HIGH MOUNTAIN CATEGORY ROUTE REPORT DENALI (McKinley

THE 53rd MOUNTAINEERING
CHAMPIONSHIP OF THE BALTIC STATES FOR YEAR 2011
HIGH MOUNTAIN CATEGORY
ROUTE REPORT
DENALI (McKinley) PEAK, 6194 m.
Complexity category: 6 (technical 3 + altitude 3)
The route: West Buttress
Lithuanica Denali-2011 expedition
2011
Route class:
High mountain
Country, region:
USA, Alaska
Name of the peak, altitude:
Denali (McKinley) peak, 6194 m.
Route:
West Buttress
Characteristics of the route:
Snow, ice, crevasses, very little ridge of rock s, altitude difference
3994 m
Period of climb:
2011.05.17 – 2011.05.29
Camps, overnights:
Kahiltna Base 2200 m., no overnights
Ski Hill 2400 m., 1 overnight
Kahiltna Pass 2950 m., 1 overnight
Motorcycle Hill 3350 m., 4 overnights
Basin Camp 4330 m., 2 overnights
High Camp 5245 m., 4 overnights
Climb progress:
1. 2011.05.17 flight į Kahiltna Base – Ski Hill
2. 2011.05.18 Ski Hill – šalia Kahilna Pass
3. 2011.05.19 Kahiltna Pass – Motorcycle Hill
4. 2011.05.20 Poilsio diena po blogo oro
5. 2011.05.21 Užmetimas į Basin Camp, grįžtame
6. 2011.05.22 Motorcycle Hill – Basin Camp
7. 2011.05.23 Aklimaticazija į Headwall, poilsis
8. 2011.05.24 Basin Camp – High Camp
9. 2011.05.25 Rest, aclimatization
10. 2011.05.26 High Camp – Denali summit 6194 m. -High Camp
11. 2011.05.27 Rest at High Camp
12. 2011.05.28 High Camp – Motorcycle Hill
13. 2011.05.29 Motorcycle Hill – Kahiltna Base –
flight to Talkeetna
Climbers:
1. Ernestas Markšaitis – leader
2. Asta Komkaitė
3. Darius Vaičiulis
4. Tadas Jeršovas
5. Tautvydas Žilinskas
6. Tomas Milašauskas
7. Audrius Žiugžda
8. Audrius Ražaitis
9. Egidijus Kipurys
Summit
Denali (McKinley) 6194 m.
Location: 63° 07' N, 151° 01' W
The highest peak of North America
The route : 80 % climb West Buttress route (F1);
complexity 6 (technical 3 + altitude 3).
The weatheri: very unstable, hurricane winds, whiteouts;
temperature – can be extremely cold, below – 35° C.
Altitude difference : almost 4 kilometers
The climb report
Kahiltna Base – Ski Hill
2200 - 2400 m., 9 km
Duration – 5 h.
Shift from side branch of Kahiltna glacier to the main branch (F2). The beginning is going down, then route
starts to go up. Moving in roped – 3 ropes by 3 people each. Part of the load we carry in sledges. There are
many hidden/closed crevasses on the way. Snow bridges hold reliably. No need to use snowshoes. Ski Hill
camp is on relatively low crevassed are of the glacier. (F3). Time to build the camp - 2 hours.
Ski Hill – next to the Kahiltna Pass
2400 – 2950 m., 4 km.
Duration – 5 h.
Imidiatedly by leaving the camp, we are going up to the Ski Hill. The glacier is rarely crevassed, but it is a must
to be roped with the others members.We are moving in the middle section of the glacier, the climb after Ski
Hill is not steep. No snowshoes required. Everyond is carrying sledged with part of the load (F4). The camp is
located next to the Kahiltna Pass, at quite exposed part of the glacier, so we dig and build the tents deep into
the snow, plus build the walls from the snow blocks (F5).
Kahiltna Pass – Motorcycle Hill
2950 – 3350 m., 2,5 km
Duration – 3 h
In the begining we start moving towards Kahiltna Pass, then turn east, at the end of the ascent up again turn to
the north. Moving in ropes, pulling the sledges. In this section we started to use the snowshoes. At the end of
ascent the visibility is very poor, so we are moving mainly by the markings – tiny bamboo sticks (F6).
Motorcycle Hill camp (F7) – quite compact, next to the icefall. Here is possible to throw away the content of
the CMC ( Clean Mountain Can) to the specially marked crevasses. From the 2013 there wil be no such
possiblity – everything will be needed to carry back. In this camp usually sledges, snowshoes and part of the
food is left ( for the return to the Kahiltna Base camp)
Motorcycle Hill – Basin Camp
3350 – 4330 m., 4,6 km
Duration – 5 h
Usually this section is done in 2 climbs – the first time part of the load is carried up and then second time
everybody moves to the Basin Camp with the rest of the load. This is because the steepness is quite high and
the load is carried, not pulled with the sledges. From this place all the way to the summit the crampons are
used. The first part of the route - the ascent on the glacier and the bypass of the Squirrel point rocks (F8).
