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| Basecamp and the landing strip at 7,200’ on the southeast fork of the Kahiltna. The Cassin ridge seen cleaving the south face of Denali in the background and the Kahiltna peaks obscuring the lower mountain. |
As most expeditions were already under way, basecamp wasn’t too crowded. I lingered long enough to re-pack my gear, have a quick but tasty meal, and load up my sled. At about 10:30 p.m., with the sun just starting to dip lower on the horizon, and snow on the glaciers firming, I headed down the southeast fork. I then skied up the main arm of the Kahiltna glacier, past Mt. Foraker on the left and Mt. Frances on the right, and set up camp at 7,600’, just across from the entrance to the northeast fork of the Kahiltna. Conditions on the glacier were good, with most snowbridges still in place, so I decided to continue solo. Solo travel is not recommended on Alaskan glaciers, especially late in the season. Alaskan glaciers are heavily crevassed and large crevasses lay hidden even on flat-lying sections (there, that’s my disclaimer!). Precautions can be taken however, by travelling when the sun is lower on the horizon and temperatures cooler, usually between 8pm and 6am. During this time, the melted surface snow layer solidifies and snow bridges become more solid. Also, being on skis and towing a sled helps distribute weight more evenly.
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| Basecamp and the landing strip at 7,200’ on the southeast fork of the Kahiltna. The Cassin ridge seen cleaving the south face of Denali in the background and the Kahiltna peaks obscuring the lower mountain. |
I got up bright and early the next afternoon, July 15th, around 2pm. Watching a large sheep-like guided party heading up the West Buttress less than a kilometre away, decidedly turned me off to the possibility of climbing via the West Buttress. Later that afternoon, I made dinner, cached my sled, extra food, fuel and supplies under 2 meters of snow, and proceeded to pack my backpack.
My pack was enormous. Equipment consisted of a 2-man snowfield tent, -28°C down Kluane sleeping bag, full-length thermarest, ensolite foam pad, Whisperlite stove with pad, 2 lighters, 2L pot, mug and utensils, 2 1L Nalgene water bottles with insulated covers, food and fuel (2.5L) for 15 days, 15 meters of 8mm rope, 2 ice axes, crampons with antibotes, harness, 2 ice screws, snow picket, 2 locking biners, 2 non locking biners, 2 slings, 2 prussiks, utility rope, about 15 bamboo wands, repair kit (duct tape, pole sleeve, pack buckle, chicken wire, sewing kit), swiss army knife, compass, Petzl zoom headlamp with 3V battery, camera, radio, altimeter watch, first-aid kit (containing hotshots, bandages, antibiotic ointment, ibuprofen, diamox, vitamins, matches), toiletries, toilet paper, pencil and paper, topographic map, books (Homer, the Odyssey and a guide to the West Buttress), an Ortovox probe pole, snowsaw and shovel. Clothing consisted of my big down jacket, heavy 3-ply gore-tex outer, 2 fleeces, long underwear, underwear (1 set), 3 pairs of wool socks, 300-weight zippered fleece pants, 3-ply gore-tex bibs, down camp booties, Scarpa boots with Intuition liners, neck warmer, balaclava, toque, ball-cap, bandana, gloves, mitts, goggles and sunglasses. With my skis, skins, and poles attached going up the ascent gulley, my pack must have weighed over 120lbs. I obviously had not learned light travel techniques since my first trip to the Alaska range, when passing climbers mistook me for a giant moose at a distance. Needless to say, I have since changed my ways and am now fully committed to climbing light.
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