Some photos

PanShiBo · 发表于 2021-5-11 03:57:02

2019 Denali Expedition. Another no-fly yet very productive day in Talkeetna, AK

PanShiBo · 发表于 2021-5-11 15:35:44

Mount Seymour : all three peaks

Pump Peak (#1)

Tim Jones Peak (#2)

Mount Seymour (#3)

Some shots, in no particluar order

PanShiBo · 发表于 2021-5-11 17:55:07

On this day, in 2014, it was Vera's first roped climb ever - in Murrin Provincial Park, BC. Exactly 5 years (and 241 peaks) later, on May-12th 2019 it will be her first day enroute to the highest peak in North America, Denali in Alaska.

PHOTO: 2014.05.12 Murrin Provincial Park, BC

2019.05.12 Kahiltna Glacier, Denali National Park, Alaska

PanShiBo · 发表于 2021-5-12 04:40:32

2019 Denali Expedition, day 1/23

The day has come! After two years of hard training and research, we are finally flying to the Base camp on Denali.

At the base. Unloading our gear (246lb)

Digging up our first emergency cache.

Leaving the Base Camp

Every next leg of the expedition will be harder than the previous, in geometrical progression.

PanShiBo · 发表于 2021-5-13 04:12:18

2019 Denali Expedition, day 2/23

Our very first camp. Kahiltna Glacier. N63.02578 W151.18675 at 2,308m

"Ski Hill" - moving camp to 2,866m

PanShiBo · 发表于 2021-5-13 16:24:43

Alpine Practice - Climbing Steep Snow, Seymour 123

Pump Peak

Tim Jones Peak

Mount Setmour

PanShiBo · 发表于 2021-5-14 04:14:31

2019 Denali Expedition, day 3/23

Moving to Camp 3 at N63.07449 W151.17067 (3,084 m). Summit temperatures: below -30°C, windy.

2016 (5 years ago) Mount Athabasca, Canadian Rockies

PanShiBo · 发表于 2021-5-15 08:22:04

2019 Denali Expedition, day 4/23

Well-deserved rest day at Camp 3. Summits so far: 0. Summit temperatures: below -30°C.

Climbing team returning home. No summit: "..it was cold, real cold.."

Inside tent

The Alaskan view from Kahiltna Glacier

PanShiBo · 发表于 2021-5-16 04:16:48

2019 Denali Expedition, day 5/23

Moved to 11K Camp (or our 4th camp), location: N63.07441 W151.14500 at 3,363 m. This is our first and the easiest milestone!

At camp 3

Ready to leave camp 3

Kahiltna Pass

Feeling good

Stopping for a chat with climbing team going home. No summit - stuck in bad weather at 11K camp

Arriving at 11K camp

Making up internal kitchen area

That's midnight - it is never dark on Denali this time of year

PanShiBo · 发表于 2021-5-16 22:51:18

Saint Marks Summit

PanShiBo · 发表于 2021-5-17 07:43:13

Denali Expedition, day 6/23
Moved cache to Windy Corner. Meanwhile weather turned bad - whiteout and wind, so we didn't dare to cross the traverse (which was a very wise decision), cached in the rocks. Staying at 11K camp.

Happy with current blood oxygen level

Our tent at 11K camp

Motorcycle Hill looks easy (but it is not). The mountain at the back is not Denali yet, it is "just" West Buttress.

Ready to move cache

Let's go!

We just reached the top of Motorcycle Hill not before Vera partially (to waist) dropping into a small crevasse. West Buttress is seen right at the back and Squirrel Hill rises on the right. We somehow underestimated the Squirrel Hill, even though our guide book clearly recommended "protect it when icy". A year later, at home I read that a climber lost footing and fell to his death on this hill - although the hill looks "easy", especially after topping Motorcycle Hill, the consequences of a slip could be very bad - the drop seen on the left is huge.

Whiteout

Finally, see the camp

Back at the 11K camp

PanShiBo · 发表于 2021-5-18 05:33:26

Denali Expedition, day 7/23 (already one week on the mountain!)

Moving to 14K camp at 4,346 m

Packing our camp at 11K

Weather looking good

Leaving behind stuff (snowshoes etc.) and one expedition sled. Even though it is so obvious, this will take some efforts to locate when we come back - all surroundings will change.

Ready to go!

At the "Polo Field" we met two young Canadians from Alberta going home - no summit (one got altitude sickness)

Arriving at 14K camp. Making our home for the next 10 (!) days.

Our neighbours.

This photo was taken at midnight. It is never dark on Denali this time of year. That's why nobody carries headlamps here.

PanShiBo · 发表于 2021-5-19 05:18:19

2003 (18 years ago) Golden, BC

Who still remembers these gas prices?

