Janes 6/14 Deanli WB

AMS Guide Mike Janes checked in from 11K camp today.  Today the team carried to Windy Corner.  They are back in camp resting for their planned  move to 14 K camp tomorrow.  The team is enjoying the great weather!

Denali Updates

AMS guides Wes Bunch and Dan Corn called in from 17 K.   All are well, the weather is glorious.  Weather permitting they plan to try for the summit tomorrow.

Muldrow Centennial Climb Update

The Muldrow Team checked  in a little while ago.  They just arrived at 11K camp at the base of Karstens Ridge.  The team is doing great!  The snow conditions are excellent. They report that the can see smoke from the wildfires in the north.

Denali Updates

AMS Guide Wes Bunch 6/3 team and Guide Dan Corn 6/5 team plan to move to high camp weather permitting.  All are strong and in good spirits.

AMS Guide Mike Hamill 6/10 team is taking as well deserved rest day, after yesterday's carry day.  They plan to move to high camp tomorrow.

Collins Upper West Rib Returns

AMS Guides Greg Collins, Noah Ronczkowski and team returned to Talkeetna today.  They are busy unpacking,  and enjoying watermelon and coffee. They requested a return team picture.  They  had a great time!

Gordon, Guide Noah Ronczkowski, Aaron, Ben, Robert, Guide Greg Collins

Another Summit

AMS guide Greg Collins called in a little while ago from the Summit.  His team climbed the Upper West Rib of Denali.

We also heard that AMS guides Todd Tumolo and Dusty Eroh climbed the Cassin Ridge of Denali.  They summitted last night and are on their way down.

AMS guide Josh Hoeschen and his team will be leaving base camp in 5-6 hours to start their trek to camp 1 at the bottom of Ski Hill during the coldest part of the night.

Scenes from AMS

Here are some photos in and out of the mountains. We have a Denali Expedition departing today;  they are busy gear checking and they fly at 5:00 PM.

Photo of Paul on the summit of Denali, June 7; his seventh and final summit. This is was his third attempt on Denali.

Trixie lounging in the side yard at AMS HQ...she prefers the couch!

Guide Dustin Horton and climber Ryan going over gear.

Guide Josh Hoeschen checking his list.

Intern Jake enjoying the sunshine and tent set up.

Intern Becky checking guy lines on tents.

Always doing the exciting and glamorous work: AMS Owner Colby Coombs unpacks the long awaited duffel bags.

A picture of the recently returned students from their 12-day Mountaineering Course.

A mass of AMS teams on the summit from June 7, 2013

AMS instructor Brian Skean leading a rope team on the Kahiltna Glacier. The 12 Day Mountaineering Course spent their time on the Kahiltna Glacier.

More Denali Updates!

There's a bunch of AMS folks at the 14K camp.

Hamill's 6/10 team arrived at the 14,000 foot base camp today and they are joining Corn's Custom Denali team as well as Bunch's 6/3 team. Bunch and Corn should be moving up to high camp tomorrow. Hamill's team will do a back carry to retreive their gear at the 13,500 cache. Then they might take a rest day or do a  front carry to the 16,200 ridge.

Collin's West Rib team called in and they are "happily installed at their high camp" at 16,200 feet on the West Rib. They have a bomb-proof camp fortified with a snow cave. Tomorrow they will make their summit attempt.

Here are some photographs (taken in prior years) of the scene at 14K and the West Rib.

Ascending the headwall; see 14 K camp waaay below.

Fish Eye view of 14 K camp; headwall in the background.

NPS Rangers write the weather forecast each day.

The kitchen cook tent or 'posh', as it is called. It is the gathering place for all meals.

Climbers on the West Rib Route.

West Rib Route

Another view of 14K camp. Those are climbers entering camp, Mount Hunter in the background.

Janes 6/14 West Buttress Calls In

Mike Janes' 6/14 team did a carry from their camp at bottom of Ski Hill (7,800 feet) to 10,500 feet. Then they descended back to camp where they are probably having dinner and going to sleep.

Teams are on a night schedule as it is cooler and makes for better conditions on the glacier. Keep in mind we have about 21 hours of daylight now and the weather has been 'severe clear' so it is actually quite hot on the glaciers.

They did a single carry (all of their gear) from base camp (where they landed) to 7,800 feet. Now they take half of their gear and front carry to a point higher on the mountain. This allows them to acclimate...by climbing higher during the day and returning to camp to sleep...then they move up to a higher camp the next day. They will continue this process all the way to 17,000 feet....so really they are climbing the mountain twice!

Tomorrow they will move up to 11,000 foot camp then do a backcarry to 10,500 to pick up their cache.

Weather continues to be beautiful. You can check current conditions and statistics with the National Park Service.

Here are some photos from the area between 7800 and 9500 feet.

Rope team ascending ski hill

Enlarge this photo and you can see the 7,800 camp below.

Denali in background, kitchen tent in foreground as seen from 7800 camp.

Here's a good example of the loads people are carrying and pulling.

Muldrow Centenniial Climb Update

AMS Guide Hunter Dahlberg, leading the Muldrow Centennial Expedition checked in with us today.  Today they carried to the upper ice fall.  They are resting at the lower ice fall.  They are making great headway.  The weather and traveling conditions have been perfect. The team is having a great time!

 A previous team on the icefalls