Alaska·United States
Photo: ArcticHokie · Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Denali rises about 5,500 m from its base, a bigger vertical relief than Everest, and its latitude makes it colder and the air thinner than its height suggests. The West Buttress is one of the great expedition climbs: a ski-plane landing on the Kahiltna Glacier, sled-hauling between camps and a final ridge to the summit of the continent.
In season: May–Jul · Peak: May–Jun
A self-sufficient expedition of around three weeks, hauling loads up the glacier, building snow camps and waiting out storms that can pin climbers down for days. Temperatures fall far below freezing at the high camp, and roughly half of all attempts reach the top.
The standard route, three weeks of glacier camps to 6,190 m
The great alpine line on the south face, for the very experienced
The original 1913 route, long and remote from the north
Register with the National Park Service at least 60 days ahead and attend the ranger briefing in Talkeetna before flying to base camp. Most first-timers climb the West Buttress with a guided expedition after building glacier travel, crevasse rescue and high-altitude experience on peaks such as Rainier or in the Andes.
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