Peak(s):	Denali - 20320
Date Posted:	07/09/2014
Date Climbed:	06/04/2014
Author:	mtsuji
Additional Members:	dcuz

Denali-The art of sitting in a tent
Denali (20,320) via the Messner Couloir Dates on glacier: May 19 to June 8, 2014 Team: Mike Tsuji & Dylan Cousins (Team Summer Sausage) South Face with the Cassin Ridge visible After first seeing Denali on a trip into the Ruth Gorge a couple years ago I knew I would be back to climb it. My main climbing partner and I both had some free time and decided this year would be ideal to give it a go. We began our training with the hope of getting enough good weather to attempt the Cassin Ridge. The plan was to run up the West Buttress to acclimatize and wait for a 72 hour window of high pressure to get on the Cassin. However, going into the trip we realized the cards would have to fall just right in order for us to even have a chance. May 18 to May 23 (Anchorage to 14K camp) The winter was filled with training and planning (and skiing!) and before we knew it May had arrived. I caught a direct flight from Denver to Anchorage on May 18 and crashed at a college buddy's place with Dylan. Dylan had already been in AK for a week skiing the Chugach and had gathered all the food, fuel and booze we would need for our trip. It was pretty awesome to arrive and see a months worth of food bagged and labeled! Trip Food The next day we caught a ride with Go Purple Shuttle to Talkeetna. We were able to bump our meeting with the park up a day and caught the last TAT flight of the day into base camp! We were on glacier a day earlier than planned which was definitely a win. Unfortunately, our swift departure from Talkeetna left us no time to get bread or beer to cache at base camp. However, the thrill of flying back into the range quickly made us forget everything except the expedition we were about to embark upon. Ready to go! Denali on the flight in Our plane touched down around 19:00 which meant it had taken me slightly more than 24 hours to go from DIA to Base Camp. Not bad! We decided to take advantage of the Alaskan summer nights and push up to Ski Hill camp. Dylan preparing to leave base camp As we moved up the glacier the wind slowly grew worse until we were skinning directly into a full on ground blizzard. Talking to people the next day it appeared the unfavorable conditions had kept everyone at Ski Hill camp from moving up. When we finally saw the cluster of tents at the base of Ski Hill we quickly dug into someones quarry and pitched our Firstlight. It was amazing to finally be out of the snow and wind. Enjoying being out of the wind May 20th arrived clear and windless. After a relaxing morning we started moving around 10:30. Irish coffee The ski up to 11 camp was great with some amazing views of the southwest face of the mountain. We settled into a comfortable pace and enjoyed the surroundings and the great weather. Poop hole Looking up the NE fork of the Kahiltna Skiing to 11 camp Taking a break The last couple hours were a slog, the sight of 11k camp was a huge relief. 11k Camp! We had reached 11k less than a day after landing on the glacier. Aside from several hot spots caused by sweaty ski boots we both felt great. However, as anxious as the team was to continue blasting up the mountain we didn't want to push too high too fast. It was decided we would double carry to 14k to get a little extra acclimatization and to avoid dragging 140 lbs of gear each in one go (we weighed in at 283 in Talkeetna). We dug in and watched an amazing show as clouds flowed over Denali Pass down onto the Kahiltna. Digging in Cloud flow! May 21st broke clear and calm so we loaded our packs and set off for 14k. The hike was great and with no sleds we made quick progress. Me with the Father and Sons wall behind Squirrel Hill Upon arriving at 14k camp we located a vacant site and dug a hole to cache our supplies in. The team in the next site approached us and ended up being the German group we flew in with. They had single carried to 14k a couple hours earlier and appeared to be in rough shape. Their leader had a pulse oximeter, Dylan and I were both in the low 90's. He said his team was between 65 and 75 and he thought they may have pushed too quickly. They were also a bit short on food and inquired about buying some. We had quite a bit and told him we could discuss when we returned tomorrow. The hike back to 11k was beautiful and went very quickly. May 22 arrived with snow and a little wind. While we could have pushed to 14k another day and night at 11k would be good for our bodies so we took a rest day. We were able to construct a snow sculpture on our wall. Snow art The 23rd dawned clear and crisp. We broke camp and started moving around 11:00. Even after carrying a decent amount two days prior the sleds were still heavier than I would have liked. Arrived at 14k to find the Germans had abandoned their attempt. A guide camped close by said one of them had started coughing up blood so it was probably good they turned around. They left all their remaining food on top of our cache, we never got to say thanks but if you're reading this, thanks! We really appreciated it! We dug in next to a team from Seattle and a solo climber from the UK. They turned out to be good neighbors for our stay at 14k. The views of Hunter and Foraker from this camp were pretty special, I never tired of them during our stay here (possibly