Climbing Mount McKinley is the challenge of a lifetime. With the correct training, preparation and team you can make this expedition a more enjoyable experience. I have been on a numbers of Denali expeditions on two different routes and I recommend you consider the West Buttress route for your Mount Mc Kinley expedition. Check out our Training advice for climbing Mount McKinley. I hope these Top Tips for climbing Mount McKinley are useful as you plan for your expedition.
Who Should Consider Mount Mc Kinley
If you are planning to climb the 7 summits at some point you will need to tackle Mount McKinley in Alaska. When deciding the order of the seven summits you want to climb, Mount McKinley should not be your first of the seven. Along with Mount Vinson, Mount McKinley is the least supported of the seven summits.
This means you need to be extremely competent, well versed in a mix of mountaineering disciplines and ready to work hard to make this expedition a safe and successful adventure.
Top Tips for Climbing Mount McKinley
1). Acclimatization for Climbing Denali
Over 25 years of taking on high altitude expeditions I can tell you without enough acclimatization in your itinerary, you limit success. You also risk getting altitude sickness, adding additional physical and mental stress. Everyone acclimatizes differently, so without the correct acclimatization in your itinerary you risk an early exit from Mount McKinley.
2). Training for Mount McKinley
A lot of people are miss underestimating what it’s like to move up steep terrain at altitude, with a heavy pack, pulling a sled in challenging weather. That doesn’t sound very appealing because it’s hard work. You need to be proficient in moving on snow in crampons, on steep terrain.
I listened to a podcast recently on climbing Denali and it said 20% of the training should be with a heavy pack. I must disagree 60% to 70% of training should be on steep terrain, hills or stairs with weight and in my opinion building up to carrying around 65lbs over months 6/8 months build up. In the last 2 weeks pull back to 50lbs in weight in your backpack.
Core, lower back, shoulders, legs, calf’s, zone 2 (2 hours per day, one longer hiking session) lots of leg work. Can you do 1,000 m back to back with weighed backpack? Can you do this and be back in the gym the next day?
3). Mountains you Should Climb Before Denali
There are some mountains you need to consider before climbing Mount McKinley in Alaska. The build up to Denali should be years of prior trips, specific technical courses and many trips to high altitude. I personally think you should have climbed Kilimanjaro, Elbrus, Carstensz, Cotopaxi and Chimborazo, Lobuche peak, Aconcagua, Rainier or Mount Baker and undertake a Denali specific mountaineering course. If you would like information on any of these trips or training trips prior to climbing Mount McKinley, contact us today.
4). Personal Gear
If you would like to know the exact gear that I would bring to Mount McKinley get in touch today and we can show you each piece of kit and what exactly you should consider bringing with you. There are some items of clothing and kit you can not compromise on but others are open for personal preference. After 20 years of venturing into the high mountains I have developed a system that works well for me. You are welcome to decide on your own specific layering system and how to manage the weight of the clothing and gear you bring with you.
5). Denali Training Course
We highly recommend taking a pre Denali training course before the climb. This specific course will help you understand the movement and techniques required to be safe and successful. We run these courses in Scotland or in Colorado. This course will cover weight in your backpack and weight in your sled, rigging a sled, movement with a sled, fixed line climbing, Alpine movement on steep terrain, French stepping, Alpine movement, glacier travel, gear and kit selections and more.
6). Harness and Sled Rigging
I think it is important to know the type of sled you will be using, how the system works and how you will fit into that rope system. Managing a sled especially on the downhill can be frustrating and I think it is worth doing some practice with a Denali guide before going to the glacier. This practice will help you understand how the sled is roped up and how you can effectively manage the rope, sled, weight and move with others at the same time.
7). Know Your Knots
There are a few knots that you should know before setting foot on the Kahiltna glacier. You need to be familiar with a clove hitch, Munter hitch, Hunters Munter hitch, Figure of 8, Alpine butterfly and French prusiks. You can go on a ropes course with one of our guides to really get familiar with these knots. It is worth spending some time on knowing your knots. You will feel more self-sufficient which is important for any McKinley expedition.
8). Your Climbing Team
Do you know the people on the rope with you? Do you know what training, preparation and prior experience they have? For us this is essential for running a trip to Mount McKinley. We strongly advice that you come with a climbing partner. This expedition to climb Mount McKinley is serious, challenging and you and the team can be pushed to the limit.
It is important to you have a team mate, rope mate and tent mate that you are aligned with. If you are sharing a tent, rope or expedition with someone who is not prepared you will not have an memorable experience. Honestly this is why we only run trips to Mount McKinley with people we have seen in action as we want to build the correct teams for safety and success.
9). Picking the Team
One of the major reasons to go with seasoned guides is for logistical support. Here are a few reasons to work with a big outfitter for a Denali expedition. The last time I was on McKinley we had to send a team member down and if other guides were not going down with another team, two of our guides would have had to bring that person all the way to Base Camp and return to the team. We would have lost contingency days and this would have had an effect the overall safety of the team. Being part of a larger operation allow you to be more lean, you can gain access to tents higher up, trade items, food and supplies. Having these options are great in addition to the weight load you can potentially save carrying higher on the mountain.
10). Equipment
Think weight. If your backpack weight is 10lbs and sleeping mattress 3lbs and all the other items weight and food weigh over 100lbs/ 45kg well you are are off to a bad start. My expedition pack is 4lbs and sleeping mattress is 1.5lbs. In my opinion it is important to know the exact weight of all your kit and gear you will be bringing to Denali. There are no porters and you need to carry and pull everything, food, personal gear, tent, waste and everything needed to survive in extreme conditions. You need to be efficient and lean but you can not leave any essentials at home. This process takes a few months to go through and we can help you.