Then the trails follow small plateau, after which one the ascent to the Windy Corner (4100 m) starts. Windy
Corner – a part of the glacier of unsual form in the aerodynamics „pipe“. It is dangerous to move there when
the wind is high. It is possible to be blown away. When we were passing Windy Corner second time, was
possible to move only between the wind gusts. Above Windy Corner is possible to camp or to leave cache. A
lot of crevasses. Our team in both ascents climbed to the Basin Camp. The duration of first climb Motorcycle
Hill – Basin Camp – Motorcycle Hill – 8 hours. Basin Camp (F9) is situated on the glaciers plateau, this is the
frontline camp to he summir. There are park rangers with volunteers in Basin cmp. Below the Basin camp
there is a crevass for throwing the contents of CMC. Rest days are reccommended for better aklimatization.
Our team climbed Headwall ice wall during the rest day (4900 m). In the evening we walked in 10-15 minutes
towards the Edge of the World – small chain of rocks, ending by kilometer of scarp.
Basin Camp – High Camp
4330 – 5245 m., 3,2 km
Duration – 7 h
The route starts by approachin the ice wall a.k.a. Headwall (F10). This is the most steep part of the ascent to
the summit of Denali. There is 10 fixed ropes on the wall. The climb is with the ascender. In order not to avoid
clashes of going down and up, the same amount of ropes are fixed for going down. Above the headwall, the
ascent is on the rocky ridge with the secondary protection ( roped members are safing ech other) (F11). Scarps
are to the both sides. There are fixed ropes or fixed snow anchors in some places The ridge is leading to the
plateau below the Denali pass, where High Camp (F12) is situated. This is an assault camp. Good protection
from the wind, protective walls from the snow blocks are a must, the camp must be made very well. Cold and
windy.
High Camp – Denali summit – High Camp
5245 – 6194 m., 4 km
Duration – 15.5 h
We started to move from the High Camp around 12 h day time. Imidiatedly starts steep ascent with the
traverse to the Denali pass 5545m (F13). There are fixed snow anchors on the route. We are moving in moving
ropes?. Last night two climbers died here. Maximum safety and focus. We climb to the pass in 3 hours. (usually
it takes 2 hours). During the ascent and on the pass – very strong wind. We are discussing , maybe to go down,
but the two roped swiss descending from the summit inform us that hight up the wind is not so strong. The
route turns to the right, passing group of the rocks named Weather meter and Archdeacons Tower. Because of
the lack of the aclimatization, we are moving slowly. We are passing through Football field plateau. Steep and
edgy ridge brings us to the summit (F14). First 6 climbers reach the top at 21 h local time, the rest 3 reach the
summer 30 minutes later(F15-F17). Polar day and perfect wether.Cold a bit, but there is almost no wind on the
summit. At 22 h we start to descent. High Camp is reach by last members of the team at 3.30 val. The descent
was slow – securing each other at the steep parts of the route. The day after the summit day was dedicted to
the rest at the (F18).
The descent High Camp – Motorcycle hill – Kahiltna Base
We descended till the Kahiltna Base camp in two days. Stopped for the night at Motorcycle Hill camp. The
glacier below the camp has changed a lot. - much more visible crevasses, less snow. We moved always roped,
the snowshoes were really helpfull.At the evening of May 29 we had reached Kahiltna Base camp and at 19
val. Flew to Talkeeta.
F1. West Buttress route map.
F2. The start of the route from Kahiltna Base camp 2200 m.
F3. Ski Hill camp 2400 m.
F4. Moving being roped and pulling the sledges.
F5. Camp next to Kahiltna Pass 2950 m.
F6. Towards Motorcycle Hill camp. Bad visibility.
F7. Motorcycle Hill camp 3350 m.
F8. Squirrel point rocks, the climb towards Windy Corner.
F9. Basin Camp 4330 m.
F10. Ice wall -Headwall.
F11. The ridge above Headwall,toward High Camp.
F12. High Camp 5245 m.
F13. The climb to the Denali pass 5545 m.
F14. Ridge before the summit
F15. Denali summit 6194 m. E.Markšaitis, T.Jeršovas, A.Ražaitis, A.Žiugžda, T.Milašauskas.
F16. Denali summit 6194 m. D.Vaičiulis
F17. Denali summit 6194 m. E.Kipurys, A.Komkaitė, T.Žilinskas
F18. The team after the climb, Denali pass on the background.
Conclusions, recomendations
•
Warm clothing, shows, sleeping bags, expedition type tents are a must. Extremely cold and windy
enviroment.
•
Weather is changing very fast..
•
MSR XGK-EX stoves or identical Primus stoves. White fuel is bought at the airlines at Kahiltna Base
camp. Must be paid before the flight ( in Talkeetna)
•
Movement - always in ropes – a lof of big crevasses. Minimum distance between the climbers – 15
meters.
•
The camps must be well prepared – digged in, with the snow blocks walls.
•
Each tent should have snow showel and snow saw.
•
It is recomended, that each roped formation shoudl have two snow anchors.
•
Satellite phone really justified itself, we were getting weather forecasts from Lithuania. Also park
rangers tell the forecats on the two-way rdios.
Contact information
Ernestas Markšaitis
Mob.tel.: +370 600 55831
[email protected]
Egidijus Kipurys
Mob.tel.: +370 698 81781
[email protected]
Tadas Jeršovas(translation)
Mob.tel.: +370 620 10880
[email protected]