avoid any complications, it is advised to register as soon as practical. We will issue permits up to 24 hours in advance. However, your expedition would not be able to begin their climb before the start date listed on the permit. That said, your permit start date is flexible as long as you satisfied the 60 day requirement. Please contact the Ranger Station at or email us if you have questions. If our expedition registers for one route, can we change to another route?

Yes, just let us know. We will verify your route choice at check in. However, if you change routes after you have flown to base camp, let one of our on-mountain rangers know and they will contact the office to update your file. It is very important that we know your plans in case of an emergency. Please keep us in the loop! I have received my confirmation letter.

Is that all I need to climb? No, you must come by the Walter Harper Ranger Station to complete the process which includes paying the park entrance fee and attending a pre-climb orientation. After that is completed, we will issue your official permit. The air taxis will not fly you into base camp without this permit.

Yes, once your climb has been confirmed, the expedition leader will be provided access to our online appointment scheduling website. I wish there was a way to ensure that no unqualified or under-prepared climbers ever made it onto the mountain, and that we never had to turn down fit and motivated climbers that fall just short of the requirements.

Sadly this will probably not ever be the case.

I hope that these thoughts and details demonstrate our dedication to the process of helping climbers choose appropriate objectives and setting them up for success rather than failure and hardship. The first step in training for an expedition such as Denali is to understand the nature of the work ahead.

Denali Prerequisites

When most people hear the standard response of 70lbs they often discount that amount in thinking that their gear is lighter or their packing strategy better than those of the typical climber. Even if that is the case, your pack will still be heavy.

The Physical Difficulties of High-Altitude Mountaineering

The average weight of a fully loaded pack on Denali is between 60 and 70 pounds. During most days of the expedition we will not travel with full packs but at several points along the trip we will and so your training should be geared for this weight rather than the lesser weight on many of the expedition days. The longest mileage day on Denali with big packs on is the trip from Base Camp to Camp 1 at feet. The trip is about 5. This means that the team moves with all of their gear in-tow.

Climbers should expect to have a 75lb pack and an 80lb sled on this day. This is one of the harder days of the expedition and it sets the tone well for the days to come. On most of the remaining days of the expedition we will move with half loaded packs and sleds that are closer to 50lbs. The exception to this is the move from 14, feet to High Camp. We leave 14 Camp with half-loaded packs and pick up our cache at 16, feet along the way, finishing the ascent to 17, feet with fully loaded packs at high altitude.

This day competes with summit day and day 1 for the hardest physical day of the trip. Even on the descent, climbers have to deal with heavier packs as descending with heavy sleds is cumbersome and potentially dangerous. Weight ratios on the descent are more weighted towards the pack rather than the sled. So as you can see, there are basically no days on this expedition where you will not be moving with at least a heavy pack, if not a very heavy pack. Prepare yourself physically and mentally for spending 21 days carrying a big backpack on rough terrain.

Climbing Denali requires a literal mountain of gear. On the move from Base Camp to Camp 1 climbers are often moving over pounds of gear and food each. Without the use of sleds this would not be possible. The sleds that we use attach to you in a number of ways, each with their own benefits and disadvantages. At Base Camp your guides will review sled rigging methods and help climbers get a system sorted out that will work with your pack and harness set-up. Some climbers prefer to bear the weight of their sled directly on their climbing harness while others choose to attach the sled to their pack.

There is no right way and no wrong way to rid for pulling sleds and your chosen strategy will depend on your pack, body type, and a number of other factors. Chances are you will be making small adjustments to these systems for the majority of the trip. The motion of leaning into a sled and using your legs for pulling momentum uses muscles in ways there are not accustomed to being used and it is hard on a lot of people. On many point of the route, gravity will be fighting your uphill efforts and the sled will want to slide down the hill behind you, requiring constant effort to maintain uphill momentum.

After the work of carrying backpacks and pulling sleds is over for the day, climbers should expect to either be building a new camp or digging a cache depending on which day of the trip we are on. See the sample itinerary below for more detail on this. Building a camp on Denali is hard work and it often takes several hours of labor to accomplish.

At a new camp we have to dig in spots for up to 5 tents including one cook tent and usually a latrine at lower elevation camps. Digging, shoveling and cutting snow blocks is hard on your pack and very upper body intensive and when combined with the already difficult activities of the day and challenging environmental challenges, tends to wear even the most fit climber out after a while. Fortunately on this climb there are many hands to help with the labor and we are able to work in shifts more often than not.

Outside of the building and maintaining camp chores, climbers can expect to have to dig their tents out after snow storms, wash dishes and tidy camp after meals, and sort and organize food bags and group gear.

When the weather is good there is very little down-time on Denali. More on this in the sample day below. Although maybe not significant in and of itself, staying healthy and happy is harder than you think when combined with the difficulties detailed above. Unless you live at 10, feet in Colorado or one of the other moderate altitude regions in the US, there is nothing that you can do, outside of physical conditioning, that will benefit you with regard to acclimatization.

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