Talkeetna Town - June 29 Update

 The June 9th Denali West Buttress Expedition, led by Kirby Senden

and 

The June 12th Denali Expedition, led by Guide Josh Hoeschen

Both teams have arrived back in Talkeetna, where it is sunny and green. Unpacking, sorting gear, eating watermelon, and fresh salad is next up on their schedules. Both teams worked extremely hard and dealt with high winds and deep snow. Well done all!

Johann + watermelon = :)

Barefeet and gear sorting.

Robby, Jessica and Duke return from the airport.

Scenes from unpacking...

Tents, pickets, packs and pride.

Guide Kirby and team with Denali prints and certificates.

For the next two days, we don't have anybody in the Alaska Range, but that will change on Tuesday with the start of our 12-Day Mountaineering Course, which begins July 1st.

  

Instructors Allen Dahl, Evan Clupper, and Kiana Potter spend the next two days packing food and gear.

Evan checks stoves and fuel

Mitch and Kiana setting up tents.

June 28 - Denali, West Buttress AMS Teams Update!

 

AMS Climbers Descending overnight at approximately 12,000 feet on Denali's West Buttress. 

The June 9th Denali West Buttress Expedition, led by Kirby Senden

and 

The June 12th Denali Expedition, led by Guide Josh Hoeschen

Both Teams arrived at the 14,200 camp last night after a full day.  They had a well-deserved restful day today and have both decided to descend toward Kahiltna Basecamp this evening. We look forward to welcoming them back as soon as tomorrow morning, June 29th, as weather allows.   

June 2025 in the Alaska Range has been snowy! A recent storm cycle produced 18 inches / 45 cm of snowfall at Kahiltna Base Camp, at 7,200 feet, and 12 inches / 30 cm at the 17,200-foot High Camp. 

The overnight climb back down to 7,200 feet is beautiful. It will be peaceful, and witnessing the alpenglow and light changes in the Alaska Range is a truly special life experience. 

We look forward to seeing these teams, hearing their stories, and seeing their photos of their really spectacular expeditions. 

- CMP

Denali Update- June 27 sunny day, much snow is settling at all elevations on the West Buttress route.

 

The View from 17,000 feet looking down at 14K Camp and beyond at Mt. Foraker, 17,402 feet. 

The June 9th Denali West Buttress Expedition, led by Kirby Senden

and 

The June 12th Denali Expedition, led by Guide Josh Hoeschen

Both spent the morning at High Camp waiting for the 12 inches of snow that fell in the recent storm to settle and consolidate for safe travel.  

They have decided to descend to 14K Camp this afternoon to take advantage of favorable conditions, including clear skies and calmer winds. The slope above high camp is loaded with fresh snow, making avalanche conditions high, so it is not safe for a summit attempt today. 

The June 9th Team will make their way back to Kahiltna Basecamp, and we could see them back in Talkeetna on Sunday, June 29. We are waiting to hear the future plans of the June 12th expedition. 

Both of these teams have worked very hard and endured quite a stormy time at High Camp; I am sure they will all feel happy to be back at 14,200 feet, where they will undoubtedly appreciate the relative warmth and easier breathing. 

They have made their way across the 16,000-foot ridge and are now descending the fixed lines. They will likely arrive at the 14,200-foot camp within the next two hours. 

All is well.   

- CMP

June 27- Two Courses Return on a sunny day!

 

Last Night's Summit of North Troll

Course Return and Updates:

Our Alpine Climbing Course, led by Ryan Griffiths, went climbing last night! This small team made the most of it after a snowy/rainy day. This team is stoked, and we are equally happy for them. Congratulations team!

The Advanced Alpine Trio: Instructor Ryan, Billy P. and Billy U.

And 

The custom Mountaineering Course, led by Nickel Wood and Fallon Connolly, returned with smiling faces and looking like a well-oiled team! We love working with this custom team each summer for glacier and mountain training! 

Instructor Nickel hands out course certificates to our Custom crew

The familiar scene of returning courses

June 26- Alaska Range Update - Snowy!

