How to Climb Denali. Strategies and advice from Steve House and Mark Postle

[@andymitchel7278]

My buddy and I fly to Alaska from Milwaukee on 5/31/23 to humbly attempt The Great One. Third time through this video and so grateful for all this information!

[@jamesbaysinger9780]

How did it go?

[@skippydinglechalk3525]

@@jamesbaysinger9780uh oh

[@denali9643]

Phenomenal video! Thank you for taking me down memory lane to the days when we didn't have digital cameras and iPhones. My trip on the West Buttress was in 1996 and most of my best pictures are on 16mm slides. We were 18 days on the mountain and were pinned down 3 long nights in the snow cave at the end of the fixed ropes at 16,200. The wind sounded like jets taking off outside the cave entrance. Summit day unwrapped a lenticular as we climbed Pig Hill. We made it, but just barely. Your discussion here is spot on in every way and I LOVE the pictures.

[@UphillAthlete]

Glad it was useful! Please spread the UA - word. Thank you.

[@MADDLADO1]

I'm an Alaska resident, and always wondered what it would be like to climb, the Great One. Great presentation, and I'm glad I watched it. Thank you for your terrific upload.

[@tedtombling2770]

Great advice for anyone, on any mountain covered with snow. You can be master of your fate and captain of your soul as the poem goes, but on the snowy mountain, the crevasse is master of all. Sometimes it's the smallest things that need the greatest thought. I really enjoyed listening to your presentation and the pictures were stunning.

[@jakeford2301]

Excellent video, I am currently working on the 50 high points in the USA. I never thought I would try Denali but after this video it is definitely going on my list. I'm planning a PCT hike in 2024, after that, moving to Colorado to get some more 14ers and train and save money for Denali.

[@philiolynott4886]

Really enjoyed this. I'm a casual hiker with some navigation skills, but just enjoy hearing what goes into a trip of this magnitude!

[@jacobjdong]

The photo at 1:49:46 has got to be the coolest pic in the presentation. Thanks for all the awesome details, super informative!

[@axelkoper]

No plans to climb Denali at all, but this was hugely entertaining to watch! Just so interesting to see the logistical considerations with great pictures to support the story. Almost feels like i was there on the mountain.

[@daysofourlives3982]

Pretend its a life lesson

[@dglotoff]

Thank you for your effort and depth on the subject

[@Skazila]

Phenomenal resource, thanks guys!

[@LinusWilson]

I’m amazed there r fixed lines. Denali seems like a very slow way to get altitude. Definitely try Aconcauga before Denali. Great seminar. I could see running your own expedition in Ecuador or Aconcougua. Denali seems a tougher one to go unguided.

[@chompers11]

super interesting as someone who doesn't climb mountains but enjoys learning about the struggles

[@renorailfanning5465]

He and Vince Anderson's alpine climb of the Rupal Face of Nanga Parbat is IMO, the most impressive climb in history. Just my views :)

[@davidv.3135]

Mt. McKinley! What a great national treasure!

[@alkakedia5934]

Brilliant..! Simply brilliant...!! So grateul for this... i never really thought about doing denali.. but so enthused now... its definately going on my list..

[@UphillAthlete]

Go for it!

[@alkakedia5934]

@@UphillAthlete training for kun in ladakh for now. so next year. fingers crossed it will all be sorted out by then for all of us.

[@b.cooper8719]

Amazing summary. Well done!

[@randybrickson4290]

This is incredibly informative. Thanks.

[@UphillAthlete]

Glad it was helpful!

[@davidmartindell]

I love the video and I have utmost respect for Steve and Mark's experience and expertise. I will say that the ski descent that Gardiner, Hennessy and Fabricant pulled off refutes Steve's anti ski rant.

[@UphillAthlete]

Wait, what anti-ski rant did I go off on? And, yes! that is the role of youth to prove us old-folks wrong!