2004 (17 years ago) Nanjing, China

2014 Alpine Practice

2019 Denali Expedition, day 8/23, our tent at 14K camp (4,295m). Rest day - recovering from yesterday's horrific close call on Windy Corner.

-20C daytime..and we only half way up

PanShiBo · 发表于 2021-5-20 07:10:03

2014 (7 years ago) BCMC Trail (65min) + Thunderbird Ridge

2015 (6 years ago) Practice Alpine Rock YDS 5.4 at Murrin

2017 (4 years ago) Alpine Practice: Climbing Steep Snow at Pump Peak (photo by Gloria)

2018 (3 years ago) Mount Baker trip, Day 1 (photos by Vera)

2019 (2 years ago)
Denali Expedition, day 9/23
Retreived cache from below Windy Corner - carried it twice in the backpacks. Very strong wind.
17K camp to summit temperature: -35°C
From Denali Dispatches: "..Windy Corner still in challenging shape -- icy and exposed. Lots of crevasse falls and self-rescue at 13,200 feet. ..Patrol #1 was the only team at high camp yesterday, and in light of a poor weather forecast, they descended to 14 camp today in snow and wind. No teams (NPS or otherwise) are currently above 14,200 feet."

2020 (last year)
Hiking Elk Mountain + Mount Thurston

PanShiBo · 发表于 2021-5-21 05:29:06

2004 (17 years ago) Suzhou, China

2006 (15 years ago) Fireworks over Fraser River in New Wst

2011 (10 years ago) Gambier Island Trip - Day 1 (from Vera's archive)

2017 (4 years ago) Alpine Practice - Crevasse Rescue Response

2018 (3 years ago) Mount Baker (from Vera's archive)

2018 (3 years ago) Practice Alpine Rock YDS 5.4

2019 (2 years ago) 14K camp. Denali Expedition, day 10/23
Windy. Vera keeps building snow wall.

Patrol #1 is glad they descended to 14 camp yesterday, as it is howling enough there today. High camp would have been brutal, and all are relieved that no teams are up high...Gorgeous skies, but definitely one of the windiest days this season with gusts at 14K clocked at 36 mph. A big fat lenticular cloud is perched on the summit...Wilson and Oliver Hoogendorn of Nome, Alaska were the first two -- and so far the only two -- mountaineers to reach the summit of Denali this climbing season. The brothers (age 20 and 21, respectively) began their West Buttress climb on May 5. They reached the summit on Sunday, May 19, and returned to Talkeetna today.

- Denali Dispatches

Another climbing team is going home, no summit.

PanShiBo · 发表于 2021-5-22 06:17:53

2004 (17 years ago) Suzhou, China

2011 (10 years ago) Gambier Island Day 2/2 (from Vera's archive)

2017 (4 years ago) Chief - Alpine Edition

2019 (2 years ago) 14K camp, Denali Expedition, day 11/23
Talked to a ranger: "Snow storm is coming on Saturday, bad idea to be anywhere above 14K - better be down here by Friday (day after tomorrow". So we dropped original plan to cache on 16K ridge. Just walked up towards fixed lines a bit, for exercise. Everybody is building snow walls around their tents.
Met a climber from Mongolia, named Zhula - she climbs with her personal guide. They have stayed one week here, already cached on 16K ridge, but for some reasons have never moved to 17K camp. They should have. Tomorrow would be too late - the big storm is coming.

Commercial tents

Commercial site (cook tent)

Socialising with Mongolians

Getting a taste of headwall, with 14K camp at the back below.

2020 Alpine Practice

PanShiBo · 发表于 2021-5-23 04:52:35

2004 (17 years ago) Shanghai Museum

2016 (5 years ago) Mt. Adams, WA - Day 1

2017 (4 years ago) Final training for Grandwall Rappel project. Papoose, Shannon Falls

2019 (2 years ago) 14K camp. Denali Expedition, day 12/23
Storm is coming

Socializing with neigbors. A climber from Australia (his second attempt on Denali) trying to convince us the benefits of having this steel kettle for melting snow.

2020 Fishing in Richmond

PanShiBo · 发表于 2021-5-24 05:02:24

2014 (7 years ago) Alpine 101 course

2016 (5 years ago) Mount Adams, WA

PanShiBo · 发表于 2021-5-24 05:24:39

2019 (2 years ago) 14K Camp, Denali Expedition, day 13/23

Frank's patrol flew out of the range on Wednesday, May 22, attending a patient who collapsed at 9,800 feet, thus ending an eventful first patrol of the season.

- Denali Dispatches

Moved cache (seven days of fuel and food) above fixed lines to 5,000m with the plan to move to 17K camp tomorrow. Fixed lines were a bit steeper, longer and icier than we had expected. On the way up we passed two young guys . Next day we saw them at 14K camp going home. "Went to 17K. Gave up: no strength. Will come next year".

Headwall on left