11). Have Plenty of Contingency Days
There is a balance of having enough contingency days and carrying enough food to support those spare days on Denali. More than likely these contingency days will be used in Camp 3 14,200 feet or Camp 4 17,200 feet. This means you will have to carry and pull more weight up to higher altitude. We recommend having 7 to 9 contingency days throughout the expedition so you can give yourself a chance at the summit.
12). Having the Correct Experience
Denali should be a trip you consider after years of climbing other mountains. You need to understand what is like moving on a glacier, Alpine Mountaineering, fixed line climbing and more. You should also consider one of our Norway trips. On this trip we cover polar travel pulling a sled and this could be an additional training trip you undertake before going to McKinley. There are a few considerations here, with the biggest begin moving and working in extreme cold. Managing yourself in extreme temperatures is extremely important.
13). Manage your Tent
Make sure you go camping in the cold, test your air mattress, sleeping bag, pee bottle, gear, pillow on snow would be best to know how to build a platform with skis or snow shoes. Knowing what it’s like digging out a place for your tent and digging out your tent from 2 feet of snow is also important. Having a plan for the inside of your tent is important. Where will you place your utensils, toiletries, duffel bag, sunglasses, backpack and clothing needs to be militaristic so you are organized and do not misplace items and keep your stress levels low. Treat the tent like your home.
14). Solar and Battery
I personally bring a battery pack and solar panel. With more daylight in Alaska in climbing season you can keep your kindle and phone working all the time. These items are not light but worth it to be able to read and watch movies if you get stuck for a few days. Download movies, podcasts and pre plan this so you have enough content for a 3 week trip.
15). Cache Days, How it Works
There are specific days where you have to carry and pull loads up the mountain. From Camp 1 you have a 2,000 foot ascent, a 6 mile round trip event to cache food, gear and equipment you will not use until higher on the mountain. You also have back carries where you have to go back downhill and carry that cache up to the next camp. You will do this a number of time from Camp 2 and Camp 3. It is important to really consider what you cache especially on the upper mountain. You will need access to certain items for windy corner and moving up the headwall to the 16,000 foot ridge. It is important to discuss this with the team before each cashe of gear and equipment.
16). Mountaineering Training, Denali Specific
Above Camp 2 the terrain is steep, motorcycle hill, squirrel hill, windy corner and then above 14,200 camp 3 the terrain gets steeper up to the 16,000 foot ridge. There are well know mountaineering techniques you need to know and practice and worth going on a specific training course for Denali so guides can assess your strengths and weaknesses and aid your preparation for a Denali expedition. Get in touch for further information.
17). Help the Team and Guides
There is a lot of work to manage outside of acclimatization and moving days. The team needs to build toilets, kitchen area in each camp up to Camp 3 at 14,200 feet. You also need to dig holes big enough to cache food, team items and gear needed for higher up the mountain. Helping out and sharing the load as a team is extremely important for team morale. Helping teammates put up tents and shovel out tents will go a long way in making everyone’s life more manageable on the glacier.
18). Think About Taping Your Feet
I highly recommend using ski socks lower down. I always bring 3 pairs ski socks and manage my feet rigorously. It can be extremely hot on the lower glacier and extremely cold higher up. Getting blisters on the lower glacier can end your trip. Moving everything from Base Camp to Camp 1 can place a lot of pressure on your feet so be ready with compeeds if you start getting hotspots. Or you can preemptively tape the places you already know will be an issue.
19). Patience
You need contingency days on a Denali trip and you will probably use them. Be patience and try not to fixate on the summit. Trying to battle the cold and wind can take a lot out of you. Moving when the weather is more favorable should be the goal. It’s not always possible. If you move in more challenging weather if can take a lot out of you. It is much easier to move in inclement weather lower down and this would be the place to edge forward and try and get to Camp 3 with spare days. Trying to battle windy corner in bad weather managing a heavy sled can be fun! Rolling into camp 3 tired is not a great idea.
20). Repair Kits
It is nice to have 1 sowing kit and 1 thermarest repair kit per tent. Duct tape, heavy duty tape and a spare lighter. I also like to have a spare set of liner gloves just in case.
21). Warm Down Booties
There are a range of ways to manage comfort in camp. Down booties in your over boots is an option. Down booties inside your mountaineering boot just using the over shell of the boot. You can also find some light weight warm down booties with Gortex shell. If you go with this option you just need to make sure they have a good solid Base. This will add extra weight but add to your comfort in camp. There is lots of consider here.
22). Hydration
The items you need are 2 Nalgene bottles and 1 hydro flash and you need to be drinking 4 liters of water per day. You need sleeves for the Nalgene bottles. Above Camp 2 you need to keep your Nalgene bottles in your sleeping bag so the water does not freeze. You can also keep your bottles upside down to help the top from freezing.
23). Going to the Toilet
You need to sit on the can. Be careful with the CMC’S – toilets on the mountain. Make sure you sit on the top and everyone goes into the toilet, an important tip you need to remember.
24). Hand warmers
You may not need to use them but if temperatures change or you weather changes you will need a kit and survival bag and hand warmers may very welll be needed. Bring at least 8 sets of hand warmers.
25). Bring an In Reach Garmin
It is nice to be able to keep in touch with family and friends throughout the expedition. Having the encouragement from the outside world is comforting and worth it. Make sure you have the app downloaded and tested on your phone before arriving in Alaska.
26). Download your Favorites
Make sure you have podcasts and offline movies downloaded from Netflix, amazon prime or your favorite shows. It is nice to have a distraction from the elements and great way to unwind on challenging days.