Resting and Waiting on the Weather

Course Updates:

Our Alpine Climbing Course, led by Ryan Griffiths, reported waking up to a hard snowfall with 8" of new snow already in camp.  They spent the day drinking lots of coffee and resting up, hoping for a midnight final climb if the weather clears as predicted.

And over on the Eldridge Glacier, the custom Mountaineering Course led by Nickel Wood and Fallon Connolly enjoyed another "soupy: and cloudy day.  They spent the day making the most of their last day in the range with classes and reviewing glacier travel skills.

Making the Most of Camp Life

Denali Team Updates:

The June 9th Denali West Buttress Expedition, led by Kirby Senden, 

and 

The June 12th Denali Expedition, led by Guide Josh Hoeschen, remains at 17,200 feet High Camp, waiting for the wind and snow to subside.  They are keeping a close eye on the forecasts and a predicted end to the wind tomorrow.

EVENING UPDATE: Guide Meredith Condon reported in this evening that they have received 12 inches of snow within the last 24 hours at High Camp. This, combined with the previous snowfall, results in an unstable snowpack and a high potential for avalanches on the steep terrain of the 1,000-foot climb up to Denali Pass.  The June 9th team understands this risk and plans to downclimb to the 14,200-foot camp tomorrow, as weather conditions allow. 

The June 12 Team has more time in their schedule, so they are weighing their options and will have a plan soon.  We will keep you updated!

Snowy, cloudy High Camp on Denali's West Buttress

Denali Update - June 25

High Camp at 17K

The June 9th Denali West Buttress Expedition, led by Kirby Senden

and The June 12th Denali Expedition, led by Guide Josh Hoeschen, remain at the 17K High Camp waiting on the wind to subside.  They are staying hydrated with hot drinks, fortifying their camp, and doing well while they wait for the weather to change. 

Snow walls help deflect the wind

June 25: Mountaineering Course Updates

Clouds moving through the Pika

 Our Alpine Climbing Course led by Ryan Griffiths enjoyed another afternoon climbing in Little Switzerland/Pika Glacier.

And over on the Eldridge Glacier, the custom Mountaineering Course led by Nickle Wood and Fallon Connolly enjoyed warm but cloudy conditions as they spent the day moving camp to explore new vistas!

A video from Nickel Wood showing students taking in the views after a peak ascent on the Eldridge Glacier.

Denali Update - June 24

 The June 9th Denali West Buttress Expedition, led by Kirby Senden

and The June 12th Denali Expedition, led by Guide Josh Hoeschen, remains at the 17K High Camp. The winds are still strong. If the predictions are correct, decreasing winds are expected by Friday. In the meantime, they have plenty of food and fuel and will stay busy resting, doing camp chores, playing games, swapping stories... and continuing to acclimate.

High Camp with the sun NOT setting.

This image is from Google Earth. It shows the 17K High Camp. Look for the tiny dots of color on the bottom center; those are tents. The North Summit of Denali is on the top left.

Two Mountaineering Courses in the Range

Our Alpine Climbing Course led by Ryan Griffiths sent this photograph this morning from the top of Middle Troll.

The weather improved today and the climbing continues...

Billy X 2 on top of Middle Troll - current photo!

And over on the Eldridge Glacier, the custom Mountaineering Course led by Nickle Wood and Fallon Connolly was in the clouds yesterday, but today it is beautiful! The plan is for some crevasse rescue training, and tomorrow they will move camp.

Students practicing crevasse rescue on the Eldridge Glacier AMS Archive photo by Eric Roberts 

This image was sent in today from the course! Photo by Nickle Wood.

June 23 Alaska Range Update

 OF NOTE: All photos on our blog are AMS archive photos of where our teams are located. The weather may differ from what is shown in the pictures, but we do our best to select images that represent the current conditions. Currently, technology does not enable the sending and receiving of real-time images.

🏔 At High camp, 17,200 feet

The June 9th Denali West Buttress Expedition, led by Kirby Senden

and

The June 12th Denali Expedition, led by Guide Josh Hoeschen, 

They are resting today at 17K today and report that it is still windy. They have plenty of food and fuel and time to wait out the weather.

