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The Climb
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| Climbing Overview |
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The Denali climb begins deep in the heart of the Alaska Mountain range on
the Kahiltna Glacier. A Cessna 185 equipped with skis will take the team of
climbers to their starting point on the glacier from where they will climb
the mountain via the West Buttress Route. During the climb the team will
establish camps at 2900m, 4330m, and 5240m for acclimatisation. The planned
duration of the climb is between 15 and 17 days with an additional four
days added to allow for inclement weather.
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| Climbing Conditions |
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Denali is a mountain of extreme conditions where a climber may encounter
160 km/h winds and -40 temperatures. It is also possible to experience days
that are quite warm with sunshine lasting up to 20 hours. Snowstorms have
been known to last a week at a time. Denali also renders the climber more
hypoxic; the barometric pressure is lower for a given altitude than on
mountains closer to the equator. This difference becomes noticeable above
3300 m or so, and makes the summit of Denali equivalent to anywhere from
6400 to 7010 m (21,000 to 23,000 feet) in the Himalaya's depending on
weather conditions. These low temperatures and sporadic high winds greatly
increase the rigors of the climb, the unpredictable weather coupled with
the high altitude of the ascent requires not only technical snow and cold
weather skills, but endurance and fortitude.
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