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

Yesterday was a real taste of the winter storms we will surely get over the next few months. Heavy rain and very gusty strong winds battered the west coast for most of the day. Thankfully it cleared in the afternoon and last night was quite clear. Today was a calm day (but stormy again on the East coast) so I went up Tower Ridge with staff from The Ice Factor.

We were looking at guiding skills - short roping, moving together Alpine style and changing quickly from these to pitching and back. It stayed dry all day but it was quite Autumnal. The clear night let the temperature drop sufficiently for a little verglas and ice in the puddles. Not quite a winter ascent but a nice sign that winter is on its way.

Winter is sneaking up on us

It is a beautiful sunny day here in Talkeetna. The mountains look amazing and crisp compared to a great day mid-summer.

I heard from folks 120 mile north of here that the snow is moving down the mountainsides. The folks at Camp Denali maintain their office at Mile 229 of the George Parks Highway, where they have snow on the ground!
http://www.campdenali.com/live/blog/blog
Here is a photo from them:

~ Julia

Availability Updates for Early October

Here is the current availability for 2011:

Aconcagua Expeditions
January 10 - 28: (FULL)
February 10 - 28: one spot available (pending)

Foraker - Sultana Expedition
April 27 - May 13: two spots available (both are pending)

Denali - Upper West Rib
May 21 - June 10: 3 spots

Denali - West Buttress Expeditions
April 25 - May 15: 6 spots
May 2 - 22: 6 spots
May 9 - 29: 5 spots
May 16 - June 5: 6 spots
May 23 - June 12: 4 spots
May 30 - June 19: 5 spots
June 6 - 26: 6 spots
June 13 - July 3: 6 spots
June 20 - July 12: 2 spots
June 27 - July 17: 6 spots

Mountain Guides Course
April 15 - 26: 5 spots

Advanced Mountaineering Course
May 6 - 17: 6 spots

Denali Prep Course/Kahiltna Dome
June 5-14: 6 spots

Mountaineering Courses
Several Dates: all have availability

Wilderness Backpacking Courses
Several Dates: all have availability

Wilderness First Responder Courses
WFR 70-Hour Course
March 5-13: available
WFR 3-day Recert
March 19-21: available
March 26-28: available

Custom Expeditions
A limited number of dates are still available for Denali, contact AMS for details.
Many other custom options are available - all over the Alaska Range!

Here is the full schedule for more options.
Call or email AMS if you have any questions!
We're in the office Monday-Friday, 10 am - 5 pm Alaska Time.
907-733-1016
info@climbalaska.org
~Blogger Julia

Carving Some Turns!

Yesterday Colby took some die-hard eager-skiers up to Hatcher Pass for a ski up on Lane Glacier. They carved some turns on the snow hidden behind all the boulders.Kyle & Tom are the most eager father and son ski team... they make a point of skiing every month of the year!The weather held up, with a dusting of fresh snow up high.

Today is Voting Day for our local elections. A great day to get out!!!~Blogger Julia

Well done to Hannah and Alasdair for passing their TCL today. We went for a ride round Glen Righ near Onich and found a trail on the map is not there under the wheels. We survived a long trudge through knee deep (for my long legs) marsh after the heavy rain last night as a result. The rest of the riding flowed much better as did the leading from Hannah and Alasdair. A great performance from both of them.

When all the weather forecasts say the same thing you can be quite sure that the weather will do what they say it will. This morning, while walking in to the CIC Hut, I was thinking that this was the day that broke the rule. It rained and the wind blew and at least one team turned around thinking it would not improve. However, the forecasts were right, the sky cleared to give a sunny afternoon and Philip and I enjoyed a great climb on Tower Ridge.

Philip completed the Munro's many years ago and has gone on to enjoy many of Scotland's classic ridges. Today was a step up in difficulty for him which did not cause any problem at all. The rock was damp and we had a hail shower but the climbing was good and we had the route to ourselves.

There are still many snow patches in the gullies and one or two lower down as well. The lochain in Coire na Ciste only emerged from the snow a few weeks ago and there is still snow at the edge (bottom left of the picture above).