Tents at 17K

Wind plumes on the upper mountain.

Cosy in the tents!

 🏔 On the Pika Glacier, at approximately 5,500 feet

The Alpine Climbing Course, led by Instructor Ryan Griffiths, reports that the weather is a bit stormy so they are covering technical skills in the tent. Ground School! 

Tent on the Pika Glacier.

June 22 - Updates from the Alaska Range, Denali Teams Move to High Camp and Rock Climbing in Switzerland!

OF NOTE: All photos on our blog are AMS archive photos of where our teams are located. The weather may differ from what is shown in the pictures, but we do our best to select images that represent the current conditions. Currently, technology does not enable the sending and receiving of real-time images.

 🏔 At High Camp, 17,200 feet

The June 9th Denali West Buttress Expedition, led by Kirby Senden, and 

The June 12th Denali Expedition, led by Guide Josh Hoeschen,   both moved to High Camp today. This is a technical, strenuous, and rewarding day, with climbing up 800 feet of the head wall with continuous fixed lines, and then along the 1000 feet of exposed ridge line before reaching high camp. 

They are well settled into High Camp at 17,200 feet after a long day of climbing. 

They plan to take a rest day at high camp tomorrow and then hope for a calm day to climb higher. They are all well and happy to be settled in their new camp.

Climbing on the 16,000-foot ridge

Climbing on the ridge to reach 17,200' High Camp

Beauty day at High Camp, 17,200 feet on Denali's West Buttress

 🏔 On the Pika Glacier, at approximately 5,500 feet

The Alpine Climbing Course, led by Instructor Ryan Griffiths, reported that they climbed more rock routes today! They are having a fantastic time on this beautiful day on the Pika Glacier, aka " Little Switzerland".

Student climbing on "The Throne" in Little Switzerland. Archive photo.

This topographic map of the area shows many options for the team to climb.

Custom Mountaineering Course begins!

A custom 6-day Mountaineering Course led by Nickel Wood and Fallon Connolly had a productive morning and flew from Talkeetna to the Alaska Range on time this afternoon. They are heading to the Eldridge Glacier, which is situated at an elevation of 7,000 feet, making it an excellent elevation for mid-season courses. 

Here are some photos from today:

Practicing some rope skills before heading off to the glacier.

I asked them to do a funny pose; I think they understood the assignment. Venus, the office dog, looking for pats, joins for the photo, but not for the flight to the glacier!

Women's Denali Expedition Returns!

Welcome Back All Women's Denali Expedition!

Watermelon, blue skies, sunshine, and lilacs in bloom greeted this hardworking team. Congratulations to the entire team for a job well done. They have wandered off in search of cinnamon buns and hot showers. More photos to follow.

Happy and colorful climbers.

Time to unload and sort gear.

The AMS all-female team stood on the summit June 19, 2025... 55 years after the first all-female team summited Denali. Here are the two summit photos:

Denali Damsels 1970: Grace Hoeman, Margaret Young, Dana Isherwood, Arlene Blum, Margaret Clark, and Faye Kerr

 

Denali Dames 2025 Summit Team: Nadine Lehner, Michelle Leonard, Morgan Comey, Kathryn Bertine, Claire Gillis, Jana Loeb, Andrea Norton, Kayla Hollingsworth, with them in spirit: Julie Gavran
 

June 21 Denali and Alpine Climbing Updates - Sun and clouds today with winds at high elevations.

 🏔 Returned to Talkeetna! The custom June 9th Denali Expedition, led by Guide Eric Roberts' Team, moved from 7,800 camp to Kahiltna Basecamp this morning and caught a flight back to Talkeetna later this morning. All is well with this delightful team! 

Returning to blooming flowers and green grass is a treat!

 🏔 At 14,200 Camp

The June 9th Denali West Buttress Expedition, led by Kirby Senden, woke to Windy conditions on the ridge this morning, which are not conducive to climbing along the exposed ridge to High Camp. This afternoon, the weather came in with stronger winds and clouds up high, so they are "hangin' tough and eating well" while they wait.

