Altitude: from 4300 to 4900 / Weather: very cold, cloudy

As a team-member of this expedition, I have been spared the back and forth discussion between lead guide Kai Girard and second in command Scott – Patch. It does not mean, however, that I do not know what is going on and that I have not felt the building tensions in our group.

Team members: Patrick, Xavier and I are on the same page, we want a summit attempt if we can do this in good safety and without coming down with frostbite, loosing fingers and toes, injuring ourselves or simply suffering from extreme winds and extreme temperatures for days stuck in a storm on a high mountain. The forecast announces -48 degrees at high camp, the mandatory gateway to the summit push. For the 3 of us, the summit is the bonus and not mandatory. Denali has been an amazing journey so far, we have done all we could and summit would be nice but not at all costs. For the moment the cost would be to stay a few days at high camp to weather the storm and stay prostrated in our tents in extreme conditions, dangerous? probably not, but extreme and borderline.

For Daniel (our young 29 year old Canadian teammate) and Abdul (our mid 30 quiet Swiss-Pakistani) the stakes are different. Denali summit is clearly their goal and they want it bad, at all costs: staying up on the high mountain for days, weathering the storm, hitting the push in half decent weather doesn’t seem to concern them too much. Daniel had camped countless times in cold Canadian winters but prob not at 5200 meters altitude in polar winds and temperatures. Abdul has summited Kilimanjaro, Elbrus and Aconcagua and wants to add Denali to his list of 7 summits.

The good thing is: even if they are the clients, it’s not their call and will never be. It’s not about money here it’s about life and death.

In the guides camp the storm of disagreement has hit, but in a mild way. Kai wants to give all of us a window for a summit push and, of course, he includes a margin of risk. Patch doesn’t seem to want to push to 17 camp, weather will not allow us to make a summit attempt when we reach and he doesn’t see the point the go up in danger zone with his rope team, cross the treacherous ridge from 16 to 17,000 feet with guaranteed death if falling on either side. His rope team is comprised of Daniel, Abdul and Lexie, assistant guide. I understand his position.

Kai and Patch talk, I talk to Kai, express Xav, Pat and my feeling: We are keen to try to go to 17 and accept to turn around if he decides it’s too dangerous. Kai knows us well from climbing 1 year ago in Alaska during a training course that he lead. He has seen our dedication, our effort to train for this climb. I guess he trusts that we can all together take measured risks to reach 17 camp.

The decision is made, we break down camp in the morning. All of us are excited except for Patch and Lexie even if they accept the lead’s decision and play along and support the final decision which is admirable, in the end there is one decision maker and it is Kai they have to roll with it.

Heavy loads as we are moving to 17. All groups of camp 3 look at us concerned or just surprised to see us moving up as they all know that there is no real 2-4 day window for an attempt. I will learn later that ALL commercial expeditions typically wait at 14 camp if the window is not there for long enough. But for us it’s different, Kai wants us to experience the high mountain and wants to give us a chance at an unlikely window that could come the next morning. Very hard but beautiful decision.

Hours later we are on top of the fixed lines at the 16,000 foot cache site in rough high mountain terrain with steep drops everywhere. We pick up the cache load the bags and off we go onto the ridge.

(Photo – credits Kai Girard: Xavier, Patrick and Ben. The ridge at 5000m altitude, cold, average weather, heavy loads, exhaustion, treacherous thousand meter drops on either sides)

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