20,320 ft...

[rickus]

Anyone who's spent any amount of time with me has probably had to suffer my obsession with mountains. As you are all my closest friends, you know this to be true. I'd like to take this opportunity to say "Thank you, for indulging me and letting me drone on about such a boring topic." But if I might borrow your ear for a bit longer. I've just spent 15 minutes searching our board for 1. Alaska, 2. Denali, 3. McKinley, and 4. Alaska, and other such related terms. There were no results. That means up till now we haven't discussed (on the board) what will probably be the tallest (hee hee) challenge I'm likely to face in my life.

I bring this up because Monday evening, before she went to work, Katie said the following: "How would you feel about doing Denali next year?" She meant May 07. Fifteen months from now. I took a few days to think about it and I answered her on Thursday morning.

I guess I'm now (formally) announcing, I'm going to attempt a climb of Mt. McKinley (here after referred to as Denali) in May-June of 2007. It is the highest point in the United States. It's the tallest mountain in North America. It is 20,320 ft. tall. On average 1000 people a year try to climb to it's summit. Half of them succeed. About seventy are severely hurt, whether they've summited or not. And, 3 die.

Now comes the sales pitch. I'm hoping for your support and encouragement by asking the following:

1. If you see a link, a post, or a cool picture of Denali, let me know about it. The more I know about the mountain the better off I'll be when I'm up there. I say this, but then...

2. If you have a link to a video of someone dying on Denali, a news story about someone eating there climbing partner, or some other crazy assed shit, please put up a warning suggesting I don't watch or read the link. I will be doing plenty of reading about climbing accidents on Denali published by the National Park Service (you can visit their website [here]). But theses textbook like reports are without embellishment and give clues and suggestions as what could have been done to avoid the circumstances, if anything. I put off my sky diving excursion until the last possible moment because of the fear generated by a link put up on this board. Thank you, in advance.

3. If there's anything you ever wanted to know about Denali but were afraid to ask... Ask. I love to talk about mountains and climbing. If I can continue to stay excited about the idea of climbing, I'm more likely to continue to train for it.
I will be starting my training on Monday, which will consist of approximately 18-21 hours a week for the next 15 months. It's like a part-time job, with a payoff so far in the future that it OFTEN doesn't seem worth the effort. I had some trouble staying motivated during the 8 months training for Rainier. This is twice as long. Please help.

4. If you know someone (or know someone who knows someone) who's climbed Denali put me in touch with them. I have a bunch of questions myself.

5. If you ever want to go on a 10 to 15 mile hike while watching me carry a 60 lb. backpack, now's your chance. Call me up and suggest it. If you're up for a 30, 40 or even 50 mile bike ride, let me know, I'd love the company. If you want to know how to set up a crevasse rescue Z pulley, how to tie a prussic knot or learn how how to use an ascender, let me know I could use the practice. It's hard to find someone to do stuff with. And it sometimes seems easier to just not do it than do it alone. Hey! No sex jokes please. This is serious.

6. I'm going to use this thread to post some progress notes on. If you see that I haven't done so in a while, slap me around a little and ask me what the deal is. I'm probably more likely to keep it up if I know I have someone to answer to.

The climb will begin in mid May ending in mid June. Yes. It takes almost a month to climb Denali. There's a lot that's simply out of your control. But being as physically and mentally prepared as possibly can make up for what luck won't provide. Being quick enough to get out of the way of an avalanche, dexterous enough to dodge a falling rock, or fit enough to keep going after 20 hours of constant moving are the kind of things that make a trip to Denali successful. With you guys getting my back I know I'll have a good climb.

Thanks for your time!
rickus

[Jeff]

I bet the three people who die are sedentary louts like myself who think, "Hey, I'd like to climb a mountain. Let's start with Denali!" I guess I'd never really say that...especially after that group that went up and had to leave...oh, that's story for another day, I guess.

Good luck Rickus!!!

[tenzingcory]

What no invite

[Tyler]

We need more information..
What are the logistics of the climb? How many campsites will you have? How long will it take?
This is really exciting.
How do I mount a camera on Rick........hmmmmm.

