|
Expedition Day # |
Climbing Day # |
Date |
Objective |
Description of Activities |
Common Hazards |
|
1 |
|
20-May-05 |
Arrive in Anchorage, Alaska |
The first team members and representatives from VF
Imagewear arrive in Anchorage. |
|
|
2 |
|
21-May-05 |
Assemble team in Anchorage, Alaska.
Transport team from Anchorage to Talkeenta |
The remainder of the team members arrive in Anchorage.
The team meets, organizes gear, purchases food and
supplies, and finalizes last minute details for the
following day to ensure a timely departure. Drive
to Talkeetna. Check in with air service for
departure time to Kahiltna Base Camp. |
|
|
3 |
|
22-May-05 |
Talkeetna and to Kahiltna Glacier Base Camp (7,200ft) |
Register with Denali National Park Service. Organize
gear at air service for flight to Base Camp. Complete
fuel card. Fill water bottles. Dress for glacier. Fly to
Kahiltna Base Camp. Register with base camp manager.
Collect fuel. |
|
| |
Leave Emergency Cache I with 4-6 days extra food &
supplies. |
|
4 |
|
23-May-05 |
Kahiltna Base Camp (7,200ft) |
Base Camp Ceremony hosted by VF Corporation, Horace
Small and The North Face |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Go to bed early. |
|
5 |
1 |
24-May-05 |
Kahiltna Base Camp (7,200ft) |
Leave base camp by 3:00am & travel at night.
Single-carry to Camp I, arriving by 10:30am. Set up
camp. Probably build half-height snow walls for
sufficient wind protection. |
Heat, sunburn, dehydration. Soft snow.
Largest crevasses and snow bridges of entire route. |
|
to Camp I (7,800ft) |
|
6 |
2 |
25-May-05 |
Camp I (7,800ft) to Camp II on Upper Kahiltna Glacier
(9,700ft) |
Carry and cache supplies. Travel by night, wanding
route well. Return to Camp I. |
Heat, soft snow. Poor weather, high winds. Weather
worsens as elevation gains, and white-out storm
conditions expected. |
|
7 |
3 |
26-May-05 |
Camp I (7,800ft) |
Move camp to Camp II. Retrieve wands. Set up camp, and
build fortified snow walls. If time and weather permit,
side excursion to climb Kahiltna Dome (12,525ft). |
Repeated from previous day |
|
to Camp II (9,700ft) |
|
8 |
4 |
27-May-05 |
Camp II (9,700ft) |
Single-carry to Camp III. Set up camp. Or, perform a
double carry, with Team 1 retrieving supplies from Camp
II while Team 2 establishes Camp III. |
Weather. Avalanche debris zones. A critical near
90 degree turn due north is needed at approximately
10,800ft to locate camp. It can be impossible to find
during a white-out. |
|
to Camp III (11,000ft) |
|
9 |
5 |
28-May-05 |
Camp III (11,000ft) |
Rest day. Leave Emergency
Cache II with 1-2 days extra food & supplies.
Also, team will cache snowshoes & skis at this point |
Hidden crevasses, icefall, seracs, and slab avalanches.
Possible pulmonary edema. Camp overcrowding possible if
poor weather conditions are at "Windy Corner". |
|
10 |
6 |
29-May-05 |
Camp III (11,000ft) |
Carry to Windy Corner and cache supplies. Return to Camp
III. This may be a possible Alternative Camp. |
Extreme wind conditions with gusts frequently from 60 to
100mph. Heavy crevasse fields with a high risk of
glacial advancement and collapsing bergschrunds. Steep,
icy slopes and the most dangerous exposure of the entire
route. There is a serious threat of rockfall
and snow avalanches. The team
must avoid traversing the Windy Corner in stormy
conditions. |
|
to "Windy Corner" (13,500ft) |
|
11 |
7 |
30-May-05 |
Camp III (11,000ft) |
Carry to 14,200ft and establish Advance Base Camp. |
Weather conditions usually improve at 14,200ft from
11,000ft. Dangers are repeated from the previous day. |
|
to Camp IV (14,200ft) |
|
Advance Base Camp |
|
12 |
8 |
31-May-05 |
Camp IV (14,200ft) |
Descend to retrieve cache at Windy Corner. Return to
Camp IV. |
Repeated from previous day. |
|
to Windy Corner |
|
(13,500ft) |
|
13 |
9 |
1-Jun-05 |
Camp IV (14,200ft) |
Rest day. Possible excursion to the “Edge of the
World”. |
Strong winds and/or heavy snowfall possible.