27). Travel Times
Plan to travel at odd times. Stay out of the midday sun and moving sometimes at 3am or during the night is advised, especially lower down below Camp 2. Depending on the weather and forecast you may need to travel early in the morning or late at night to avoid the scorching heat on the glacier. This needs serious attention to detail and can make or break your trip.
28). Tape up Your Feet
We have seen so many people with blisters early in the trip and this can end your adventure on Denali. Go test your boots on other peaks, use them on steep angles and see weaknesses and address them early. You should bring compeeds, athletic tape or hydro seal band aids. The minute you feel a hot spot, address it immediately.
29). Be Busy
Be busy making sure everything is organized so you can be more relaxed and have everything taken care off. Always be taking care of yourself, tent organization. Addressing gear and clothing concerns, treat hotspots straight away. Make sure you are not getting sunburnt. Always be thinking a few steps ahead. I also like to keep the side pockets of my tent organized, have all the key items you will use on a regular basis closest to you. Generally just know where everything is for a more relaxed experience.
30). Above Camp 3
Once you leave Camp 3, 14,200 feet things get steeper and the real high altitude mountaineering begins. You need to be technically, mentally and physically prepared for long challenging days back to back. Sometimes we have to move from 14,200 feet to 17,200 feet and summit the next day. This is a question you need to ask yourself as you map out your training. Do you have enough fixed line climbing experience with a jumar? Are you ready for 40 to 50 degree angles terrain. Sure you are doing enough training?
31). Bring a Trekking Pole for Summit Night
In additional to your ice axe, I personally think it is worth bringing a trekking pole up higher on Denali. You can not use it on the autobahn or the first two hours of the summit ascent. Once you get to Denali pass you should can use it all the way to the top of Pig Hill. Pig Hill is the last steep ascent before the summit ridge.
How Our Last McKinley Expedition Played out
Day 1 and Day 2: 29th May & 30th May – Our team left the hotel at 4:45am and drove to Starbucks, and grocery store to pick up some food for that morning and some food on the glacier. It took us 2 hours 30 mins to drive to Talkeenta. Firstly, our team checked in at the airstrip and then drove to the National Park service building at 8:15am for our briefing.
After the briefing warning us of the risks, our team drove back to the airstrip and started to unload all our gear, food, sleds, duffels and bags. It was now a waiting game! Sitting and waited can be frustrating but at 1:35pm they said we are flying. At 2pm we took off and landed on the glacier at 2:28pm. It was time to find a place to camp for the night and time to get to work. Platforms for tents need to built, a hole for the kitchen and toilet area. Early evening the team covered some training on rigging a sled. Bathroom training, dinner and slept.
Day 3: 31st May – 5 hours 30 mins from Base Camp to Camp 1. Carrying about 35/40lbs and pulling 55/60lbs on the sled. Sled and backpack rigging with cord and tie-downs write about this. Hunter Munter hitch. Clove hitch, figure of 8.
Day 4: 1st June – 6 hours 30 mins camp 1 and back to cache -10c cold winds. Dropped crampons, summit gear, some upper mountain snacks, ice axe, helmet, summit snacks, Jumar, I dropped 5 small bags. Bring 2 liters of water and some snacks for moving.
Day 5: 2nd June – The plan was to move at 6:30am but there was too much snow. Rest day in camp charging, reading relaxing. Pasta dinner
Day 6: 3rd June – The weather has the team snowed in. It has snowed for 24 hours straight now. We have a 2 feet of snow. Still windy and snowing at 3pm. Burrito dinner.
Day 7: 4th June – move to camp 2 at 11,200 at 9:30am it took 8 hours to get to camp 2 with breaks and we stopped at the cache to dig out some meals and continued up the steep hill 30/35 degree angle for 2 hours. Slow and steady. Rice and lentils for dinner.
Day 8: 5th June – We did a back carry which took 2:30. 20 mins down hill to the cache and 45 mins to dig everything up. Then 1 hour 30 back up hill with 50 lbs 30 in the backpack and 20lbs in the sled. Chicken quesadillas after snack. Eat chicken burger and sweet potato fries for dinner.
Day 9: 6th June – windy morning. The sun hits camp 2 at 9am. We decided to stay in camp as windy corner and cashing gear and food would be too cold. We had breakfast sandwiches, coffee and organized gear for moving higher. The afternoon was spent hydrating and resting. Chicken/ pasta dinner 6pm.
Day 10: 7th June – Wake at 7am and prepare for a 9:30am start. There was a helicopter rescue at 8:30am for someone with frostbite. We had a 7 hour day. We went up motorcycle hill (700 ft). It’s a steep ascent with a bergshurnd 3/4 ways up. You need to French step a lot of the hill. From there we go up the step squirrel hill (700 ft).
From there we hug the left side of the glacier gradual at first and then steeper up to windy corner another (800 ft). There is some potential rock fall on the left. Helmets are needed. Then we cross the crevasse field to the cashe area at 13,516ft. 2,500 ft up and 2,500ft back to camp. We arrived back at 4pm. A long day. I cashed group gear and my base layers, overboots, summit mitts, summit gear, summit snacks, upper mountain snacks, down vest, lighter down jacket, jumar.
Day 11: 8th June – 6am wake up and weather check. It was snowing with light wind so we decided to wait a day. Rich was not feeling the best and struggled with the hills the day before. We did some work on digging out tents to prepare for hopefully leaving tomorrow morning. Pizza for dinner.
Day 12: 9th June – 6am wake up drink a liter of water and dig out 2 feet of snow. The snow was halfway up the tent. 7am start digging out the tents. We left at 11:30am and arrived at 6pm I had 70lbs of gear in my backpack and sled. It was heavy and off loaded 2 tents. It took 2 hours to set up camp and still working at 8:15pm. A very tough day. 9pm eating a Philly cheese steak and off to sleep.
