Back in Anchorage!

From David Marchi:

Hey All- First of all I wanted to thank you for following our progression on the trip. It is always a treat to know that some out there cares about what we are doing!  All in all it was a very successful trip.  Although the temperatures were the coldest I have ever experienced, it was magnificiently clear and mother nature, again, provided a spectacular view!  On the 20th, we returned to Base Camp after a fun filled descent on skis, showing up to cold beers, sodas and snacks.  That evening we had a fun night in Talkeenta and sent Theo on his way.....he wants to see Polar Bears so he headed up to Deadhorse!

All of our guests are returning home today after taking advantage of our weak economy......"everything is so cheap" they continue to say!

Dane is staying up here and will be leading a Glacier Seminar course, while I will be returning to California to much warmer temperatures.....

Again thanks for checking in.

David

Everyones back to civilization

They all flew off the mountain yesterday to the relative civilization of Talkeetna where they took showers, ate lot's of food, and by all accounts drank too much beer.   Congratulations to another successful team.  They'll have one last team dinner tonight, and then everyone begins to head their seperate ways and make towards home.

Summit!

The team reached the summit on Saturday!  They must have been busy, because we didn't hear from them until Sunday evening when they had dropped back down to the 14,000 ft camp.  Congratulations to all.  

They left the 14,000 camp yesterday, and were heading for basecamp.  They should be there today, and could fly out as soon as this evening.  

High Camp!

David Marchi(lead guide) just called from High Camp!  They moved up today in some pretty nice weather, and are hoping to go for the summit tomorrow morning.  Wish them all luck.

Ready to move up to High Camp!

The team was able to carry a load of food and fuel up to the ridge at 16,300 ft yesterday, and they'll be ready to move as soon as they get another window of nice weather.  

Happy to be at 14,000

The ski team made it to the 14,000 camp yesterday.   The 14 camp is the center of activity for the West Buttress route.  This is the camp where everyone will spend a few days acclimating, and waiting for a window of good weather before pushing to high camp and then on to the summit.  

Guide Dane Brinkley is going to be bringing Rolf off the mountain tonight or tommorow due to illness.  He's OK, he just isn't feeling well.  

Moving up to 14,000 camp today

The team has been moving great, and had some pretty nice weather.  They spent the last several nights at the 11,000 foot camp, and are hoping to move on up to 14k tomorrow.  

They are all doing great, and David and Dane said happy mothers day to their moms.  

Welcome to the dispatch page for Mountain Trip's Denali Expedition in conjunction with the Swiss Guide Service, Kobler and Partner.

On May 4, 2008 a team of climbers will meet in Anchorage, Alaska in order to attempt to climb to the top of North America.

The summit of Denali (Mount McKinley) is the one of the famed Seven Summits and soars 20.320 feet above sea level. This team will spend up to three weeks working their way up the mountain from a base camp located at 7,200'. Due to it's proximity to the Arctic Circle, Denali is notorious for its ferocious weather and extreme cold. For many climbers, it is the challenge of a lifetime.

The team will include:

Uwe Carsten Gerlt from Germany
Hans Holzknecht from Austria
Theodor-Josef Iten from Switzerland
Rolf Kasteler from Switzerland
Johannes Schöllhuber from Austria
Rolf Seel from Germany
Walter Volken from Switzerland
Swiss UIAGM/IFMGA Guide Michel Wirth

Mountain Trip guides for the expedition will be David Marchi and Dane Brinkley from Mount Shasta, CA.

We will post updates as they are available, however due to weather and the big mountains surrounding the team for much of the climb, communications with the team may not occur on a daily basis. Please keep in mind the axiom of "no news is good news."

We can not guarantee that any comments posted to this blog will reach the climbers on the mountain. If you do wish to pass along any news, please call or email the Mountain Trip Office at info@mountaintrip.com or +1-970-369-1153.