Temperatures commonly -20F. Altitude sickness,
with AMS common in first 24 hours. There is only a
remote chance of avalanche, but roped travel outside of
camp and wanded areas is recommended due to
crevasse danger. |
|
14 |
10 |
2-Jun-05 |
Camp IV (14,200ft) |
Carry to ridge above the Headwall and establish a deep
cache to protect against to wind erosion. This may be an
alternative camp. Return to Camp IV. |
Snow and ice face with angles up to 55 degrees.
Slab avalanches. Crevasses between 14,300ft and 15,500ft
elevation. Crowding on fixed lines due to traffic, or
crampon and ascender jamming. |
|
to Headwall Ridge (16,200ft) |
|
15 |
11 |
3-Jun-05 |
Camp IV (14,200ft) |
Rest day. |
Repeated from Camp IV. |
|
16 |
12 |
4-Jun-05 |
Camp IV (14,200ft) |
Climb and establish High Camp. High wall
fortification around camp is necessary. This camp is the
most difficult and exhausting for the team to build. |
High Exposure on ridgeline from 16,200ft to 17,200ft.
Wind, falls & frostbite.
The team should not attempt this stage in stormy
conditions. |
|
to Camp V (17,200ft) |
|
High Camp |
|
17 |
13 |
5-Jun-05 |
Camp V (17,200ft) |
Rest day at High Camp. |
Altitude, lack of oxygen. Extreme cold, dry air, high
winds. |
|
18 |
14 |
6-Jun-05 |
Camp V (17,200ft) |
Descend to retrieve cache from 16,200ft. Return to
Camp V. It is possible to summit on this day, but
the team may retrieve the cache as a precaution for an
extended stay at High Camp. |
Repeated from 2 previous days. |
|
to Headwall Ridge (16,200ft) |
|
19 |
15 |
7-Jun-05 |
Camp V (17,200ft) |
Rest day. Optional Summit Day. |
Repeated from previous day. |
|
20 |
16 |
8-Jun-05 |
Camp V (17,200ft) |
Summit Day. Optional rest day, depending on
weather & physical condition. |
There are few predictable signs of worsening weather.
Weather conditions are monitored closely, and care is
taken to notice lenticular clouds forming over nearby
Mount Foraker. Summit Day is usually the longest,
most exhausting n the mountain, taking over 12 hours to
reach the summit in three stages. Prepare for a
possible bivouac. Anchor well, wand route, and
exercise care on the descent. |
|
to Summit (20,320ft) |
|
21 |
17 |
9-Jun-05 |
Option: Summit, rest, or descend. |
Summit Day. Optional rest day, depending on
weather & physical condition. |
Repeated from previous day. |
|
22 |
18 |
10-Jun-05 |
Option: Summit, rest, or descend. |
Summit Day. Optional rest day, depending on
weather & physical condition. |
Repeated from previous day. |
|
23 |
19 |
11-Jun-05 |
Camp V (17,200ft) |
Descend safely. |
|
|
to either Advance Base Camp (14,200ft) or Camp III
(11,000ft). |
|
24 |
20 |
12-Jun-05 |
Descend to Kahiltna Base Camp (7,800ft). |
Retrieve emergency caches at 11,000ft and at Base Camp |
|
|
25 |
|
13-Jun-05 |
Kahiltna Base Camp to Talkeetna |
CELEBRATE A SAFE AND SUCCESSFUL RETURN!!!! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
