Mt Denali

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ChrisinAZ
Posts: 437
Joined: 8/11/2010
14ers: 58  14 
13ers: 36
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Re: Mt Denali

Post by ChrisinAZ »

BrodyMac_99 wrote: Tue Sep 20, 2022 4:13 am
XterraRob wrote: Tue Sep 13, 2022 12:15 pm
druid2112 wrote: Tue Sep 13, 2022 11:43 am First, stop referring to it as Mt. Denali.
+1
Denali Peak is the proper reference.
Didn’t know that. Thanks for the correction
The mountain is in fact just called Denali, and previously Mt. McKinley--most non-mountaineers will probably be more familiar with the latter name still. I've never heard it referred to as "Mt. Denali" or "Denali Peak" by anyone in legitimate climbing circles.

As for training, plan for 6-12 months of primarily training hikes with a heavy (think 60-65 lb pack) and distance runs; core strength training is recommended as well though I kind of skimped on that. I'd recommend at a bare minimum being able to run 6 miles on hilly terrain in under an hour and being able to put in some 3k-4k vertical days with the heavy pack, at at least a 1000'/hr uphill pace, and putting in a consistent 60 minutes of effort at a time without a break. Guided groups will generally do a slow but steady 60-90 minutes of effort at a stretch. Being in even better shape than this will only increase your odds of success, and get you used to the daily suffering you'll experience on Denali. You can consider getting a sled (or dragging a tire around) with another 50-60 pounds in it to simulate the sled carries though this isn't mandatory; likewise consider a winter prep course somewhere like Rainier to dial in your gear and practice setting up/maintaining camp in crappy weather. Lastly, strongly consider bringing and using Diamox starting at 14 camp--I did and ended up having almost zero issues with altitude, even at 17 camp. We made it to 20100' and got turned around by high winds, but I'm planning a return trip next year...
"If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down? We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason."
— Jack Handy


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BrodyMac_99
Posts: 21
Joined: 8/12/2022
14ers: 7 
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Re: Mt Denali

Post by BrodyMac_99 »

ChrisinAZ wrote: Tue Sep 20, 2022 8:00 am
BrodyMac_99 wrote: Tue Sep 20, 2022 4:13 am
XterraRob wrote: Tue Sep 13, 2022 12:15 pm
+1
Denali Peak is the proper reference.
Didn’t know that. Thanks for the correction
The mountain is in fact just called Denali, and previously Mt. McKinley--most non-mountaineers will probably be more familiar with the latter name still. I've never heard it referred to as "Mt. Denali" or "Denali Peak" by anyone in legitimate climbing circles.

As for training, plan for 6-12 months of primarily training hikes with a heavy (think 60-65 lb pack) and distance runs; core strength training is recommended as well though I kind of skimped on that. I'd recommend at a bare minimum being able to run 6 miles on hilly terrain in under an hour and being able to put in some 3k-4k vertical days with the heavy pack, at at least a 1000'/hr uphill pace, and putting in a consistent 60 minutes of effort at a time without a break. Guided groups will generally do a slow but steady 60-90 minutes of effort at a stretch. Being in even better shape than this will only increase your odds of success, and get you used to the daily suffering you'll experience on Denali. You can consider getting a sled (or dragging a tire around) with another 50-60 pounds in it to simulate the sled carries though this isn't mandatory; likewise consider a winter prep course somewhere like Rainier to dial in your gear and practice setting up/maintaining camp in crappy weather. Lastly, strongly consider bringing and using Diamox starting at 14 camp--I did and ended up having almost zero issues with altitude, even at 17 camp. We made it to 20100' and got turned around by high winds, but I'm planning a return trip next year...
Awesome. Thanks for the advice and tips. Definitely got some work to do
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