NPS Denali Dispatch: Overconfidence and Inexperience in the Alaska Range

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Fireweed
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NPS Denali Dispatch: Overconfidence and Inexperience in the Alaska Range

Post by Fireweed »

https://www.nps.gov/dena/blogs/troubling-trends.htm

Here's the article:

NPS Denali Dispatches: Troubling Trends
May 27, 2021 Posted by: Denali Mountaineering Rangers

After a busy start to the week here in Talkeetna, we have taken some time to reflect upon some troubling trends that we have seen both from 2021 incidents and after speaking with climbers in the range. It has been two years since we’ve had large numbers of climbers in the range and on the West Buttress, and while we are just as excited as our fellow climbers to have a somewhat normal season, there are a few things we’d like visitors to keep in mind.

We have seen a disturbing amount of overconfidence paired with inexperience in the Alaska Range. While climbers may have a good deal of experience at elevations up to 14,000 feet in the Lower 48, the remoteness and extreme weather we get in the Alaska Range make the experience here more challenging and dangerous. Please do not underestimate conditions, take the time to acclimatize and do not ascend too quickly. We have already had several SAR events related to HAPE this year.

Another disturbing trend we are seeing is people attempting the summit from 14,000 feet. While it is totally reasonable to gain 7,000 feet of elevation in a day in Colorado and summit a 14’er, going from 14,000 feet to the summit of Denali is a whole different undertaking. There are very few mountaineers capable of moving fast enough to accomplish this safely. Exhaustion, untested physiological response to high altitude, rapidly changing weather, and insufficient gear on such a long push are all factors we have seen contribute to injuries and deaths for those attempting a summit out of 14 camp. Monday was a very real and sobering reminder of the dangers of this phenomenon.

It should go without saying that planning from the outset of the expedition to make an attempt to reach the summit from 14,000 feet is ill advised for someone who has never before been to this altitude, particularly in an arctic environment, and has no real conception of how their body will respond to such stresses. However, it also seems that many of the attempts to go to the summit from 14 camp in a single push are often a spur of the moment strategy that develops when an expedition has been pinned down by weather and is running out of time. In other words, it's borne out of desperation, impatience, and summit fever.

An additional factor that we have witnessed in the birth of this strategy is the dissolution of climbing teams at 14,000 feet, where one or more members of an expedition decide that they are not going any higher, but the remaining member (s) are undeterred. In many cases, these determined climbers end up forming loose coalitions with other individuals who they have just met for the first time and who are equally summit-driven. Collectively, this is a recipe for disaster.

It's also our observation that many teams attempting this long and committing summit push have frequently demonstrated a remarkable lack of contingency plans, and a clear psychological -- if not technical -- dependence on the mere presence of other climbing expeditions and the NPS infrastructure. Would you attempt this strategy if you were entirely alone on this mountain? If not, then you shouldn't be doing it now. The teams that have come to grief attempting this feat have, at best, invariably ended up becoming someone else's responsibility, typically in the form of being fed, watered and crammed into the tents of people previously unknown to them at high camp, because they are too exhausted or sick to complete the descent back to their camp at 14,000 feet. A number of climbing teams have had their own summit bids disrupted or ruined by the need to care for these climbers. And in the worst case, these climbers take injurious or even fatal falls, become incapacitated with high altitude sickness, or develop compromised mobility by frostbite, situations which place the lives of professional rescuers and other responding climbing teams at significant physical risk.

We have also seen an increase of skiers aspiring for highly coveted lines off the summit such as the Messner. High elevation peaks in the Alaska Range are often wind-scoured with low snowpack, making for highly challenging, unforgiving ski conditions. Even the most experienced skiers in Lower 48 terrain get in over their heads in the Alaska Range, and conditions can change rapidly from the top to the bottom of a 5,000-foot ski run. Conditions need to be perfect for skiers to pull this off safely.

Finally, we are seeing climbers come in with some misconceptions about the infrastructure in place on Denali. Even though the West Buttress is the most popular and well-traveled route on Denali, you are still mountaineering in a remote, high-altitude environment in the wilderness. Rescue is not guaranteed, and your emergency plan should not be contingent upon the NPS. Rescuer safety will always be our first priority, and weather or lack of resources often preclude us from coming to help. The NPS policy is to only respond to life, limb, or eyesight threats. Anything that we deem falls outside these categories, we will leave you to figure out on your own, and this year we have already turned down rescue requests that don’t meet these criteria. Additionally, while the NPS and guide services do maintain the fixed lines and some running pro, you should carry your own ice screws and snow pickets and be prepared to place your own protection. Do not rely on someone else to maintain your group’s safety.

The bottom line: do not let the crowds on the West Buttress lull you into a false sense of security. Be prepared and take the objective hazards of this climb seriously. You do not want to be the subject of the next Denali National Park news release.

