Denali Expedition: Hahn & Team Ascend to 11,000’ Camp
Posted by: Dave Hahn, Hannah McGowan, Hannah Smith, Avery Parrinello
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Elevation: 11,000'
June 21, 2017
It snowed a couple of inches overnight at 9500 ft but skies were clear by morning. A cool breeze kept us in bed for a little while, but we were on the trail by 9:30 and making slow and steady progress toward the head of the Kahiltna Glacier. We could almost see all of its forty-seven mile length stretched out below us as we turned East at Kahiltna Pass. The cool breeze was nowhere to be found as we worked up steeper hills at midday. We made it into 11,000 ft Camp at 1 PM and were happy to see our friends on Mike Haugen's team. They kindly helped to shovel tent sites for us and gave us some "starter water" to make us feel at home. The day had turned out to be stunningly nice... Which is always a good thing on the solstice. We gazed in wonder at the bright clean angular chunks of glacier hanging all around us and at the formidable rock of the NW and West Buttresses. Camp went up smoothly and quickly and we crawled in the tents to beat the heat for a few hours. Evening was a social whirl as guides and climbers from all over the world had reunions and wished each other well as they went in opposite directions. We will take a much deserved rest day tomorrow and look forward to catching up on sleep, reading, and hydration.
Best Regards
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
On The Map
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Comments (4)
Keep it going Jim! Thanks for the updates!
Posted by: Stephen Walker on
Awesome job!!! Thank you for the updates. Cheers and enjoy the rest day!!
Posted by: Chris on
So glad the team is doing well!
Dad, got an early morning swim in at Sankaty, thought of you!!! Can’t wait to swim with you once you return.
Good luck and sending good vibes your way!
Xo Sydney
Posted by: Sydney Walker on
Hi Ken, so excited for you & the team! It’s wonderful to follow along, especially since
you are progressing nicely! Would love to see more photos! Happy climbing:-))
Posted by: Joy on