because they were shrouded in clouds most of the time... nevertheless, they were pretty rad!). May 24 to May 26 (The calm before the storm) The 24th arrived bright and clear. Dylan and I had both slept really well and were eager to start exploring. The plan for the day was to head up and see how we felt as neither of us had been higher than 15,000' prior to this trip. As we walked up to the fixed lines we both began looking at the rescue gully, a couloir that goes directly to 17,000'. We decided it looked more fun than waiting in line to go up the ropes so we began climbing. It turned out to be some of the best steep snow I've ever been on, perfect neve for 2k. We felt great as we cruised up to 17k camp. The rescue gully spit us out right at 17k camp where we brewed up and ate some snacks. Looking at the rest of the route it was tempting to keep pushing but we decided to head back down to 14k. Cruising on neve 17k and the autobahn Dylan at 17k The 25th was splitter as well but we decided to take a well earned rest day. On the 26th we decided to see how high we could get. We were moving by 7:00 and feeling good arriving at 17k by 11:00. There was a lenticular over the top but we decided to keep going until we were forced to turn around. The conditions continued to deteriorate, visibility was around 20 yards as we reached the football field. Dylan was taking bearings whenever we reached a willow wand so we knew the general direction to head down. We kept pushing until we hit the summit ridge. Dylan peeked over and was blasted by wind and snow. We both felt pretty lousy at this point and decided this would be the days high point. As we descended out of the lenticular the wind and snow lessened until we were back in the sun. We felt great about almost reaching the summit less than a week after arriving on the glacier. We would tag the summit in the next couple days and have a couple weeks to wait for a weather window for the Cassin. The trip was going better than we could have hoped for at this point, what could possibly go wrong? Somewhere around 17k May 27 to June 3 (Sitting in a tent) The next day arrived snowy and windy which was alright with us. After our big push the previous day we didn't mind some rest. However, we heard the forecast every Denali group dreads: Southwest Flow. When the southwest flow sets up over Denali people sit in their tents for a while. Which is exactly what we did. It allowed for a lot of this: and this: and the weather board looked like this: The rangers told us that the summit success rate fell below 15% and there was a six day stretch where no flights went into or out of base camp. The weather at 14k actually wasn't terrible, we were able to get some good pow turns in and made a run up to 17k on June 2nd. However, it was blowing very hard up high and down lower people were digging their tents out every hour at points. We saw many groups throw in the towel and several groups try to move to 17k only to return looking beaten. Finally, after waiting for over a week, the forecast called for a 36 hour window of high pressure on the 4th. June 4 to June 8 (Up and down!) We decided to try the Messner Couloir, a huge couloir going from just above 14k camp to about 19,500' and the football field. The Messner is the funnel shaped couloir running to the top in the picture below The Messner is the funnel shaped couloir The lower part of the route turned out to be several inches of snow over ice which made the climbing slow. Front pointing also seems to drive the blood out of your toes which led to several stops to warm up numb digits. The climb was great but it went on forever, it was late afternoon by the time we reached the top. On route Cold Morning Nearing the top of the Messner The weather was still beautiful so we ditched the packs and made for the summit. Summit ridge Standing on top of Denali was one of the coolest experiences of my young life. The views were unparalleled and being on the highest point in North America was an unforgettable feeling. I was exhausted and could definitely feel the altitude but was ecstatic to be on top. On top! Summit "shot" The hike down the West Buttress went quick, the approaching weather led to one of the coolest ridge walks I've done. The cloud blanket below combine with the ice crystals in the air and the setting sun created a sublime setting. Above the clouds We stayed at 14k for several more days to see if we would be getting our elusive weather window but with another storm in the forecast we decided to throw in the towel on June 7th. After skiing down from the West Rib cutoff for fun we packed up camp and skied to basecamp. I finally got to fly in the front on our trip out. Skiing from the cutoff At first I was disappointed we didn't get the opportunity to try the Cassin Ridge. It's always hard to have to abandon a goal you've had for years and have been planning and training for for months. However, as I find myself further from the trip it's easier to recognize all the amazing experiences and great people we were able to meet during our time on the glacier. I still wish we were able to give it a go but summiting via the Messner wasn't a bad consolation prize. Thanks for taking the time to read this and if you're planning a trip to the range don't hesitate to ask me anything! Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Denali-The art of sitting in a tent