[@davidmartindell]

@@UphillAthlete 🤣ok, I’ve got your attention, so let me use the opportunity to say wow, thank you for such a candid enormocast interview. Very intense but so pure, honest and humble. Just awesome. But yeah you totally used the word rant as you started to describe how you felt about skiing off big mountains, lol. Hello from Homer Alaska and thank you for all you do! 🙏

[@davidmartindell]

@@UphillAthlete also I definitely appreciate your common sense ski rant. It’s seldom a good ski etc etc. It’s the same logic I use to rant against fat tire bikes….. It’s just funny how next gen though can take what at first seems illogical and then blows everyone’s minds, haha

[@davidmartindell]

@@UphillAthlete private west buttress trip starts this June. We were all taught how to climb in a local rec facility in Homer Alaska by an old guide named Bill McKenna. You may remember him.

[@UphillAthlete]

@@davidmartindell I remember Bill VERY well. Great guy. We started at guiding at American Alpine Inst. at the same time (1991) and shared some good adventures.

[@kristopheranderson3945]

That was a super rad presentation! My wife's been wanting to climb Denali for ever but I've always been reluctant because I thought it would be a logistical nightmare without a guide. After watching this it really doesn't seem that bad. Thanks for putting the time into this!

[@jeffelfont6887]

It's not bad without a guide, did West Butt in late May 1993.

[@angelacosta1238]

Thanks for sharing such relevant info !

[@UphillAthlete]

Glad it was helpful!

[@lindsaynewell6319]

Awesome podcast. Brought back great memories from 2017 and was full of great advice for anyone wanting to attempt Denali 🙏

[@kaelinellis1646]

At 1:07:30 Steve House discusses fuel usage needs. Stating that you need around 6 ounces per person per day on the light side, and 8 ounces per person per day on the heavy side. I assume that those are fluid ounces and not mass ounces, but can you please confirm? Or please give the figure in milliliters or grams of white gas. Thank you.

[@UphillAthlete]

Yes, fluid ounces of white gas (Usually Coleman brand fuel) which you purchase directly from your air taxi service as they fly the fuel in to basecamp at the beginning of the season. You buy the gas by the gallon, there are 32 fluid ounces in one gallon. One gallon of gas weights approximately 6lbs (plus container weight) -Steve

[@gabriel7664]

I remember that 1 time when I was in awesome physical shape years ago lol. I have to get in shape again or I'll never be able to do anything like this. It'll be 1 of the big-time regrets of my life. If you're young...take it from me, stay healthy if you can.

[@304bobgnarly]

Incredibly insightful. Thank you!

[@tsluiter4]

Love the talks Steve and Mark. Always informative. Couple things for you to make the listener experience a little better, if you don't mind. Either invest a few hundred into a microphone, or try to reduce the echo generated from your walls by placing blankets or moving into different environment. And again, thanks for putting this all up. This talk is exactly what I have been looking for. Denali has been a goal of mine I have been working towards for about a decade, I am very close to being ready. I recently took a guided tour up Rainier (DC) and found much prefer climbing dynamic with competent partners instead. So this talk was exactly the information I was looking for. Thanks again and be well gentlemen

[@smithrocker1]

Glad you found value in the talk and thanks for the constructive advice about the audio. Hope you have a great Denali trip, its an amazing mountain and environment.

[@UphillAthlete]

Thanks! I'll look into a mic.

[@tomhickman1006]

When I worked for RMI in the 80's, George Dunn told me he guided a climb of the Cassin Ridge.

[@UphillAthlete]

Yes it was guided a number of times in the 80’s mostly by Michael Covington…but never with a summit. That’s been done once , but not within the NPS’s legal framework for permitting on Denali

[@laubielaubscher]

Interesting watching this, Good memories from a trip in 1998. Hardly any summiteers when we arrived and several accidents. We had one abortive trip to summit before we had a ok day and made. Had a great trip, the beers, pizza and burgers back in Talkeetna was motivation to get off the mountain. Would love to go back to the range for any mountain experience

[@pinetree2473]

Hey, I was there too in '98. One of a party of 3, we had one make the summit which basically matched the success rate for that year. I and another turned back at about 19,200'.

[@misterfunnybones]

Very informative. I'm going in super light, stark naked, no food. Wish me luck...

[@Mozambique1998]

Preparing for West Buttress attempt at end of May. Absolutely invaluable presentation from Steve and Mark. Just fantastic advice which has made planning so much easier. Question though..... What exactly are the cache bags made of? Having hard time tracking them down :)

[@AlexanderMitchko]

Rice bags! That works well or dry sacks from sea to summit; traditional contractor bags can work okay but hard to not slice with you shovel when recovering

[@hershshah9215]

This was sooo informative.. my climb is still a couple years away, but finding your vid was critical in planning my preparation. Thanks for putting in the effort and time!