Day 13: 10th June – it was pretty cold in the tent. -20F. The sun hit the tent at 10am for some relief. The plan is to go back down the hill at 12:30 to 13,500 ft and dig up our cashe and come back to camp. It took 25 mins to drop down and 1 hour 30 mins to slowly come back up with 40lbs. It’s time to reorganize gear, and charge everything up. My thermarest ripped and added some extra stress. This is a problem sleeping so close to the snow and temps are below 0 F. Meatball sandwich for dinner.
Day 14: 11th June – Today is a cache day. We will bring up food for high camp, base layers, googles, snacks, summit snacks, over boots and face mask. The plan was to take off at 8:30am and start the 3 hour steep ascent up to the west buttress ridge. We cashed our poles at the bergschrund 15,500 feet and then clipped into the fixed lines for 650 feet steep ascent to the ridge line. It is steep and challenging terrain roped together and using the jumar. Once at the top 16,200 feet we rested before another 45 mins on steep terrain up to cashe point at 16,500 feet. It was an 8 hour round trip. 2,300 feet up and 2,300 feet down.
Day 15: 12th June – Rest day. Reorganize gear for going up and gear that stays in camp. Checking crampons and practicing moving through anchor points with big mitts on. I was also going through each piece of kit to make sure I only bring up what I need, nothing extra.
Day 16: 13th June – 6:45am wake up, drink a liter of water. Breakfast at 7:30am for an 8:30am start. The goal is to be in camp 4 by 4pm to get organized and rested before going to the summit the following morning. This ascent is steep challenging and requires everyone to be proficient in alpine climbing. We did everything today, fixed line climbing steep alpine climbing and moving across exposed ridges. The scenery was out of this world. Today was a 7 hour ascent and we came up 3,000 feet, we arrived at 3:30pm. The last team had left tents for us so we did not have to carry tents or set up on arrival. A major plus as we rest for the summit push.
Day 17: 14th June – 6am wake up and prepare for the summit. Sun hit the tent at 7:15am. Thermos of hot water came at 7:30am eat breakfast We started at 9:45am. Straight into the autobahn steep and challenging terrain and takes 2 hours to cross. There are no breaks on this section. From Denali pass the terrain is steep up to the top of zebra rock at 18,700 feet. Still up but more manageable to the football fields. We get some easier terrain before pig hill which steep and challenging at 20,000 feet. After pig hill, we have a 35 minute climb along the exposed summit ridge to the top. 7 hours 45 mins to reach the top with breaks. It took 4 hours to get back down to camp 4 at 10pm.
Day 18: 15th June – We woke at 6am, it was windy outside and this delayed our departure. Hot water arrived at 8am for breakfast. It was time to start packing up camp and descend back to camp 3 (14,200 feet). At 11:15am we left Camp 4 at 17,200 feet and got back to camp 3 14,200 feet at 2:30pm. On arrival at Camp 3, the plan was to rest for 6 hours before moving lower. It was time to eat something and then rested for most of the afternoon into the evening. At 8pm we had a dehydrated meal and then started 2 hours of digging out tents, our kitchen tent and loading sleds. Just after 10pm we were ready for the long 12 mile/ 19.3km or 10 hour move to McKinley Base Camp at 7,100 feet.
Day 19: 16th June – We moved down the mountain past windy corner, squirrel hill, down motorcycle hill down into Camp 2 at 11,200 feet. This took 2 hours. At Camp 2 we need to be dig up our cache of gear, waste and kit. We moved from crampons to snowshoes, added more gear to our sleds and started the 3 hour move to Camp 1 at 7,600 feet. We had 4 more hours to move back to Base Camp. The last hour was uphill back into Denali Base Camp. The 10 hour trek was over. At 10:30am we were lucky enough to be able to fly off the glacier back to Talkeetna.
Power in Numbers
Working with a company who have on the ground logistics and multiple teams on the mountain is a major plus for additional safety and support. More tent swaps, food, snack, communication. This is a major plus if you can roll into Camp 4 and not have to put up a tent.
Best Time to Climb Denali
Every mountain and mountain range is different. The Himalaya’s, Kilimanjaro, the Peruvian Andes generally have more stable and more predictable weather patterns. Aconcagua, Mount Elbrus and Mount McKinley do not. If you look back on any given day on Denali over the last 20 years, lets say the 1st of June I can guarantee the weather will be different every year.
Traditionally Mount McKinley is climbed in May, June and July although the weather is extremely variable. The key is to have as much time available to for a summit attempt. You might have seven spare days and not need them or use them all up lower down on the mountain. In saying that, we have seen more summit success in the first half of June in more recent years.
Training to Climb Denali
You can read lots of information about training for big mountains. Here is some training advice for Denali and our approach to training developed over the last 25 years of running and going on big expeditions. There is a lot to think about and a lot to unpack when it comes to training for an expedition like this. Here is our step by step approach to training as you consider the specific type of training you need to do for a McKinley expeditions. Reach out if you need more specific information.
Normal Lead up to a Denali Climb
On the lead up to my last Denali trip I had the luxury of climbing Kilimanjaro twice in January into February, then going to Aconcagua before training for an additional two months before going to Denali. I normally build up the mountains I climb and train specifically for 6 months before going to Alaska. In November and December I was up to training 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours per day and longer training training once per week. By April into May I comfortable carrying 66lbs/30kg in the majority of my hiking sessions.
In the last three weeks before the flight to Alaska I backed off to 50lbs/23kg but added in three 14,000 foot peaks one per weeks for additional acclimatization and load carrying training at altitude. I highly encourage anyone going to Denali to spend 4 nights in Leadville or Breckinridge Colorado before going to Alaska.
