July 7, 2011 Greg and team left for the summit from their 17,200 ft. high camp this morning. No news yet but rumor has it that weather was good. That’s what we want to hear.Likely to take about 12 hours to round trip the thing. You’ll know when we know. Phil Ershler
Denali
Denali Team Moves To High Camp
July 5, 2011 Greg Vernovage called in this morning from 14K on Denali. Weather has improved and the team is on their way to high camp. It’ll be a long day. This is maybe as important as the actual summit day. They need to get to high camp in good shape and ready for one […]
When In Doubt, Don’t
July 3, 2011 Weather day at 14,000 ft. for Greg and his team. Not terrible but not the right time to move up. I remember a saying that famous Alaskan bush pilot, Doug Geeting, had in his plane – “when in doubt, don’tâ€. Works with mountaineering as well as flying, I do believe. Food, fuel […]
Persistence And Determination Are Omnipotent
July 2, 2011 Spoke with Greg Vernovage this afternoon, the 2nd, by sat phone. The group had a serious carry yesterday to Washburn’s Thumb, well up on the West Buttress. Another big milestone. They cached gear for their summit attempt there, at around 16,500 ft. Then, it was back down to 14,000 ft. Today was […]
All Set At 14,000ft.
June 30, 2011 Greg Vernovage and crew made a ‘back carry’ today, picking up their cache at 13,500’. That means that all members and all their group supplies are now at 14,000 ft., aka Genet Basin. Nice. Tomorrow is a big day. They will take their first shot at the fixed ropes heading up to […]
Denali Team At Genet Basin
June 29, 2011 Spoke with Greg Vernovage this evening. The team moved into camp today at 14,000 ft. It’s often called Genet Basin. Nice part was that there were minimal winds around Windy Corner the day they carried and also today during the move. Tomorrow’s an easy day. The crew walks down for less than […]
Denali Teams Hanging Tight In Camp
June 27, 2011 Greg Vernovage called in from 11,000ft on Denali where he and his team continue to wait on improving weather. High winds and heavy snowfall were reported on the upper mountain. IMG Guides Mike Hamill, Ty Gimenez & Aaron Mainer are up at 14K Camp hanging tight as well. Everybody is doing fine; […]
Denali Team At 11,000
June 26, 2011 Spoke with Greg Vernovage today. Another super productive day on the hill. The team moved up to the 11,000 ft. camp and are ensconced there now. They even had enough time to drop down after getting camp organized and picked up their cache at 10,400 ft. That means all members and all […]
Good Weather For IMG Denali Team
June 25, 2011 IMG Senior Guide, Greg Vernovage, reported in yesterday from Denali. The group carried from the confluence of the main and northeast folks of the Kahiltna Glacier up to about 10,400 ft. After dropping their cache, they returned to the confluence. Next move is up to 11,000 ft., returning the next day to […]
Denali Team En Route To Base Camp
June 22, 2011