[@UphillAthlete]

Glad it was helpful!

[@msm624]

Don't forget One shot Pass flying in ! I actually thought flying out was more spicy...lol especially when there's a ton of waiting for flights and every plane is packed to the gills.

[@DylanKirk]

Detailed and informative! Thank you!

[@JavierBonillaC]

I was looking for this video. I play tennis and last week I was saying to myself “I should try something new”, :)

[@doksucks]

Thank you so very much informative!!

[@cjmooney3641]

Do you have any recommendations for intro to Alaskan mountaineering routes/mountains prior to attempting Denali? Say we've climbed most of the hard routes on rainier and pnw mountains, should we try something else in alaska/canada before attempting denali? thanks, this is an amazing video.

[@UphillAthlete]

Excellent question. Since the main difference between climbing Denali and most other peaks is the camping, then I would suggest something else with multi-night winter snow camping. I've seen folks use a trip in the Ruth Gorge, climbing Mt. Dickey by the normal route with 1-2 camps. It used to be people would try the west ridge of Hunter as a Denali shake-out, but then the seracs got too bad and I don't think folks try that route much anymore. Mount Logan is usually climbed in a similar way via the King Trench route, but the distance and weather problems associated with that flight on/off the glacier make that a big gamble. I honestly think if you spend some time educating yourself, talking to others who have been up there, reading some books and stories, that you can practice snow camping just about anywhere. You could make a Denali-simulation-ciimb on Rainier or Baker. Make it more than one night--the more the better really--so you can get rid of all the stuff you don't use. Thanks for the question and good luck with Denali. -Steve House

[@cjmooney3641]

@@UphillAthlete Awesome! thanks for the reply, maybe we will try a few winter/super early season attempts in the pnw this year and dial-in the snow camping. I love both uphill athlete and training for new alpinism! Looking forward to more youtube and podcasts!

[@onenesswithJesus]

those de-Havaline dch-3 Turbine are the must able Airplanes for that task in Alaska. same for the de-Havaline dch-2 beaver

[@JD-qh3sd]

De Havilland

[@andresfelipenavasarias3046]

Hello guys, thank you very much for sharing all your experience. Of course it will be very helpful. I have carefully watched the video and I wonder about your opinion about trying to summit from Medical Camp ...? Something similar to trying to summit from Nido de Cóndores in Aconcagua ... Something more extensive than what they mention at 1:51:00 and 1:56:00, please.

[@RaymandoEsperanza]

Very informative - thanks for sharing!

[@Leon-qh9br]

Curious about the how G2s would be for Cassin Ridge, really good information Thank you

[@ant9072]

Awesome video.

[@RFE812]

I heard some people say that Aconcagua & Denali are in the same continent apparently. Even the Spanish wiki page says they are. (I don’t agree with that).

[@rickasher207]

Thanks a bunch for this great resource. I appreciate these are time consuming to produce but as a couple of Brits looking to climb the “cassin ridge” next year, a short presentation on this would be very welcome. PS your book, “Trg for New Alpinism”, is a must for any alpinist👍

[@UphillAthlete]

Rick, that's kind of a niche topic and since I myself haven't climbed the Cassin successfully I think we'll hold off on a full presentation about it. My general recommendation to people is to be cautious using the various 'cut-off' routes to get from the 14 camp to the base of the Cassin. Conditions vary a lot from year to year, sometimes a lot of crevasses, sometimes not many (on the ramp). Visibility can make it really hard, etc. I"ve attempted this a couple times and have always dropped down and around into the NE fork of the Kahiltna. This is not easy (in reality neither option is easy) but in my opinion coming up the NE fork is quite a bit safer than downclimbing the ramp. -Steve House

[@rickasher207]

@@UphillAthlete safer options sounds good to me. Thanks for taking the time to offer advice

[@Leon-qh9br]

hey Rick what time of the year you plan on going? I am thinking about this route as well

[@rickasher207]

@@Leon-qh9br Hi Leon, Covid permitting we’re hoping to travel out to the US late May and on the glacier for the beginning of June. However I reckon Covid may cause an issue with issuing permits for the 2021 season 👎

[@WannabeAlpinist]

My God.. Real Alpinists! In all seriousness, thanks for this. Your training approach is phenomenal.