Hypoxic Training
If you can get go to altitude directly before your Denali expedition, we highly recommend a strategy for hypoxic training at home. This is more important for Mount Everest and Aconcagua but also useful before a Denali expedition. The benefit of having more red blood cells to carry oxygen is an added bonus and can be an aid in the early part of the expedition. Check out a local facility near you or rent equipment that can be shipped to your home.
Cache Days and Acclimatization
You have options when it comes to caching gear. If you go with all dehydrated meal plan, you can be leaner and don’t need to carry or pull as much. The challenge with this is getting sick off eating these meals. You could also consider a hybrid and carry both and cut down on the weight you need to carry. This is a real consideration and food for 20+ days added up quickly along with all the equipment, and fuel needed to food for three plus weeks.
Why Climb Denali
Denali can be a brutal place for an expedition with inconsistent weather in Arctic conditions. A lot of people go to Denali to ski, climb and ski regional peaks. The other group of people are climbing Denali in an attempt to climb North America’s Highest peak and add to the list of 7 summits they have climbed. If some of the 7 summits are on your list Denali should be apart of your story. Summit or not the glaciers, mountains, terrain and climbing high on Mount McKinley has world class mountain viewing.
Why Climb With Us
We do partner with another company for Denali expeditions but we only allow team members sign up that have a proven track record at high altitude on our trips. We also need to see a solid mountaineering background in a wide range of disciplines. This means we don’t run trips every year, but we can help you build up the correct experience with our award winning teams around the world. Read some reviews.
You need to have been on a trip that require fixed lines climbing, have completed one of our Denali prep courses and been on a trip that you need to carry weight at high altitude. This means our Denali teams will be safer and more successful. Running our Denali trips this way offers you a Denali expedition with less risk throughout, more competent team mates and ultimately a safer journey to North America’s Highest peak. Follow us on Facebook.
The Gear and Equipment Needed for McKinley
Mountaineering Double Boots
Your boots are literally the foundation of your equipment for mountaineering. Acceptable boots for Denali fall into two categories: Double Boots or Triple Boot systems with insulated, integrated gaiters. Either variety works well, however the latter versions are lighter and arguably simpler.
If you have another big, cold mountain objective in your future, seriously consider the triple boot variety, as they will be worth the investment. Try on a variety of boots as they all fit differently and getting the one that fits the best should be your goal.
Recommended Triple Boots: La Sportiva Olympus Mons EVO, Lowa Expedition 8000 GTX, Scarpa Phantom 8000, or the Boreal G1 Expedition.
La Sportiva’s G2 SM or G2 EVO is a very light triple boot, but requires over boots for Denali.
Recommended Double Boots: La Sportiva Spantik or Baruntse, Boreal G1 Lite, Scarpa Inverno or Phantom 6000, or the Koflach Arctis Expedition. A great upgrade to most plastic boots is the Denali Liner by Intuition. These are lighter and warmer than almost any stock liners. They are heat-molded to fit your feet and are worth every penny. Guides’ Tips: Consider your 5-year “Bucket List” of climbs and let that direct which boots you purchase for Denali.
All double boots need over boots and possibly gaiters, including the Spantiks. Most triple boots do not need additional over boots or gaiters.
OVERBOOTS: We are fans of neoprene overboots such as the 40 Below Purple Haze.
Booties
Synthetic or down fill booties with good tread on the soles are pretty nice on the West Buttress. These are great for camp and tent comfort and allow you extra opportunity to dry out your mountain boots.
Glacier Travel
Snowshoes are needed on Denali. There are plenty of lightweight snowshoes on the market. We like versions with heel risers which really helps make the steeper hills a bit more manageable. 22-25 inch snowshoes will generally work fine. Recommended snowshoes: MSR Evo Ascent.
Trekking Poles
Adjustable poles work best and are easier to travel with, as they fit better in your duffle bag. Black Diamond Flick Lock poles are recommended, as they are less prone to spontaneously collapsing. 2 section poles are somewhat sturdier than are 3 section versions. The small, “trekking” baskets on some poles are not large enough for use on soft snow, so make certain your poles have bigger, “snowflake” style baskets.
Clothing
In general, you will need a total of five (5) layers for your torso and four (4) for your legs. Please keep in mind that early season trips can be colder and late season trips can be downright hot. A perfect clothing system would have you wearing all of your clothes (except your extra socks, etc) on the coldest day of the trip.
Upper Body
Base layer top: (1 or 2 sets) merino wool work well, such as ice breaker or smartwool. Patagonia or one of our new favorites, the Mountain Equipment Solar Eclipse Zip T. There are also other nicer Merino wool options on the market, as well. Zip t-neck tops are better for ventilating than crew-neck versions. I normally only use these to sleep in or higher on the mountain.
T-shirt and Sun Shirt: “Sun Hoodies” are very popular these days, offering good sun protection for minimal extra weight. I normally bring two Patagonia sun hoodies and 1 merino wool T-shirt.
Mid-layer: This layer should be made from light weight fleece or similar material. A full zip is important for ventilating. This layer is an important layer that works much better than having a couple lighter layers. Recommended top: Patagonia Nano Jacket and R2 tech face hoody.
Shell Jacket: This should be large enough to go over your two base layers. You do not want or need the burliest Gore-Tex jacket on the market. Many people are climbing Denali using lightweight, windproof, water-resistant shells. Guides’ Tips: Trips commencing in late May need a lightweight Gore-Tex shell, because the lower glacier can be wet as we get later into the climbing season. If you bring a light Gore shell and a lighter weight wind shell, you can cache the Gore-Tex at one of the lower camps, so that you don’t have to carry it up high. Water resistant shells, such as our Guides’ Pick the Alpine Start Hoody, are more appropriate for earlier season trips, as you just don’t get that wet in April or May.