[rickus]

I worked out for the first time since August, and it smarts to move anything above my waste right now. Yesterday I did an hour of BRISK walking at lunch(I would have run but it's icy). At the gym I did an hour of arms and shoulder weight training, and 30 minutes of cardio. Today no weight lifting just 2 hours of cardio 1 hour of walking (about 4 miles) during lunch and tonight at the gym I'll do 30 minutes of stairs, 20 of stationary bike and 10 of elliptical. Between Each of these I'll do 3 sets of crunches.

I've been researching guide services on Denali for about 4 years now. I'm pretty sure I'm going to climb with Alpine Ascents International (AAI). They guide all over the world and have been doing so for a very long time. There are benefits and drawback to each of the authorized guiding services, AAI seems to be kind of a middle of the road outfit. They have a good climber to guide ratio (1-3), have a reasonable number of days on the mountain (21), and have a moderate success rate. Here is an itinerary pulled from their site, it should answer some of your questions:

Denali Expedition Itinerary

Day 1: 8:30am Meet in Talkeetna. Meet at the Alpine Ascents Office (Climbers arrive in Talkeetna one day prior. All transport information will be forwarded upon receipt of application.) After introductions, orientation and final gear check we board a ski-equipped aircraft and fly to Base Camp on the S.E. Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier (7,300’). The flight to Base Camp is marvelous, presenting outstanding views of a variety of peaks including Mt. Foraker, Mt. Hunter and Moose’s Tooth. Upon arrival we prepare our Base Camp. (Glacier Travel review may be done on this day.

Day 2: Glacier Travel review.

Day 3: Carry loads to Camp I (7,900’). Snowshoes may be necessary between camps on the lower part of the mountain. Double carries are sometimes made between most camps to allow for proper acclimatization and lighter load carries. (Conditions may warrant us to single carry to Camp I).

Day 4: Move to Camp I. (This may be a single carry)??

Day 5: Carry loads to Camp II (10,000’), at Kahiltna Pass. This route follows the Kahiltna glacier.

Day 6: Move to Camp II.

Day 7: Carry gear to Camp III (11,500’). We turn west and ascend steep terrain. Camp III offers exquisite views and vistas of the 3,000’ rock and ice face on the edge of the West Buttress.

Day 8: Move to Camp III.

Day 9: Carry gear to Camp IV( 14,200’). We will pass around Windy Corner, which exposes stunning panoramic views of surrounding peaks and the northeast fork of Kahiltna Glacier, 4,000’ below.

Day 10: Move to Camp IV. Depending upon climbing conditions, we may spend an extra day moving gear to Camp IV. This will aid acclimatization and break up the long carry.

Day 11: Rest and acclimatize Camp IV. The upcoming ascent is the most demanding part of the climb.

Day 12: Carry loads to 16,800’. From Camp IV we ascend 1,100’ of moderate snow slopes to reach the beginning of the fixed lines. Using ascenders on the lines to self-belay, we ascend the Headwall, which consists of 900’ of 45°- 50° snow and ice. Upon reaching the crest of the West Buttress, we enter the world of the mountaintops. The climb takes on an entirely different nature as the feeling of being amongst the clouds and peaks permeates the senses.

Day 13: Rest Day at Camp IV.

Day 14: Carry and move to Camp V (17,200’). We follow an exposed ridge around Washburn’s Tower, which merges into the main massif of Denali. Camp V is established on a saddle just above Rescue Gully and overlooks 3,000’ to Camp IV.

Day 15: Rest day. Rest and prepare for the summit attempt.

Day 16: Summit day. We traverse across a steep snow face to Denali pass. From here we follow gentle slopes to reach Archdeacons Tower and a large plateau at 19,400’, known as the “football field.” From the plateau we ascend on moderate terrain to the crest of the summit ridge. From this vantage point, we look upon the immense 8,000’ South Face, with Cassin Ridge and the South Buttress in full view. As we follow an exposed ridge up the last 300’, excitement grows as we approach the top of North America.
From the summit we have a 360° view of the Alaska Range, with Mt. Hunter and Mt. Huntington to the south and Mt. Foraker to the west. These peaks, along with scores of others, mark this mountain view as one of the most impressive in the world. At the end of the day we return from the summit to spend the night at high camp.