Denali (20,320) via the Messner Couloir

Dates on glacier: May 19 to June 8, 2014
Team: Mike Tsuji & Dylan Cousins (Team Summer Sausage)

South Face with the Cassin Ridge visible

After first seeing Denali on a trip into the Ruth Gorge a couple years ago I knew I would be back to climb it. My main climbing partner and I both had some free time and decided this year would be ideal to give it a go. We began our training with the hope of getting enough good weather to attempt the Cassin Ridge. The plan was to run up the West Buttress to acclimatize and wait for a 72 hour window of high pressure to get on the Cassin. However, going into the trip we realized the cards would have to fall just right in order for us to even have a chance.

May 18 to May 23 (Anchorage to 14K camp)

The winter was filled with training and planning (and skiing!) and before we knew it May had arrived. I caught a direct flight from Denver to Anchorage on May 18 and crashed at a college buddy's place with Dylan. Dylan had already been in AK for a week skiing the Chugach and had gathered all the food, fuel and booze we would need for our trip. It was pretty awesome to arrive and see a months worth of food bagged and labeled!

The next day we caught a ride with Go Purple Shuttle to Talkeetna. We were able to bump our meeting with the park up a day and caught the last TAT flight of the day into base camp! We were on glacier a day earlier than planned which was definitely a win. Unfortunately, our swift departure from Talkeetna left us no time to get bread or beer to cache at base camp. However, the thrill of flying back into the range quickly made us forget everything except the expedition we were about to embark upon.

Our plane touched down around 19:00 which meant it had taken me slightly more than 24 hours to go from DIA to Base Camp. Not bad! We decided to take advantage of the Alaskan summer nights and push up to Ski Hill camp.

As we moved up the glacier the wind slowly grew worse until we were skinning directly into a full on ground blizzard. Talking to people the next day it appeared the unfavorable conditions had kept everyone at Ski Hill camp from moving up. When we finally saw the cluster of tents at the base of Ski Hill we quickly dug into someones quarry and pitched our Firstlight. It was amazing to finally be out of the snow and wind.

May 20th arrived clear and windless. After a relaxing morning we started moving around 10:30.

The ski up to 11 camp was great with some amazing views of the southwest face of the mountain. We settled into a comfortable pace and enjoyed the surroundings and the great weather.

The last couple hours were a slog, the sight of 11k camp was a huge relief.

We had reached 11k less than a day after landing on the glacier. Aside from several hot spots caused by sweaty ski boots we both felt great. However, as anxious as the team was to continue blasting up the mountain we didn't want to push too high too fast. It was decided we would double carry to 14k to get a little extra acclimatization and to avoid dragging 140 lbs of gear each in one go (we weighed in at 283 in Talkeetna). We dug in and watched an amazing show as clouds flowed over Denali Pass down onto the Kahiltna.

