What's it take to summit Denali?

Carolina wrote:

Looks cold up there, maybe I was thinking this was going to be more fun then it really is.  

Be prepared for -40. It might go even colder. Perhaps a lot colder.

Carolina wrote:

Looks cold up there, maybe I was thinking this was going to be more fun then it really is.  

I know you’re likely joking but 

Not sure anyone found it “fun” per se.

 Rewarding, memorable, worth it, exhilarating, yes. 
anyone who came closest probably skied the mostest. 

I think this is a riddle. You guys are taking Carolina way too seriously. The answer is to keep going up until you run out of mountain.

Carolina wrote:

Looks cold up there, maybe I was thinking this was going to be more fun then it really is.  

It's colder on Denali than it typically is on Everest. Read "Minus 148 Degrees: The First Winter Ascent of Mount McKinley" sometime. 

You may not know about weather this good in January because you live Helena Montana.  So thars that.  

 you've obviously never been here. or you don't like real mountain weather. because winter is good.

Darren Mabe wrote:The answer is to keep going up until you run out of mountain.

....and without going higher than you intend !

Mark Pilate wrote:

....and without going higher than you intend !

Translation: Don't DIE and go to Heaven.

Tim Stich wrote:

It's colder on Denali than it typically is on Everest. Read "Minus 148 Degrees: The First Winter Ascent of Mount McKinley" sometime. 

Yeah, I don't think she's looking at trying to climb Denali in winter.  I get cold just thinking about reading that book...!

There's an active weather station at 14k on Denali.  High for today -15F.  Low was -30F.  Balmy!

We summited in mid-ish June and I thought the temps were kinda balmy but it was probably around 10F or so.  In the sun (which, if the weather is nice, is pretty much all day), the felt temperature was pretty warm.

Compared to a summit day on Mount Logan...which, with higher winds, was really really cold.  Me and another feller on the trip both had thermometers that maxed out at -20F and that mercury was well below that.  I had a water bottle on the inside of my thick down jacket, 1/3 full, and it froze solid.  Was f'n cold.  And nearly the same summit date.

Cosmiccragsman AKA Dwain wrote: Translation: Don't DIE and go to Heaven.

Nah I think he was making a drug reference

Brian in SLC wrote:

Yeah, I don't think she's looking at trying to climb Denali in winter.  I get cold just thinking about reading that book...!

Carolina is a 32-year-old dude, duder.

Tim Stich wrote:

Carolina is a 32-year-old dude, duder.

Yeah, kind of weird, but there was A Boy Named Sue, too:

Tim Stich wrote:

Carolina is a 32-year-old dude, duder.

My mistake...apologies.   Still...

Can't you see the sunshine?
Can't you just feel the moonshine?

I associate Carolina with Miss Kitty, and, the Swiss Miss.  I'll try to be more gender neutral in the future.

Tim Stich wrote:

Carolina is a 32-year-old dude, duder.

Shoot.  “Carolina” evoked so many better images....where does he fall on the hot-crazy scale? 

Carolina wrote: So what do I really need to know or be able to do?

Vertical Limit Guide to Climbing [Denali]

Jeremy Bauman wrote:

Vertical Limit Guide to Climbing [Denali]

Thanks Jeremy for sharing.  Definitely feel ready now.  

Darren Mabe wrote:I think this is a riddle. You guys are taking Carolina way too seriously. The answer is to keep going up until you run out of mountain.

Mabe's made a very good post.  

If you don't like winter why would you even bother going to Denali?   The big question you need to ask yourself is do you really Want to climb Denali or do you just want to Have climbed Denali? 

Mark Pilate wrote:

Shoot.  “Carolina” evoked so many better images....where does he fall on the hot-crazy scale? 

Ha, I too thought he was a hot mountain lady needing some wisdom and inspiration. Funny how that works 

Mildly disappointed she turned out to be a guy. Hope he climbs Denali, incredible mountain and adventure

Carolina wrote:

Looks cold up there, maybe I was thinking this was going to be more fun then it really is.  

I’m wondering if this statement was a joke or serious?  If it was serious then yes, how much time have you spent at altitude, freezing, carrying a bunch of weight? The very definition of type 2 fun. A whole helluva lot of misery for a payoff that only you can decide if it was a fair trade. If you are still thinking about it, be brutally honest with yourself about your reasons. If you’re doing it for the wrong reasons it will become apparent only too late. 

That analogy about sailing was spot on I think. I see all these people watching sailing channels on YouTube thinking “I wanna buy a boat and hit the ocean” only to find out it’s a ton of work followed by brief beautiful sunsets. Followed by sleepless nights on watch or sitting up awake and wondering if you are going to drag anchor and your home will end up on a reef. I know. I own a boat. It’s my kind of type two fun. But I can’t tell you how many boats I see in the marina that never get used because their owners found out the reality only after buying the floating monsters.   I also used to want to climb mountains. Some time at altitude, cold and  with heavy loads changed my mind fast. I love climbing. I thought I would love mountaineering. Turns out I just  I loved the “idea” of mountaineering. Reality is a whole other animal. Not an animal I want to feed and nurture anymore. Better to find that out at 4000 meters closer to home than 6000 in the middle of nowhere. 

Here are a couple of older threads that might help you out in your planning.

https://www.mountainproject.com/forum/topic/112330831/tips-for-denali

https://www.mountainproject.com/forum/topic/108701808/denali-tipstricks

Also this TR from 2014 was really helpful during my planning stages.
https://lukeallenhumphrey.tumblr.com/post/91483497331/denali-the-west-buttress-may-24th-june-6th-2014

Good luck!

Not 'American Express'! ;-P

But seriously, I'd say do a week-long ski mountaineering trip where you have to move camp every day, gaining at least 3,000 ft/day with weight (at least 50 lbs), and make sure you still have steam at the end. Get your groove down for setting up & tearing down camp, prepping food, melting snow for water, working WITH your partners as each of you will have a bad day where you will appreciate the others taking up your slack. You also cannot tell whether a weekend partner is actually a selfish douche vs. a real team player unless you simulate an expedition with them closer to home before committing all of that time & money. See what you need, what food stays palatable on day 7. Climbing training is not that important beyond basic glacier travel, snow & ice climbing experience. For ice, really nothing more than daggering, front-pointing, and placing screws. Climb something like Rainier first, ideally. This climb is really more about fitness, nutrition, acclimatization, taking care of your body (blisters, sunburn, etc & starting each day back at 100%), basic safety skills, and ideally skills in reading snow & weather (Avvy 1 course is a good idea. Plenty of good mountain weather books out there. Hunter & Foraker will be your weather forecasters up there).

TR: http://www.markpthomas.com/mountaineering/trip-reports/alaska/denali-west-buttress
There are some maps, packing lists, acclimatization & cost data near the end as well (from 2008)

I found Denali to be physically tiring, but not as much as a major bike tour, which I did the same summer: http://www.markpthomas.com/mountaineering/trip-reports/canada/cycling-and-scrambling-from-calgary-to-vancouver 

Also, don't be a fool and travel in the day with the rest of the crowds and then freeze your butt off at night. Travel at night and sleep warmly in the day or during one of the twilights. I wish I had, but friends who I suggested the idea to did it and LOVED it.