The June 12th Denali Expedition, led by Guide Josh Hoeschen, climbed up the fixed lines to approximately 16,300 feet today. This is a big day, with new perspectives and steep exposed terrain. They cached extra equipment, food, and fuel for their future use at high camp. They happily returned to the 14,200-foot camp for the evening, as planned. 

The 14,200 camp and the track towards the base of the fixed lines. The headwall and 16,000' ridge can be seen on the upper left. 

🏔 Moving down from 14,200' Camp to Kahiltna Basecamp

The June 5th, "Denali Dames," our All-Women's Denali West Buttress Team, led by Michelle Leonard, enjoyed the day at 14,200' camp today and will be descending toward Kahiltna Basecamp tonight. This is a wise move to travel in cooler temperatures and to take advantage of the overnight freeze for firmer and more efficient travel. We look forward to welcoming them back to Talkeetna tomorrow.

AMS Climbers departing from the 14,200' camp with Foraker in the background. The all-night descent to Basecamp is a lot of hard work, but also a peaceful time to reflect on the climb and enjoy the unique alpenglow.

🏔 On the Pika Glacier, aka "Little Switzerland"

The Alpine Climbing Course, led by Instructor and Guide Ryan Griffiths, took advantage of the nice weather on the Pika Glacier and had a full day of activity today. They reviewed glacier travel and crevasse rescue techniques, rock-climbed up a peak called the Munchkin, discussed strategy, and made plans for their upcoming climbs. We are very excited for this capable and strong team!

Practicing crevasse rescue is a cornerstone of every Mountaineering Course!

Rock Climbing in the Pika!

June 20th - Denali, West Buttress Updates - More sunny skies in the Alaska Range. Happy Summer Solstice!

Happy Solstice, Movements on the Mountain, and Custom Denali return!

🏔 Returned to Talkeetna

The Custom June 1 Denali West Buttress Expedition, led by Cody Pitz, has returned to Talkeetna! They are happy to be back among the green after spending many days and nights at High Camp. This custom team reached the North Summit as a priority and waited, then attempted to summit the South Summit as well. We have a feeling they will come back to push for the coveted double summit in the future! This expedition is exceptionally strong both mentally and physically. Congratulations all.

Drying items on the lines upon return is always a welcome way to wrap up a big expedition. 

🏔 Moving down from 17,200 to 14,200' Camp

The June 5th, "Denali Dames," our All-Women's Denali West Buttress Team, led by Michelle Leonard, summited Denali last night and took a well-deserved slow and steady time descending to 14,200' camp. There, they will reorganize for their climb down to Kahiltna Basecamp - we expect to see them back in Talkeetna on Sunday.

Exposed terrain  and outrageous views on the 16,00 foot ridge, the actual West Buttress of Denali

🏔 Resting and Preparing at 14,200' Camp 

The June 9th Denali West Buttress Expedition, led by Kirby Senden, rested at 14,200-foot camp today and is poised and ready for the move to high camp. They hope to make the move upwards tomorrow.

14,200' camp

The June 12th Denali Expedition, led by Guide Josh Hoeschen, is doing well at 14,200 camp. The First day at 14,200' camp consists of hydrating, classes, and a review of special techniques for clipping through running pro and sorting gear and food for the upper mountain. Their subsequent moves are climbing up the fixed lines to 16,200' to make a cache of extra food, fuel, and gear; this day also aids in acclimatizing. 

Clipping through fixed line review at 14,200 - and learning the "magic clip" technique, which makes everything a little faster and it all helps - every second counts when your at high altitude.

🏔 Moving down from 14,200' Camp to Kahiltna Basecamp 

The custom June 9th Denali Expedition, led by Guide Eric Roberts'  Team, had a most rewarding expedition and has opted, in the name of safety, to descend towards Kahiltna Basecamp today. We are pleased with their progress and the wise decisions they have made. They have really been lucky with the weather and have appreciated every day on the mountain. We look forward to welcoming them back tomorrow!

Beautiful light during the all-night descent of Denali's, West Buttress route