May 21st broke clear and calm so we loaded our packs and set off for 14k. The hike was great and with no sleds we made quick progress.

Upon arriving at 14k camp we located a vacant site and dug a hole to cache our supplies in. The team in the next site approached us and ended up being the German group we flew in with. They had single carried to 14k a couple hours earlier and appeared to be in rough shape. Their leader had a pulse oximeter, Dylan and I were both in the low 90's. He said his team was between 65 and 75 and he thought they may have pushed too quickly. They were also a bit short on food and inquired about buying some. We had quite a bit and told him we could discuss when we returned tomorrow. The hike back to 11k was beautiful and went very quickly.

May 22 arrived with snow and a little wind. While we could have pushed to 14k another day and night at 11k would be good for our bodies so we took a rest day. We were able to construct a snow sculpture on our wall.

The 23rd dawned clear and crisp. We broke camp and started moving around 11:00. Even after carrying a decent amount two days prior the sleds were still heavier than I would have liked. Arrived at 14k to find the Germans had abandoned their attempt. A guide camped close by said one of them had started coughing up blood so it was probably good they turned around. They left all their remaining food on top of our cache, we never got to say thanks but if you're reading this, thanks! We really appreciated it! We dug in next to a team from Seattle and a solo climber from the UK. They turned out to be good neighbors for our stay at 14k. The views of Hunter and Foraker from this camp were pretty special, I never tired of them during our stay here (possibly because they were shrouded in clouds most of the time... nevertheless, they were pretty rad!).

May 24 to May 26 (The calm before the storm)

The 24th arrived bright and clear. Dylan and I had both slept really well and were eager to start exploring. The plan for the day was to head up and see how we felt as neither of us had been higher than 15,000' prior to this trip. As we walked up to the fixed lines we both began looking at the rescue gully, a couloir that goes directly to 17,000'. We decided it looked more fun than waiting in line to go up the ropes so we began climbing. It turned out to be some of the best steep snow I've ever been on, perfect neve for 2k. We felt great as we cruised up to 17k camp. The rescue gully spit us out right at 17k camp where we brewed up and ate some snacks. Looking at the rest of the route it was tempting to keep pushing but we decided to head back down to 14k.

The 25th was splitter as well but we decided to take a well earned rest day. On the 26th we decided to see how high we could get. We were moving by 7:00 and feeling good arriving at 17k by 11:00. There was a lenticular over the top but we decided to keep going until we were forced to turn around. The conditions continued to deteriorate, visibility was around 20 yards as we reached the football field. Dylan was taking bearings whenever we reached a willow wand so we knew the general direction to head down. We kept pushing until we hit the summit ridge. Dylan peeked over and was blasted by wind and snow. We both felt pretty lousy at this point and decided this would be the days high point. As we descended out of the lenticular the wind and snow lessened until we were back in the sun. We felt great about almost reaching the summit less than a week after arriving on the glacier. We would tag the summit in the next couple days and have a couple weeks to wait for a weather window for the Cassin. The trip was going better than we could have hoped for at this point, what could possibly go wrong?

May 27 to June 3 (Sitting in a tent)

The next day arrived snowy and windy which was alright with us. After our big push the previous day we didn't mind some rest. However, we heard the forecast every Denali group dreads: Southwest Flow. When the southwest flow sets up over Denali people sit in their tents for a while. Which is exactly what we did. It allowed for a lot of this:

and this:

and the weather board looked like this:

The rangers told us that the summit success rate fell below 15% and there was a six day stretch where no flights went into or out of base camp. The weather at 14k actually wasn't terrible, we were able to get some good pow turns in and made a run up to 17k on June 2nd. However, it was blowing very hard up high and down lower people were digging their tents out every hour at points. We saw many groups throw in the towel and several groups try to move to 17k only to return looking beaten. Finally, after waiting for over a week, the forecast called for a 36 hour window of high pressure on the 4th.

