Mt. Denali Expedition advice

Hey guys, new here. I’m in the army here in Alaska and the northern warfare training center put together a climbing team to summit mt Denali I’ve done a couple military climbing schools and we’re currently training hard and In good experienced hands.

but I was just wondering about, was gear must have tips.or even food? As in like people brining butter and adding that to their food supply. Or anything. We have great gear, but we are allowed to buy our own gear for this. So any gear/food/training tips would be greatly appreciated.

Bacon and whiskey. No matter what happens you will have a smile with that.

Better to call it Denali too.

First recommendation for equipment is to take a UH-60 as far as you can ;)

What do you currently have for footwear? 

Start by reading "Surviving Denali"

Also do a search for Denali and you will find plenty of posts about gear for Denali.

Lots of information out there on the web if you google. Check those out and then ask more specific questions. Also call the mountain Denali. The name was officially changed in 2015.

Mt. McKinley? 

is that the highest cornfield in Ohio or something?

Mark Pilate wrote:

First recommendation for equipment is to take a UH-60 as far as you can ;)

What do you currently have for footwear? 

Koflach boots, snow shoes, crampons

Nicholas Michael wrote:

Koflach boots, snow shoes, crampons

Haha, nice move on the title change.  
So if I understand correctly, you have license to insert some personal gear in place of std issue?  

If you have the free cash, I’d look at replacing the Koflachs (Arctis Expeditions?) with something from the upper ranges of light and warm from Scarpa or La Sportiva (like Phantom 6000 or similar) what month are you going? The Koflachs are more than adequate, but definitely  not in anyone’s top 5 I would think.

Not sure if it’s even an option for the gear and skill set of the team, but I’d lobby hard for skis over snowshoes.   I trained newbs in an Arctic light infantry unit for a bit and most took to skiing quickly.   And just ask the Finns (vs Russians) which is more operationally effective from a military maneuverability standpoint.

Edit: just saw SinRopa beat me to it. 

Uphill Athlete had a great video about Denali and climbing logistics and equipment. It appears they took it down from their YouTube channel but maybe poke about on their website.

Nicholas Michael wrote:

Hey guys, new here. I’m in the army here in Alaska and the northern warfare training center put together a climbing team to summit mt Denali I’ve done a couple military climbing schools and we’re currently training hard and In good experienced hands.

but I was just wondering about, was gear must have tips.or even food? As in like people brining butter and adding that to their food supply. Or anything. We have great gear, but we are allowed to buy our own gear for this. So any gear/food/training tips would be greatly appreciated.

Nicholas - maybe I'll see you there.  I have my orientation date set for May 21st.  

Mark Pilate wrote:

Not sure if it’s even an option for the gear and skill set of the team, but I’d lobby hard for skis over snowshoes.   I trained newbs in an Arctic light infantry unit for a bit and most took to skiing quickly.   And just ask the Finns (vs Russians) which is more operationally effective from a military maneuverability standpoint.

  I've been watching World War II (history channel on youtube who cover week to week stuff in depth) and that does ring a bell.

SinRopa wrote:

I suggest upgrading.

Arctic bunny boots ...

When it's cold and day x of being tent bound, hot beverages can be everything. Something to do and a way to support each other by making them to keep positive tent vibes going. So like 16 oz nalgene with some insulation, which you can diy with some foam pad or reflectix or neoprene, and some variation in tasty mixes and teas. It's all about being able to be comfortable and get along in an uncomfortable place. And take care of your feet and keep yourself clean. Have fun!

SinRopa wrote:

If you look closely you can actually see Mark embedded with his trained Finns in this video :)

Haha.  F ‘in A right.  Give me a bunch of Finns on skis, and I’ll take any country.... or bar in northern Minnesota.  
but seriously, it’s the little things that add up with each step and each minute.  Warmer lighter boots will pay off with each step.  A Glide forward on skis, beats a lift and glomp in snowshoes.  A Warm tasty beverage and a great book makes the downtime go by faster and better.   Improve everything just a little, and you’ll see the huge difference at the end.  Good luck  

Also, bring a two way radio.  Weather station is on Channel 1.  I read somewhere that around 8PM daily, rangers provide weather details via two way radio.  Also, it's nice to have some communication between others on the mountain. 

Piotr 123 wrote:

Also, bring a two way radio....

Good point, but pretty sure as a military team, they’re gonna have some decent and versatile comms with them.  

My biggest dilemma are boots on Denali.  

Mons are too hot from Base Camp to Camp 3.  But, perfect from Camp 3 to summit.

La Sportiva/Spantik or similar are perfect Base Camp to Camp 3.  But, maybe too cold from Camp 3 to summit.  Optional "overboots" are a good option.

SinRopa wrote:

Eh, everyone has different experiences up there.  On the lower mountain a lot of teams travel at night to beat the mid-day heat, and Mons work well on that schedule.  Even when it's scorching, I've used a lighter sock and been fine.  The best thing about an 8000m type boot is the simplicity.  No hauling a second pair of summit boots, no dealing with overboots, no separate gaiters, built in insurance for your toes, etc.  For a first time Denali climber on a standard route, I'd absolutely recommend going with something like the Mons.  They've even got those special ski-compatible ones now, so no excuse for losing your toes because you were in ski boots.

I get your thinking and would say that Mons are the way to go.  Especially when going 3rd week in May.  

What do you all think about not bringing skies nor snow shoes?

Lets discuss stoves.  I think 99% of people bring liquid fuel stoves.  What about canister stoves?  Yes, canister stoves/gas don't work well in very cold temps.  I feel as temptation is there to use canister stove, because of weight savings. I think canister stoves are the only type of stoves used on most 7,000 and 8,000 peaks. Because of simplicity and weight savings. Opinions?

You ever see all the empty canisters littering high altitude camps? That's one good reason to go liquid fuel.

 I think a lot of the reason canisters stoves are so popular in the Himalaya and South America is the lack of available good quality liquid fuel. Not a problem in Alaska. Plus there is more time spent above 6000 m. camping in those areas. Lack of performance is offset by ease of use of canister stoves when you are just trying to stay alive. I have zero Denali experience but have climbed other peaks in the Alaska range. We used liquid fuel for camping but carried a canister stove for on route bivies.

SinRopa wrote:

I used a Reactor on an unguided trip.  Did some basic canister management and never had performance issues with the stove even when it got really cold up there. 

Last time I was in Alaska we did a side-by-side test of an MSR XGK-EX (with a heat exchanger on the pot) and an MSR Reactor. We started with snow and measured the time to boil. The XGK took about 40% longer than the Reactor, not counting the time spent fiddling with the XGK to get it primed. That was in calm conditions. If it had been windy I think the difference would have been even greater.

I was the one that brought the XGK. Ever since then I've used a Reactor instead, including a successful climb of Mt Logan (19,551') up in the Yukon.