Recommended shell jacket: The Mountain Equipment Echo Jacket is what we are outfitting out guides in for 2019. Its partner, the Squall Jacket is also very nice and a bit more technical. For a lighter option, the Black Diamond Alpine Start Hoody weighs less than a couple of candy bars.
Recommended Gore-Tex shell: For a burly, yet light option, we like the Mountain Equipment Shivling Jacket. A minimalist shell to consider is the Mountain Equipment Impellor Jacket at just six ounces! Patagonia also have some lightweight options.
Primaloft “Puffy” Jacket: Size this to fit over your layers so that you can pull it on at rest breaks on the glacier, as it is a windproof layer. We are fans of the puffy, Primaloft jackets because they are lighter and warmer than fleece and compress down much smaller. Recently, we have begun bringing two lighter weight puffy jackets in lieu of one thick jacket. This adds a little weight, but the increased versatility seems to be worth it. Recommended thick puffy jacket: Mountain Equipment Transition Jacket (2018-19 version, as the previous was a bit lighter) Recommended two light jacket system: Black Diamond Hot Forge Hybrid Hoody and Patagonia Nano Jacket.
Expedition Parka (with Hood)
There are a number of good parkas made using “box baffled” construction, which provides a uniform layer of insulation. There are some synthetic options such as the Patagonia AlpLoft Parka; however, down is recommended, because it is lighter and less bulky. 8000m parkas are generally overkill on Denali, but if you run cold, you might consider carrying the extra weight of an 8000m parka. Recommended expedition parka: Mountain Equipment’s K7 Jacket is one of the most technologically advanced Denali parkas we’ve ever seen. Plus, it is light yet plenty warm.
Down Vest: I never leave home without a down vest. I normally use a down vest over my merino base camp higher on the mountain. A down vest adds warmth to a light Expedition Parka. Guides’ clothing Tips: All trips are not created equal! You might well encounter very cold temperatures in late June and might find yourself wishing for an extra layer at some point. You will encounter such temperatures in early May, so if you join an April or early May trip, you should add a vest or an additional insulating layer, such as a Patagonia Nano Puff Jacket. Similarly, if you tend to be cold, add a layer. If you run hot, maybe you don’t need that extra vest.
Leg Layers
In general, you should have three or four layers for your legs. Early season trips need to have the fourth layer, in the form of a heavyweight base layer. I like to have my 260 Icebreaker merino Base layers with me. You can add a lightweight Patagonia nano pant if you like. Again, on the coldest day of your trip, you will be wearing all your layers.
Regular underwear: 3 – 5 changes. Merino is my preferred option. Patagonia Capilene is also a good option. Ladies might consider additional changes of underwear to this amount.
Base layer bottoms (2 weights): I personally bring one 260 Merino wool base layer. Synthetic bottoms in a light and heavy weight (or a medium and heavy weight for climbs in early season) will work well for this layer. Some people feel that synthetics often dry faster than wool when used on your legs. Early season climbers should consider bringing a light fleece layer for one of these.
Stretch Woven (Soft Shell) Pants: This is a very important layer that you will put on in Talkeetna and not take off until you fly off the glacier. Pants made of Schoeller Dynamic or similar fabrics can often be worn all the way to High Camp in lieu of less breathable “hard-shell” pants. Early season trips can use soft shell instead of Gore-Tex, but we’d bring both on a June climb. Recommended soft shell pants: Patagonia Terravia Alpine Pants. Also consider the Kuhl Renegade pants or similar. Choose this layer carefully, as a good quality pair of soft shell pants, such as our recommended pair can allow you to leave your Gore-Tex pants and gaiters at home.
Hard Shell Pants: While many climbers are no longer bringing Gore-Tex pants on Denali, we still require them for late May and June trips, when you could get wet on the lower glacier. These should have fully separating side-zips and should be the lightest version you can find. You can cache these at a lower camp so that you don’t have to carry them above Camp 2 at 11,200 feet. Recommended shell pants: Black Diamond Stormline Stretch Full-Zip Pant.
Insulated Pants: The best options for this layer are thick, “puffy” synthetic or down pants like the Black Diamond Stance Belay Pant or Feathered Friends Volant Pants. These can be layered over your shell pants for easier and quicker layer changes. You do not need 8000m down pants for Denali unless you are on an early season climb, because we will not be climbing at night when such pants are really necessary.
Hands, Feet and Head
Socks: 3 – 5 sets of wool or synthetic medium/heavy weight socks. Make certain your socks fit with your boots! “Compression socks” work great for Denali or any cold environment. I would normally bring 3 sets of longer compression or ski socks with me. I would also bring 2 thicker pairs of summit socks.
Light Gloves: (1 – 2 pair) In our opinion, the best choices for this layer are soft shell gloves made from Shoeller Dynamic or similar fabrics. A leather or gripping palm is nice but make certain it is pre treated or treat it yourself with a waterproofing material. I like one of these gloves to be able to fit inside my Black Diamond guide gloves and Alti Mitts.
Guides’ Tip: Consider adding a very light liner glove as well. Sometimes called “60 Second Gloves,” these can really help with clipping carabiners or fiddling with cameras in the extreme cold. They are also nice for reading at night when it is very cold! Recommended light gloves: HEAD multi-sport running glove with sensatec. Mountain Equipment Super Alpine Glove or Outdoor Research Vert Gloves. The Black Diamond Mission glove could also be considered as a work glove for this trip in late May, early June trips.
Insulated Gloves: Warm, insulated gloves are the workhorse on Denali. It’s hard to stress how much you’ll be wearing these, so do not skimp on this item.