June 4 to June 8 (Up and down!)

We decided to try the Messner Couloir, a huge couloir going from just above 14k camp to about 19,500' and the football field. The Messner is the funnel shaped couloir running to the top in the picture below

The Messner is the funnel shaped couloir

The lower part of the route turned out to be several inches of snow over ice which made the climbing slow. Front pointing also seems to drive the blood out of your toes which led to several stops to warm up numb digits. The climb was great but it went on forever, it was late afternoon by the time we reached the top.

The weather was still beautiful so we ditched the packs and made for the summit.

Standing on top of Denali was one of the coolest experiences of my young life. The views were unparalleled and being on the highest point in North America was an unforgettable feeling. I was exhausted and could definitely feel the altitude but was ecstatic to be on top.

The hike down the West Buttress went quick, the approaching weather led to one of the coolest ridge walks I've done. The cloud blanket below combine with the ice crystals in the air and the setting sun created a sublime setting.

We stayed at 14k for several more days to see if we would be getting our elusive weather window but with another storm in the forecast we decided to throw in the towel on June 7th. After skiing down from the West Rib cutoff for fun we packed up camp and skied to basecamp. I finally got to fly in the front on our trip out.

At first I was disappointed we didn't get the opportunity to try the Cassin Ridge. It's always hard to have to abandon a goal you've had for years and have been planning and training for for months. However, as I find myself further from the trip it's easier to recognize all the amazing experiences and great people we were able to meet during our time on the glacier. I still wish we were able to give it a go but summiting via the Messner wasn't a bad consolation prize.

Thanks for taking the time to read this and if you're planning a trip to the range don't hesitate to ask me anything!

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Comments or Questions

13ers	You sir... 7/9/2014 4:15pm are a badass!
Wish I lived in CO	Image 33 7/9/2014 5:30pm Amazing shot above the clouds with the low sun. Congrats on a great trip!
goingup	Well, 7/9/2014 6:35pm This was not as exciting as the one line trip report on Pikes Peak but I guess it is worth an excellent job team summer sausage.
Theodore	Awesome work! 7/9/2014 6:45pm The older I get the more Denali looks like a pipe dream, but your TR is exactly how I would want to do it. Get to 11-14 fast. Rest. Then a high hike or two and go straight at it. Great pics!
Steve Climber	Hell yes! 7/9/2014 7:44pm I don't mind getting buried by reports like this one. Nice work gents!!!
Blue6String	nice 7/9/2014 8:59pm Congrats. Great photos and a great accomplishment. Thanks for sharing.
kansas	Spectacular! 7/9/2014 11:36pm Well done! My team was climbing on the Ruth during the May 27-June 3rd storm, fortunately we were down at 11k, I wouldn't have wanted to be any higher. Congrats
SurfNTurf	Team Summer Sausage 7/10/2014 2:25pm Fantastic name, haha. Congrats on a fine accomplishment, and thanks for sharing.
I Man	Reinhold!! 7/10/2014 10:45pm Nice work guys. This is proud. Fantastic looking line that certainly beckons.
Col_Forbin	Great Job 7/10/2014 11:21pm Congrats on a safe and successful climb! Amazing accomplishment
mtsuji	Thanks 7/16/2014 2:33pm For reading and the comments!
dcuz	Speed climbing 1/3/2020 1:22pm You forgot to mention that I'm wasting Killian Jornet on the summit ridge!! I mean that guy isn't really even very fit...

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Denali (20,320) via the Messner Couloir

May 18 to May 23 (Anchorage to 14K camp)

May 24 to May 26 (The calm before the storm)

May 27 to June 3 (Sitting in a tent)

June 4 to June 8 (Up and down!)

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