Quick Update Before the Weekend

Hello All,
Just wanted to post a quick update for the weekend.

Denali, West Buttress, 2010 Availability:
April 27-May 17: 5 spaces
May 3- 23: 1 space - pending
May 10-30: FULL (waitlist)
May 17-June 6: FULL (waitlist)
May 24-June 13: FULL
May 31-June 20: 2 spaces*
June 7-June 27: 1 space - pending
June 14-July 4: 1 space
June 21-July 11: 1 space
Custom Dates Filling Fast!
All Dates Filling Fast!
*Special small group, 4 climbers, 2 guides,$6900 per person

We're getting action on Wilderness First Responder Courses, too! If you have a group of people who need to take the WFR or WFR Recertification/Challenge, please contact us soon to insure your spots for March.

Check in with us on Monday for details if your favorite date is full or nearly full.
Have a great weekend!
~Julia

Friday Update

Hello all, here is an availability update...

Denali, West Buttress, 2010 Availability:
April 27-May 17: 5 spaces
May 3- 23: 5 spaces
May 10-30: FULL
May 17-June 6: FULL
May 24-June 13: 2 spaces
May 31-June 20: 3 spaces*
June 7-June 27: 2 spaces
June 14-July 4: 1 space
June 21-July 11: 2 spaces
Custom Dates Filling Fast!
All Dates Filling Fast!
*Special small group, 4 climbers, 2 guides,$6900 per person

Have a great weekend!
~Julia

Denali Prep Courses

The hot topic lately here is how to prepare for a Denali climb. Of course, this is different for everyone. It depends whether you are starting out as a couch potato or a marathon runner.
If you're beyond couch potato, have been getting out there backpacking, maybe trying a little rock climbing, and want to "kick it up a notch", a Mountaineering Course is a great way to go. If you have your sights set on Denali in particular, a Denali Prep Course is highly recommended. Meanwhile, get out there and start hiking, biking, climbing, bagging some 14-ers and snow camping every chance you get.

Our Denali Prep Mountaineering Course, also called Kahiltna Dome Expedition, is an ideal way to prepare! Some of the advantages to our Denali Prep Course include the fact that you'll be experiencing the Alaska Range firsthand. You fly in to Base Camp and follow the West Buttress route for about a third of the route. What better way to prepare? Along the way, you practice all the skills needed for the entire West Buttress route: glacier travel & crevasse rescue, camp building and fortifying, fixed line ascension, etc, and you'll travel expedition style (moving camp) pulling sleds with gear. The course is set up to teach you to be self-sufficient for an expedition, not just to rely on guides for your future climbs. This course would also be great training for other big, cold, glaciated mountains.
Here is the link to more info: http://www.climbalaska.org/mtc-denali-prep.html

Kahiltna Dome Expedition/Denali Prep Course, 2010 Availability:
June 3-12: 8 spaces
Custom Dates Available

Denali, West Buttress, 2010 Availability:
April 27-May 17: 5 spaces
May 3- 23: 5 spaces
May 10-30: 1 space
May 17-June 6: 1 space
May 24-June 13: 6 spaces
May 31-June 20: 5 spaces
June 7-June 27: 4 spaces
June 14-July 4: 5 spaces
June 21-July 11: 4 spaces
Custom Dates Filling Fast!

Denali, Upper West Rib, 2010 Availability:
May 29-June 18: 4 spaces
June 5-June 25: 4 spaces
Custom Dates Available

We are processing registrations for all of our 2010 programs, so drop us a line if you're curious about enrollment: info@climbalaska.org

Cheers!
~Julia

Photos from Mountaineering Course

Some local folks had the opportunity to ride on the Otter that went in to pick up Melis, Beth, Robert, Brad, Kris & Elias yesterday. Here are some views en route from Talkeetna to the Kahiltna SE Fork (Base Camp). Thanks to Randi for these photos.

It was a little hazy, with that famous "patchy morning fog" we've been hearing about in the forecast lately...

Picking up the team...

Gazing at the White Wonderous Alaska Range over the Otter nose...

And the moment you've been waiting for: Kris's face-off with the famed "Seward's Folly" burger at the West Rib Pub!
Before...

During...
"Mmm, dis is dlishish"
(It's the Fat Ass Sauce)

After...
He almost did it! It took a while, but there was not much left! He even ate most of the 1 lb of fries! There were many spectators cheering him on.
Melis asked him, "Which was harder, this or any of the peaks we climbed?"
"THIS!" he said, noting that he's ready for more mountaineering!!
We look forward to seeing all these course members here at AMS in the future!
Cheers,
~Julia

March Madness!

More changes in availability!

2010 AMS Current Availability Report:

WFR Re-certification
March 27-29: FULL (contact AMS if you would like to be on the Waitlist)

Denali, West Buttress
April 27-May 17: 3 spaces available
May 3- 23: 1 space available
May 10-30: FULL
May 17-June 6: FULL
May 24-June 13: FULL
May 31-June 20: FULL
June 2- June 22: FULL (waitlist)
June 7-June 27: FULL
June 14-July 4: FULL (waitlist)
June 21-July 11: FULL (waitlist)
July 4- July 24: 4 spaces available

12 day Mountaineering Courses
April 18 -29: 2 spaces available
May 14-25: 7 spaces available
June 11-22: 1 space available
July 12-23: 8 spaces available
August 9-20: 8 spaces available
September 6-17: 9 spaces available

6 day Mountaineering Courses
April 16-21: 6 spaces available
June 4-9: 6 spaces available
July 5-10: 9 spaces available
August 2-7: 7 spaces available
September 13-18: 9 spaces available

Advanced Mountaineering Courses
May 2-13: 1 space available
June 23-July4: 4 spaces available

Kahiltna Dome/ Denali Prep Course
June 3-12: 3 spaces available

As always, you can find tons of information about us and all the forms you need on our website: www.climbalaska.org
Contact AMS HQ if you have questions! We now have office staff in on Saturdays, too.
Happy Spring!
~Julia