Recommended insulated gloves: Black Diamond Guide Gloves, which have removable liners for ease of drying, also have durable palms and have kept our fingers warm for years.
Summit Mittens: This is a very important layer. Select thick, warm, non-constricting mittens made of pile, Primaloft or down. If they can fit over a “60-second glove” (see above), this could be advantageous on the upper mountain to ease clipping carabiners in the extreme cold. Recommended summit mittens: Outdoor Research Alti Mitts. They aren’t cheap but are extremely warm. Divide the cost by 10 digits and they’re a bargain!
Warm Hat: One medium weight, warm hat or perhaps two hats of different weights. Wool or fleece is fine. We generally bring medium weight hats, as our puffy jackets have hoods, and a lighter hat can help mitigate some of the incessant fogging that plague goggles in the big mountains. Hats made of Windstopper fabric can impede your ability to hear teammates.
Cover Your Hands, Head and Face
Buffs: This is the brand name of a lightweight, synthetic neck gaiter that can also double as a hat, headband and facemask. I always have 2 of these with me.
Face Mask: I also have three facemasks with me. One is a neoprene facemask and two Outeru face gloves. One for the sun and the other for summit night.
Sun Hat: A baseball type brimmed sun hat with a sun hoody is the way to go. This will help keep the intense sunshine of the lower mountain from frying your brain. The face glove under your sunglasses will also help.
Hand Warmers: Bring 8+ sets of these disposable insurance policies so you can use them liberally. Early season climbs might bring a couple more, and late season could probably bring a couple less. On a cold summit morning, we might drop a pair of hand warmers (2 pairs total) in each mitten before departing high camp, and replace them with another couple pair for the descent. Yes, this could be seen as excessive, but it has proven to work over the years.
Glasses and Googles
Glacier Glasses: They must have good side protection and filter 100% UVA and UVB rays. Glacier Glasses are the standard on Denali. Most climbers will want to bring what are called “Category 4” lenses for mountain, meaning they block 85% or more of the visible light. Polarized lenses are not necessarily an advantage on Denali, as they can make it a little difficult to distinguish between firm and soft snow. Recommended glacier glasses: Julbo Montebianco glasses provide great protection and are stylish enough for the high-fashion streets of Talkeetna or the Kahiltna Glacier. I always bring two pairs.
Ski Googles: Nothing protects like goggles while traveling during storms or during really cold spells. These must have double lenses and provide 100% UV protection. If you wear prescription glasses or sweat a lot, you should consider goggles with a built-in fan to help mitigate fogging. Select a pair with a good, general-purpose lens. I also just bring my low light lenses for Denali.
Backpack and Duffel Bag
Expedition Backpack: Denali requires a 5500+ cubic inch or 80+ liter pack with the emphasis on the “+”. Most people are showing up with a 100 liter backpack. A “75+10” liter pack is not large enough for Denali. Not many places or expeditions require such large packs, but Denali most certainly does, as you’ll need it to carry not only your gear, but also your share of the group food and equipment. Recommended expedition pack: The Mountain Hardwear BMG and Osprey’s Aether Pro 85 are good options.
Large Zippered Duffel Bag: An extra-large (36-48″ long or 100+ liters in volume) duffle makes life on the glacier much easier when used as a sled bag. Lightweight and inexpensive bags work fine; although there are some very nice, almost waterproof, bags available. Two such to consider are the Gregory Long Haul Duffel in an XL size and the Patagonia Black Hole Duffle 120L. Do not bring any wheeled luggage or any over-built, super-heavyweight duffels. The North Face also has a lightweight 120L duffel bag.
Sleeping Gear
Expedition Sleeping Bag: Denali requires a warm bag, rated to at least -20 Fahrenheit (-29 C). The Marmot Cwm, Col and Mount Hardwear Ghost are all great bags. Down bags are lighter and compress more than do synthetics, so we feel that anyone electing to bring a synthetic bag should really have a compelling reason to do so. Recommended sleeping bag: Weighing in at just over 4 pounds, the Mountain Equipment Redline is a -40F/C degree bag that is also suitable for Antarctica. This is one of the most technologically advanced bags we’ve come across. It’s lighter companion, the Iceline, is a -20F degree bag that has the same high-tech features. I like the Marmot Col -20F down sleeping bag for Mount McKinley. Make sure your sleeping bag has a good compression sack.
Compression Stuff Sacks: Granite Gear, Outdoor Research and others are all making nice, lightweight compression sacks. These are essential for managing your gear. I have a red one for summit clothes, a green one for everyday use, different blue ones for additional kit. You can use these bags for caching gear on the mountain.
Two Sleeping Pads: You need two pads, with one being a closed cell pad such as a Ridge Rest or a Karrimat just in case you poke a crampon through your air mattress. Therm-a Rest inflatable pads have historically been among the warmest and most comfortable, but the new down filled pads from Mountain Equipment are really, really nice and are much warmer. Be considerate of your tent mates and do not bring “Deluxe,” extra-wide sleeping pads that will take up more than your fair share of the tent. You might consider a ¾ length foam pad to reduce some bulk and weight.
Recommended sleeping pads: Mountain Equipment Aerostat Mat paired with a Ridge Rest Solar. We also like the Kilos Gear Aerocloud Mattress.
Technical Climbing Equipment
Ice Axe (with leash): A 60-70 cm length works well for the West Buttress expedition. The leash can be a commercial wrist or waist leash or just a length of cord that functions as a tether from your harness. Both systems have their caveats. Recommended ice axe: Black Diamond Raven Pro.
