IMG Denali | McKinley Expedition Itinerary
The expedition begins on Day 1 of the itinerary at our designated group hotel in Anchorage where you meet your guides at 12PM to conduct a full gear check. Climbers may need to arrive in Anchorage a day before Day 1 depending on the arrival time of your flight. In that case, you will be responsible for arranging your overnight lodging in Anchorage and then meeting the team at the group hotel at 12PM on Day 1. We can all then spend the afternoon of Day 1 exploring or picking up last-minute supplies and food items on your own in Anchorage. The first group night lodging in Alaska is arranged and paid by IMGD and will be spent in our Anchorage group hotel.
On Day 2, the team takes an early morning shuttle to Talkeetna where we spend the day making final preparations and attending a mandatory NPS briefing. Next day, our bush pilot treats us to a thrilling flight onto the Kahiltna Glacier. From there, we regroup and start climbing.
Our rate of ascent from there on will be dictated by the weather, route conditions, the strength of the group and gradual acclimatization. All climbing decisions will be made by the guides with the best interests of the entire group in mind. We will carry 21 days of food with supplements to stretch it to 24 days if necessary. An expedition with good weather might spend 14 days on the mountain, average is 18 days, but 22-24 days can happen and flexibility is imperative.
| Day | Itinerary |
| Day 01 | Upon your arrival at Anchorage (ANC) call the group hotel to arrange for airport shuttle to pick you up. Meet your guides and team at 12 Noon at the designated group hotel in Anchorage. Gear checks. Group lodging arranged by IMGD. |
| Day 02 | Depart Anchorage early AM for shuttle to Talkeetna. Attend NPS briefing in Talkeetna, sort personal equipment, familiarize and divide group equipment, divide it up and get packed for the trip. Group lodging arranged by IMGD. |
| Day 03 | Scenic 45-minute ski plane flight lands us at Base Camp on the SE Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier at 7,200 feet. |
| Day 04 | Drag sleds ~5.5 miles on the low-angle Kahiltna Glacier to Ski Hill Camp at 7,600'. Don't let the distance fool you, with sleds at their heaviest this can be a challenging day on the mountain! |
| Day 05 | Continue dragging sleds up to Camp 2 at 9,600'. This can also be accomplished as a double carry, caching at 10,000' and spending another night at Ski Hill Camp. |
| Day 06 | Weather and energy permitting, we will move up to Camp 3 at 11,000'. |
| Day 07 | Time for an active rest day, possibly "back carrying" to retrieve our cache at 10,000'. |
| Day 08 | Carry gear and cache at 13,500' past Windy Corner. As the terrain becomes more complex above 11,000' we shift towards less weight in sleds and more weight in our packs. |
| Day 09 | Move to 14 Camp, just above 14,000'. This is the location of the NPS climbing ranger post and can be like a small city during the height of the season. |
| Day 10 | Another active rest day, back carrying to retrieve our cache at 13,500'. Second night at 14,000'. |
| Day 11 | Rest and continue to acclimatize at 14 Camp. |
| Day 12 | Carry food, fuel, and other supplies for our summit bid to cache at 16,700' or High Camp at 17,200'. Return to 14,000' for a fourth night. |
| Day 13 | Fifth and final acclimatization day if needed at 14,000'. |
| Day 14 | Move to High Camp at 17,200', potentially picking up our cache along the way. |
| Day 15 | Possible rest day at High Camp or first chance for summit day! |
| Day 16 | Second possible summit day! |
| Day 17 | Descend to 11,000', Camp 3 for a quick bivy. |
| Day 18 | Descend to Base Camp. If the timing is right and the weather holds, "fly off" with our bush pilot. |
| Day 19 | Likely pickup by bush pilot and return to Talkeetna. |
| Day 20- | The expedition can run longer than average. Allow for at least 25 total days in your schedule, weather can delay us and a schedule cushion at the end will ease tension and facilitate patience that is often needed. |