Days 17 – 18: Return to Base Camp. From high camp we spend two days returning to Base Camp where we will board our plane and return to Talkeetna and then on to Anchorage.

Days 19 – 21: Extra Days. Extra days for inclement weather and acclimatization may be utilized at any point on the expedition.

Day 21: Return to Talkeetna.

As for mounting a camera on rick... I don't like to see the words mounting and rick in the same sentence. Anyway, I'll probably only be willing to carry 4 pieces of electronics on the climb. 1. An avalanche beacon, 2. A wrist watch (since it's almost always daylight, It's difficult to tell what time it is), 3. the only piece of entertainment I'm likely to have, my iPod. and lastly 4. a camera, the point and click kind. When I climbed Rainier I was one of the few people who's camera still worked. I guess there's something about altitude that can affect how a digital camera works.

I'm pretty excited too. Thanks for asking.

[Tammy B]

Speaking of electronics, will you be taking any kind of 2 way radio. I guess you won't be going alone. Good luck.

[Tyler]

How much does it cost to hire this guide/company to assist you? Also, is there a permit associated with it?

[rickus]

Hay Tammy! Good to hear from you!

There will be a radio present with the team. The climbing team will consist of 2 guides, and 6 climbers, or clients. Because batteries don't last very long at all in the cold, the radio will probably be used very sparingly. Mostly to report our current location at designated times But, also if someone needs to be evacuated, in an emergency situation where more resources are needed (rescue), and when the team is ready for airlift off the mountain. I will not likely have use of the radio while on the mountain. And I've read some of the communications from groups on the mountain and there is really nothing on a personal level. Here's an example of an actual update from a team:

"Mixed Nuts still enduring the weather
June 8, 2005
Hey everybody this is Alp 6, the Mixed Nuts at 17,200 feet on Mount McKinley. Whoooo! We’re encountering some real Denali weather. Also night we had about 50mph + winds. Whiteout conditions, visibility less than 100 yards, you have to be careful about getting lost walking around camp. Other than that we’re just kind of hunkered down waiting for the weather, we’re all acclimatized, we got lots of food and fuel, everybody is doing great and we are just looking forward to the weather breaking and going to the summit, that’s all from Forrest McCarthy and the Mixed Nuts, bye."

Pretty boring stuff really. Oh, and the teams usually give themselves silly names like that. I don't know how I'll be able to let you guys know which team I'll be on but when the climb starts you should be able to go to Alpine Ascents and look up the daily communications from my team.

I've got a long time and a lot of hard work before then. I'm sure I'll learn more about it by May 07.

Thanks for asking!
rickus

[rickus]

Hey Ty,

Ohmmm Yea. The guide fees are about $4800.00. Credit card company's going to love me! And then National Park Service issues permits to each and every climber at a price tag of $200.00 each. This is really a rescue recovery fee. In the past the recovery was on the governments dime. Well with a couple of dozen rescues and recoveries each year someone wizened up and started charging a fee for the permit in an attempt to recoup some of the money the Gov. was spending. It's really not that bad. I had to pay $50.00 for Rainier. I was up there for less than 48 hours. If everything goes well I'll be on Denali for 3 weeks. that's $66.66 a week less than $10.00 dollars a day. No biggy!

Thanks for asking!
rickus

[rickus]

It's been a little over a month that I posted my plans. I've tried to workout regularly and have for the most part done so. I've been lax about it the last couple of days due to work, illness, company and a lil ol trip to T-town. But I'm back on the wagon now and am even going to the gym tonight; Wednesdays are my usual days off.

Anyway if you are bored beyond belief feel free to look at the link below. I've record of my activity for the last month. One note about the list, I don't really know how to judge my activity level so I've entered moderate when ever it seemed applicable.

rickus' part time job.