Entries By will ambler

Looking back on Denali

The glacial environment presents a curious juxtaposition. At times, we witness a frozen, static world where quietude and stillness exist - perhaps much like they are found in the dark of a cave or the bottom of a cold lake. Yet, here they present in such luminous expanses that it boggles the mind and shrivels the self. From the disturbed skyline, pierced by menhirs and minarets, to the inland sea of ice filling the valley floors - and all the intermediate seracs layered and bunted on the surrounding megaliths - the scenery feels utterly immobile and still. Until, quite suddenly, the illusion is shattered in a violent display of force. In an instant there is motion, seen before it’s heard, a blur of ice and rock come free and already flaunting its veil of pulverized and sublimated snow, trundling in booming din. The delicate chandeliers of ice along the ridgelines and faces show themselves for what they happen to be: some of the most powerful natural forces of erosion which exist in, and as the result of, a near constant state of motion, plucking and mashing in a ceaseless flow of primeval destruction. 

A Denali expedition can experience the same contradictions from day to day. We spend multiple days where our only minute movement may be in transit to the bathroom or simply rolling over in bed for fear of pressure ulcers. On these days the mountain itself may feel more alive with weather and with that, even moody or spiteful. We spend many days where we only yield a brutal locomotion to consume or sleep, spending the daylight hours (and there are many) in a constant toil. On these days it may seem that the mountain has drifted back down to a state of rest and wouldn’t note our proceedings, until that serac falls in the distance. Throughout, if you happen to take notice, both the ultimate stillness and the constant motion are in abundance. In this place and in leaving we are so grateful for the opportunity to experience such an atypical environment with a group of people so willing and capable.

Despite not reaching our goal of the summit, I am quite pleased with how much I’ve learned on this trip and how much I enjoyed the company. I am pleased with our safe descent and return home to family and friends. I am hopeful for another attempt at Denali’s summit in the future.

RMI Guide Will Ambler & Team

Tuesday, June 30, 2026 - 9:16 am PT

Still at 14,000. We were hoping for slightly more encouraging weather up high this morning but there was a ragged cloud cap on the upper mountain through midday. A move up high didn’t look to be impossible, but it certainly would have been tougher in the weather. We opted for plan B, a rest and recuperation day at 14K. Eventually the sun came out and life was easy. We sorted gear and tried to cut down on the pounds that we’ll carry up to high camp. Everybody caught up on hydration and reading. Tomorrow is our day for moving up.

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Monday, June 29, 2026 - 10:39 pm

A big step forward today! We made our carry up on to the West Buttress at 16,200ft. The morning at 14K was calm, we were in and out of the clouds and snow, but it was clear above so we went for it. We started up just as the sun came around the South Peak, moderating the cold temps. The first hills were familiar, of course, but this time we could actually see where we were, so that helped. It was exciting to finally get on the fixed rope section and do some steep climbing. The team did quite well and we topped out about 3.5 hrs after leaving camp. There was a little breeze on the ridge, but it was delightfully calm where we stopped to cache our supplies. The descent was in clouds and falling snow again, but we were pointed in the correct direction for such conditions. Back in camp we rested and prepared to move to high camp.

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Sunday, June 28 - 9:30PM PST

Forecasts suggested we’d get a little break from the snowstorm this morning, so we were up early. It is tough, this far up the mountain, to be up before the sun makes its way around, but we were motivated. We set out climbing at 8AM and the clouds and snow came back in about then. We went uphill anyway, in the hope that things would change for the better before we got on the fixed rope section. Two hours took us to 15,300ft but the weather got no better. We were in a swirling snowstorm with very little visibility or contrast. We figured it wouldn’t work to take on the more technical terrain above. So we turned around… the carry of food and fuel could wait. We got excellent exercise, we broke Sidd’s altitude record, we got out of our tents for a few hours… it wasn’t a bad day. But we’d still love to get that full carry in tomorrow.

- RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Saturday, June 27 - 9:30PM PST

The latest storm moved in slowly this morning. For a time we thought we might sneak in a carry, but it was not to be.  Clouds and light, but persistent snow swallowed up the mountain.  Luckily, there hasn’t been wind to accompany all the moisture.  We stretched out breakfast and then everybody found a few chores to do outside, moving snow blocks around here and there. Most of the day, we did the Denali Hang, sitting in our tents - reading and napping. It was great to have RMI Guides Ben, Mike and Avery come out of the fog at midday with their successful summit teams. They set up camp not far away to wait out the snowy days.  Miles and Jack prepared a big jambalaya pot of dinner to cap off a quiet day and the team ate every morsel in our now familiar dining tent.

- RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Friday, June 26, 2026 10:44pm PDT

Certainly, colder up here at 14K. We ate breakfast in the shadows before the sun came around the mountain at 9:20.That made it a lot easier to prepare for our 10:15 mission to reclaim our cache at Windy Corner. It was a pleasant walk down, naturally -with light packs. The Ravens had not disturbed our carefully buried supplies. We loaded up and set ourselves to the two-hour workout to get back up to camp. The weather was perfect with clear skies and no wind, and we were happy to hear Ben’s RMI team on the radio, heading toward the summit. The rest of our day was. Spent resting, rehydrating, and training for a climb on the fixed rope section of the West Buttress tomorrow.

RMI Guide Dave Hahn & Team

Thursday, June 25 10PM PST

We got our chance and took advantage today.  It was a sunny, calm day from start to finish. We got going up motorcycle hill at 9AM with packs and sleds. Luckily, several teams came down the mountain in the night, which plowed a trail for us through the recent snow. Our climb today was plenty hard but would certainly have been harder if we’d been breaking trail.  From our previous high point at Windy Corner, we simply added two more hour long climbs.  It was exciting to get around the Corner as the views are incredible.  It is tempting to look at the thousand or more peaks stretching to the horizon, it is tempting to look wayyyy back down to the  Kahiltna Glacier, far below.  Rounding the corner, one comes face to face with Denali’s South Peak and there is plenty to look at there too.  But of course the corner itself can be tricky climbing which means you can’t really stare at all those views.  We got into 14 Camp after 6 hrs and twenty minutes, which was fine.  Building camp took a few hours as usual, perhaps because we kept stopping to stare at the rock, the ice, and the scale of it all.  Tomorrow we’ll drop briefly down to retrieve our cache.

- RMI Guide Dave Hahn
 

Wednesday, June 24, 2026 - 9:44 pm PT

Well the storm was still around today but it got done piling snow on our tents by 5AM.  We ended up getting a pretty sunny calm day. There were still clouds everywhere but not on us. Having received at least a foot of new snow in a relatively short time, we needed the slopes to cook and settle in the sunshine to cut down on avalanche possibilities. They seemed to be doing just that.  Will Ambler gave a master class in snow/avalanche science to our assembled climbing team this afternoon.  We’ve now got our eyes on a move up to 14,000' tomorrow morning in what should be good weather.

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Tuesday, June 23, 2026 - 8:57 pm PT

Not much action for us today, big storm hitting the mountain.  We were watching the weather from 3 AM, hoping for a chance to sneak up to 14 Camp ahead of the incoming storm, but ultimately we decided there wasn’t a sufficient window for doing it safely.  After five days of walking and carrying loads, we rested today and watched it snow and blow.  We sat a little long following meals and told each other stories in the dining tent.  Forecasts suggest the storm will be with us tonight and tomorrow as well. We can wait.

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Monday, June 22, 2026 - 9:48 pm PT

Our crampons were crunching snow just after 8 this morning as we got going up Motorcycle Hill.  An hour of climbing got us to the middle of Squirrel Hill, where we had great (and new) views of the Peters Glacier and the NW Buttress of Denali.  We had some steep hills to muscle up before reaching the relatively flat terrain at the start of the Polo Field below the end of the West Buttress.  An hour of gradually steepening climbing then got us to the relatively flat terrain at the start of the Polo Field below the end of the West Buttress.  An hour of gradually steepening climbing then got us to the pass at Windy Corner.  There, at about 13,300 ft we chose to cache our food and fuel.  The weather stayed more or less stable -there was no wind at windy corner- but clouds were increasing and we were getting intermittent snow showers. The team had a smooth descent to 11k with lighter packs and sleds.  The afternoon and evening were mostly cloudy back at camp, but we enjoyed a few sun breaks too.  We hope to move up to 14k tomorrow ahead of a forecasted storm. Fingers crossed.

RMI Guide Dave Hahn