Crampons: Select a pair of 12-point mountaineering crampons that fit your boots well. Make sure you have used the Mountaineering crampons that you will use on Denali. I personally use my Grivel G12 New Matic crampons for most mountaineering trips and they do need to be adjusted when suing your over boots higher on the mountain. Please make sure you can make this adjustment in the field. Aluminum crampons are generally not acceptable for this expedition. Recommended crampons: Black Diamond Sabretooth Clip or Pro.
Harness: Your harness should have adjustable leg loops. Also, look for a version that has gear loops attached to the bottom of the swami belt, as these are more comfortable while wearing a pack. Recommended harness: Black Diamond Flight (or women’s Siren) or its very light cousin the Couloir. The Couloir is a bit trickier to use, but is very, very light.
Ascender and Prussik Cord: You need one full-sized ascender such as the Petzl Ascension for use on the fixed lines. Glacier travel requires another form of ascender and a 6mm prussik loop will suffice for your second one, so bring 4 meters of 6mm cord to tie a foot prussik. You can learn how to use this equipment on a pre Denali training course, on one of our mountaineering course on Cotopaxi. You will also have a safety line with a carabiner on it. I like to duct tape all these items to make sure the rope does not slide around.
Carabiners: Bring three large locking carabiners and eight regular carabiners. One of your lockers should be a “triple-action” carabiner for use in clipping into the main climbing rope. Please do not bring “bent-gate” carabiners. These have certain limitations that do not make them appropriate for how we will use them. Mark them with colored tape for identification. Recommended carabiners: Black Diamond OZ carabiners are very lightweight yet almost full-sized.
Perlon Cord: Bring 25 – 30 feet for a total of 6 or 7 mm for sled and pack tie offs.
Climbing Helmet: Unfortunately, even Alaska is not beyond the reach of climate change and there are now stretches of the West Buttress route that necessitate the wearing of a climbing helmet. Get the lightest one you can find and make certain it fits over your warmest hat and under the hood of your shell. Recommended helmet: The Black Diamond Vector is light and durable.
Essential Personal Items
Nose Guard: Beko makes nice nose protectors that keep the wind and sun from wreaking havoc on your skin. You can also bring the Outeru faceglove to cover your face and nose from the sun. This arguably work even better than the nose guard.
Stuff bags: You don’t need stuff sacks for each separate item. As mentioned above, you’ll want a few for your clothes, one for your toiletries, plus one large one for a cache bag. By “large” we mean as big as you can find! Having a large, 40+ liter stuff sack will help make the act of caching group gear and retrieving your share from the cache pit much simpler.
Two One Liter Nalgenes: Wide mouth Nalgenes are best. Please do not bring non-insulated metal bottles or small mouth bottles, which are difficult to fill, and freeze shut more quickly. An insulated bottle, such as the wide-mouth Hydroflask bottles could substitute for one of your bottles and also act as a thermos on cold days. I normally bring just two Nalgene bottles.
Insulated covers: Also known as water bottle “cozies,” these are often made of foam or neoprene and help insulate your two bottles. Bring two.
Insulated Cup and Wide bowl: You’ll only need one bowl for eating. A 2-4 cup measuring bowl or Rubbermaid storage bowl work fine. I personally like the MSR lightweight selection for Denali. I also bring 2 collapsible sporks in case I break one.
Important Additional Kit
Two Small Lip Balms: Two small tubes provide redundancy in case you drop one in a crevasse. These should be 30+SPF. Also consider a tube of Labiosan or similar zinc oxide-based sun block.
Sun Screen (3-4 ounces): Two or three small tubes, 1-ounce tubes work better than one large tube, which will undoubtedly freeze solid. You can carry one in your pocket while traveling.
Toilet Paper: 2 rolls just in case, depending on your technique
Toiletries: Toothbrush & small toothpaste, floss, 10-20 individually Handi-wipes… keep it small
Hand Sanitizer: Add a small bottle (2 ounces or less) of alcohol-based hand sanitizer to your toiletry kit for use before meals and after using the toilet. I keep this is a zip lock bag with my toilet paper. Keeping healthy on an expedition is always a challenge, and this will help.
Personal Care Items
Pee-Bottle: Wide-mouth, collapsible Nalgene Cantenes work great- they make a 96 ounce version. Ladies, consider trying an adapter (available at your local outdoors store), although some of our female guides prefer a hard sided 1-liter bottle without an adapter. These items can both be tough to find in Anchorage so plan ahead.
Personal Medical Kit: Blister kit, compeeds or Hydro seal blister care. Foot tape, aspirin for descent, antacids, lozenges, Ibuprofen to aid rest, inflammation and sleep. Bring any personal medication and contact your physical for a list of appropriate prescription medications.
Personal Items
Kindle: For storm day reading or an e-Reader with a thousand books to choose from.
Phone: For pictures, video and taking notes.
Altimeter Watch: Great way to track your adventure, track sleep, oxygen saturation and heart rates
Baby Powder: Useful for a range of places on the body
Sitting Pad – A small piece of foam, or small pad is extremely nice to sit on the snow in the kitchen tent and having one saves needing to bring sleeping pads into and out of the kitchen.
Small Knife or Multi-Tool: Make sure it is lightweight and not bulky.
Light Weight Solar Panel: I use the Goal Zero Nomad 10. I also bring a 22000Amh Battery pack for charging.
GARMIN inReach device: This personal tracking and locator device tracks your location online, allowing friends and family to keep track of your progress on one of several maps. Plus, it allows you to send and receive texts via satellite.
What Not to Bring!
These items will not leave Anchorage and best to leave them at home.
1). Belay/rappel device/ figure of 8.
2). Headlamp
3). Ice Screws
4). Summit pack
5). Excessive personal first aid/toiletry items
6). Excessive electronics