Denali West Buttress Expedition Guides

1. It seems that there are only a handful of guides on Denali and they all charge very similar amounts. Right now, I have 3 people (including me) on the team with varying mountaineering experience that are interested for 2020. This is a serious mountain and would like to attempt it with someone who has experience on it. Are there any other options besides the big companies? Would really prefer a smaller group. Any advice and guidance would be greatly appreciated! 

You dont need a guide, go it alone. Lots of beta out there for logistics

Agreed, 2 winters and a summer of prep is more than enough time to get prepared for the West Buttress. If you'd like any advice feel free to shoot me a DM, I went up unguided with a group of friends this May and summitted

You can try to join an established team or find partners online, but I'd recommend sticking with just your friends. I think it's really beneficial to train together and develop skills and trust instead of showing up in Talkeetna and meeting a stranger, then immediately spending 3 weeks hanging out with them in close quarters and trusting them with your life. Also keep in mind that unlicensed guides outside of those 6 companies are not allowed and can get your permit pulled. If you, say, reach out and get an extremely experienced person on board your team make sure that it stays equal and that everyone pays their own way instead of him/her turning into your unofficial guide.

https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/mountainfaqs.htm

Q: Do I have to use a guide service?
A: No, many climb as part of private expeditions and do not use a guide. If you plan to use a guide service, make certain that they are authorized by Denali National Park and Preserve. Illegal guiding is prohibited and your climb could be cancelled at any time. Be sure to check out our list of authorized guide services. If you have questions or concerns, please contact the Walter Harper Talkeetna Ranger Station at 907-733-2231.

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Are there any other options besides the big companies? Would really prefer a smaller group.

There is your answer. Do not try to use another guide service besides the six (6) authorized guide services. Pirate guiding is prohibited and results in forfeiture of your climbing permit.

If you want a smaller, more intimate experience, look at various guide services that offer the West Rib program, like Mountain Trip (off the top of my head). 

One thing to keep in mind - Some of the guide companies offer 6 person teams. Also, from my experience at least 1/3 of any guided team is going to bail at some point on the mountain and go home early. So even the larger guided teams will shrink considerably. 

I worked for one of the  "big companies" on Denali. You can pay more $ and get a "private" W Buttress trip for lesser number of clients. This won't be cheap, but would be the only way to get 1-2 guides for just you and your team. As mentioned above, West Rib is also a good option.

You can also do "Denali Prep" trip with a guiding service that does Denali. They're usually in the winter or early spring on Mt Baker or similar. It'd be the closest and best way to gain Denali style experience.

For what it's worth, fitness and winter climbing & camping experience are paramount. But in my opinion the reason so many guided parties succeed where non-guided groups fail is not due to fitness, but rather the "Denali way" of climbing. It's a very logistically challenging mountain, and guide services have this part dialed. Having to double carry your kit up the mountain, deal with skis/sleds, huge temperature swings, acclimatization, weather, and whatever other variables are usually what tanked other groups. So do your research! Good luck!!

Not answering your question, but you live in a great place to prep for the cold weather camping. The advice we got --and it really paid off-- was to practice winter camping. Doesn't matter if you are guided or not, that experience will be huge.

Jason, I am also from MN and climbed the west buttress a few years ago. If you are looking for any advice for prepping for the climb, please let me know. Id be happy to share with you what I did. I will say that winter camping on the North Shore (both well before this trip and in prep for it) helped a ton with the day to day life on denali. I honestly had colder nights camping here in MN than any of the 22 days i spent on denali.

Jason,
I’m from Wisconsin and I haven’t climbed or yet attempted Denali but it’s on my radar.  I was looking into joining a small guided training course this coming year in the Wrangell-St. Elias Range and then set my sights on a 2020 unguided Denali trip.  Winter camping in Wisconsin, Alpine Touring Training (skis and skins), and another Rainier Trip are also part of my anticipated preparation.  Be curious to know what your plans are for the coming year as maybe it makes sense to share ideas?