Click here to view the photo + video album for this part of the trip
It’s Camp 1.5 because this camp isn’t one that most climbers use. With our custom itinerary, Colby has the flexibility to put in camps where he sees fit. We started from Camp One early in the morning again, but today’s climb was an easy one, so we didn’t have to start too early. Just about two and a half hours to get to Camp 1.5, situated at around 8000 feet. Which, incidentally, was still lower than my place in Colorado at 8400 ft!
As a result, I felt strong the entire time and didn’t even notice the altitude when we rolled into camp in style, where there was only one other tent. We had the glacier to ourselves and it felt incredible!
As with the previous day, the weather was fantastic, the views similarly incredible. I was actually enjoying myself on the mountain, unlike last year which just felt like a massive slog. We were moving faster, my hands were warmer, and I was able to get my gear packed and sled rigged in record time.
Last year, I always felt behind the ball with respect to my efficiency. It took me longer to get ready than some of the other team members, which held up the team and caused friction among some of the members.
While I’d done sled glacier travel in Antarctica, I wasn’t quite proficient enough with the systems to be able to perform all the tasks in my sleep, as some of the other team members seemed to be.
This year, though, everything felt familiar. I’d drilled all the skills extensively at home, and it all came together on the mountain where I was able to pack and ready my gear in record time. In fact, I was often ready before the guides! (Not a fair comparison, as they had many more tasks to perform than I did)
As we were climbing, three F22 fighter jets screamed above us and performed a few circles around Denali. Their sound is entirely unlike that of a regular jet, and finding them in the sky can be a challenge; by the time the sound reaches you, they’re far ahead of where the sound originated. That didn’t stop me from snagging a pic of one though! Colby felt that there was a military team on the mountain, and that the flybys were to cheer them on. Whatever the case, it felt like a great omen to me!
If the weather continues to hold, we’ll make for Camp Two tomorrow.
Planetary Muffin Expeditions 