[@popo-lr8gm]

This is Mount McKinley right?

[@UphillAthlete]

Yes, though climbers don't use that name much anymore.

[@LA_Viking]

Okay coaches, I have a question. I want to climb Denali alone. Yes, you heard me correctly and no, I am not insane. Who is the best person/persons/company to contact to get specific information?

[@jdreaper2176]

I climbed denali at 19 in 1990 as a apprentice guide for genet expeditions. Amazing mountain. Went back 10 times including in winter. After 2 times guiding on denali i decided taking squids up a mountain was not for me.

[@jeffelfont6887]

Ray Genet............The Pirate.

[@darinperusich4268]

Is the "bolthole" still at 16.2? When I climbed Denali in 2005 we dug it out and our team got to hang out inside it for a bit.

[@smithrocker1]

Havent seen anyone using the cave since around 2008/9. There have been a couple of seasons recently where folks built a pretty impressive , well walled campsite at 16K like used to be common in the 80s/90s.

[@jeffelfont6887]

VBL's for feet up high?

[@cooper5220]

I'd love to climb Denali

[@phmwu7368]

Basics: Denali aka Mt McKinley I presume...

[@chetcoyote89]

Nice I feel fully qualified now I'll meet you at base

[@guckertott]

Really great and informative production. I watched it with great reverence. The only thing that is not adequately covered is the need and methodology of practicing good dental health while working toward the summit. Many climbers completely forgo competent flossing and brushing during their many days on the climb. This leads to loss of overall confidence and premature teeth failure. Otherwise phenomenal.

[@jarradjames5868]

OHHHHHHH mount McKinley!!!!!!! Now I understand. I thought they were talking about a SUV. lol

[@Harold710]

Some people call it "Big Mac"

[@jokers7890]

Only thing I didn't hear covered is doping or the use of any performance enhancing drugs or medications.

[@nicoleglantz8354]

Great informative video… very hard to watch with you guys saying “um” every fourth word.

[@msm624]

I think i remember a poop crevasse at 11 camp...lol

[@jdreaper2176]

Start at 7,200 feet climb to summit and return alive. Best advice 💯

[@Harold710]

I remember some people climbed up the backside and then backdown to ground level. (Wonder Lake side)

[@jdreaper2176]

@@Harold710 I did the traverse in 1996. It's harder than the west buttress but definitely more of a adventure. Way less people on the Muldrow side.

[@wezzzzzzzzzzzzzz1940]

You want to make sure you have cash for base camp, for extra food. Hell, with the money you charge people already. That should be covered

[@UphillAthlete]

We offer a huge range of things from FREE (380 free articles), books, training plans, training groups, and coaching. So there is something for everyone.

[@rchristy4540]

Interesting information, but a tip; it's really hard to absorb when a person says "um" every few seconds.😉

[@thomasballentine9496]

Is Denali littered with trash and human excrement? What happens to these things? There’s a whole lot of folks up there.

[@UphillAthlete]

Actually it is very clean up there. Human waste is collected in "clean mountain cans' by each person and flown off the mountain. And I would say that there is very very little intentional human littering. From time to time someone will leave a camp and a raven will get into a food bag and make a small mess, but that's relatively rare. Overall it's a very pristine wilderness up there.

[@unclesamowitz9922]

You spelled McKinley wrong.

[@steves7730]

Biggest issue I have with Uphill Athlete is charging $100 for the training program. A bit excessive and if price was dropped in half, I'm sure more people would purchase that program

[@UphillAthlete]

Hi Steve, We have never had anyone who purchased our 24-week, $99 plan ask for a refund. There are 144 unique workouts in that plan, which breaks out to a cost of 68 cents per workout. Of course you have two cheaper options, you can build your own plan using our book which is available for $24 or you can do accomplish the same for free by using our extensive free online resources and a bit more elbow grease. Hint: Our plans go on sale every year after Thanksgiving.

[@JD-qh3sd]

It's a free market. Less customers paying $100 each works better for their business than more customers paying less. It's a business, not a charity.

[@TheJfizzle11]

Haha how is that overpriced