Last updated: May 27, 2021

I should add that @alan_arnette posted the link to this on Twitter.
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Re: NPS Denali Dispatch: Overconfidence and Inexperience in the Alaska Range

Post by Kevin Baker »

I agree wholeheartedly with the concern expressed by the NPS. Your odds of success to begin with on Denali averages 50% or so, some years better than others. Prior to June 1, it is way less than that. The odds trying to day trip from 14 camp drop dramatically I would suspect, and your margin for error is very thin. In my two trips to Denali, I saw quite a few teams try to pull that off. If weather comes in, you are screwed. You need a pretty long weather window to pull that off and should be properly acclimated. Another issue is if you're stuck at camp for a few days, you begin losing fitness. 6K vert above 14K in a day plus getting up and down the Headwall and Autobahn in a day is a tall task.
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Re: NPS Denali Dispatch: Overconfidence and Inexperience in the Alaska Range

Post by Bale »

That is well written and informative, and will probably be about as effective as telling teenagers to abstain from sex. (Sort of a Krakauer rip off).
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Re: NPS Denali Dispatch: Overconfidence and Inexperience in the Alaska Range

Post by SchralpTheGnar »

Has anyone here done the push from 14k in a day or skied Denali? That article actually makes me want to try to do it.
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Re: NPS Denali Dispatch: Overconfidence and Inexperience in the Alaska Range

Post by Bale »

One problem is that the Kilian Jornet types have a support crew in case sh!t hits the fan, but your average Joe 14er climber trying to summit from 14k is relying on the NPS and other parties, which isn’t cool. I’m sure that the more accurate weather forecasts these days make it more attractive, just remember, “light and fast” in Alaska means something different.
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Re: NPS Denali Dispatch: Overconfidence and Inexperience in the Alaska Range

Post by TomPierce »

SchralpTheGnar wrote: Fri May 28, 2021 7:11 am Has anyone here done the push from 14k in a day or skied Denali? That article actually makes me want to try to do it.
When my group did it in the mid-90's, the 3 remaining members of our team did the up & down from 14K. We were all pretty fit but not psycho fit. They summitted and reported no significant problems. I didn't do it, I headed out a few days earlier due to a bout of snow blindness, a long story, but had a great time going to 17K alone. Note that in early June you have adequate light for essentially 24 hours, no need to even carry a headlamp, so it really is an issue of avoiding bad weather which is aided by the nightly (pretty accurate) weather forecasts from the NPS.

But for sure being out that long up high would significantly increase the risk, esp exhaustion on the descent. Just my opinions.

-Tom
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Re: NPS Denali Dispatch: Overconfidence and Inexperience in the Alaska Range

Post by Conor »

SchralpTheGnar wrote: Fri May 28, 2021 7:11 am Has anyone here done the push from 14k in a day or skied Denali? That article actually makes me want to try to do it.
Bean and another have. I think 2016. They summitted from 14 camp and ski descent.

I would also point out, tftna has summit from 14 camp in small day packs. I wouldn't call it a suggestion, but it is a shown as "you can do this."
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Re: NPS Denali Dispatch: Overconfidence and Inexperience in the Alaska Range

Post by Scott P »

SchralpTheGnar wrote: Fri May 28, 2021 7:11 am Has anyone here done the push from 14k in a day or skied Denali? That article actually makes me want to try to do it.
I think I Man climbed Denali for one the 14K camp.
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Re: NPS Denali Dispatch: Overconfidence and Inexperience in the Alaska Range

Post by Will_E »

SchralpTheGnar wrote: Fri May 28, 2021 7:11 am Has anyone here done the push from 14k in a day or skied Denali? That article actually makes me want to try to do it.
It’s on my dream list too.
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Re: NPS Denali Dispatch: Overconfidence and Inexperience in the Alaska Range

Post by justiner »

Bale wrote: Fri May 28, 2021 6:31 am That is well written and informative, and will probably be about as effective as telling teenagers to abstain from sex. (Sort of a Krakauer rip off).
Krakauer’s piece about the Denali season (and Ivan the Slovenian or whatever) sounds pretty similar to what the NPS is saying here - or have things changed? Is it the popularity of doing I’d from 14k’? TBH that does sounds pretty attractive.
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Re: NPS Denali Dispatch: Overconfidence and Inexperience in the Alaska Range

Post by Salient »

Honestly, mad respect for anyone who does it from 14k. Definitely not advisable to do it but if everything goes right and you’re capable of it then that’s quite an achievement.
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Re: NPS Denali Dispatch: Overconfidence and Inexperience in the Alaska Range

Post by shredthegnar10 »

Kevin Baker wrote: Thu May 27, 2021 9:05 pm Another issue is if you're stuck at camp for a few days, you begin losing fitness. 6K vert above 14K in a day plus getting up and down the Headwall and Autobahn in a day is a tall task.
If you're properly trained and fit enough to summit from the 14k camp, sitting in your tent at 14k for a few days should not affect your overall fitness and acclimatization. People on 8000m peaks often wait a week or more in base camp before they get a weather window for a summit attempt.
*To clarify, I did not summit from 14k -- I think if everyone on the team is capable of doing so, it is the "ideal" way to go, but group cohesion is absolutely essential. I wouldn't try it with any partner/team member who didn't have a few high altitude trips under their belt.
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