June 12, 2026

Last night was a busy one for 11K Camp! All three remaining IMG Denali teams met—Team 4 on their descent, and Teams 5 and 6 on their ascent— and had time to check in, connect, and give updates on the mountain.

Team 4 is now back in Talkeetna and en-route to Anchorage. After a slow start with rough weather the first couple days of their trip, their time on the mountain has been efficient! However, any expedition on the High One is a long and exhausting journey, and we know they’re looking forward to getting a good nights sleep in a real bed!

Team 5 is carrying to 13K today, after a rest day yesterday at 11K. They’ll sleep at 11K Camp again tonight, and then plan to move to 14K Camp tomorrow.

Team 6 is carrying to 13K tomorrow, and taking a well served rest day to day. Team 6 is small but strong, and we’re looking forward to catching up with them again tomorrow!

Members of Teams 4, 5, and 6 take a photo break together at 11K Camp! (Peter Dale)

June 10, 2026

Things are looking good for our teams in Alaska so far. We’re back today with news that Team 4, led by Max Bond, is heading for the summit! They’re headed back down to 17K Camp after their time on the top, and should be heading back to the airstrip tomorrow.

Team 5 is moving to 11K today, after a successful caching trip yesterday. Due to a weather-induced rest day yesterday, they are now only one day off of Team 6, who is caching at 11K today, and will move up to camp tomorrow. This gives both teams the opportunity to climb with additional support and manage some aspects of the climb logistics together, which is a huge benefit for both parties.

A Team 2 climber stands on the West Buttress, right below the summit. 14K Camp is visible far below in the distance. (Kevin Alexander)

June 9, 2026

IMG Denali Team 6 looking ready to rock!

It’s official: all IMG Denali teams have made it onto the mountain! With three teams down and three to go, it’s a busy time of year.

After a few days of tough weather, Team 4 is moving to 17K Camp today and hoping to make the summit push tomorrow. We can’t wait to hear more news from the top!

Team 5 is taking their first caching trip today, with the biggest load of the climb. They’ll deposit the load at 10,000 feet and plan to move to 11K Camp tomorrow.

Team 6, led by Peter Dale, flew onto the Kahiltna Glacier this morning. They’ll head for Ski Hill Camp today, and then start the long ascent to the summit. Good luck to our remaining teams!

June 8, 2026

We’re officially past the halfway point!

With our Team 3 back in Talkeetna, folks are headed home now, and looking back on the once-in-a-lifetime experience that is any climb on the High One. Only three teams to go before the season’s done!

Team 4, led by Max Bond, is resting at 14K Camp and waiting for their chance at 17K Camp. They’ve cached and prepped, so they’re ready to go at a moment’s notice.

Team 5, led by Alex Lombardo, is headed to Ski Hill Camp. The team seems strong, and we have high hopes for their journey on the mountain!

After arriving in Talkeetna yesterday, Team 6, our least team of the season, led by Peter Dale, is ready to roll as soon as the weather permits. They’re waiting for the chance to fly on, and we hope to see them on the glacier this afternoon.

We look forward to posting more progress in the coming days, so keep an eye on the blog!

Team 5 headed to their rooms at the Anchorage Embassy Suits Hotel with their gear for the next several weeks! (James Nash)

June 6, 2026

We’re back again today with exciting news!

IMG Denali Team 3, led by Timm Phillips, summited last night and is now on their way back down to 14K Camp. They’ll meet Team 4 there, where they’re taking a rest day, and be able to celebrate their achievement in style!

Team 2 is back down at the airstrip and waiting for their chance to fly off the mountain, so they’ll be back to Talkeetna, then Anchorage, and then home to their families very soon!

Team 5, led by Alex Lombardo, made it up to Talkeetna last night. They’re doing a final pack of their gear, and then they’ll be ready to move as soon as there’s a flight available to take them up onto the glacier.

Team 6, led by Peter Dale, is meeting up in Anchorage today! They’ll head to Talkeetna tomorrow, and then set their sights on the Kahiltna Glacier.

A huge congratulations to our summiting teams so far, and we look forward to reporting back on more progress in the coming weeks!

The view from the plane flying on to the Kahiltna Glacier in 2023 (Tomah Whitney)

June 5, 2026

We’re starting off with a bang today, folks!

A big congratulations to Team 2, who summited the High One last night! They’re on their way down to 14K Camp now, and will be returning to Base Camp tomorrow.

Team 3 is also summiting today! They’re making good progress and we expect to hear good news from them soon.

Team 4 is getting higher and higher on the mountain, and spending today caching at 16,500 feet. The plan is to rest tomorrow, and climb to 17K Camp the following day.

We’re also excited to welcome Team 5 to Alaska! Our guides flew out of Sea-Tac Airport this morning, and arrived in Anchorage in good time. Today the team is getting to know each other and grabbing any last items they need to purchase before heading to Talkeetna tomorrow. It should be a busy day and a fun evening before tomorrow’s drive.

An IMG Denali team arrives on the summit

June 3, 2026

One team down, five to go! With only three teams on the mountain currently, we’re looking forward to a busy couple days before Team 5 arrives in Alaska.

Team 2 is resting at 17K Camp today, with their sights set on the summit tomorrow! We’re sending them good luck and thoughts of good weather, and can’t wait to report back.

Team 3 is resting at 14K Camp today, and moving to 17K tomorrow. The same weather window that Team 2 is hoping to hit to the summit will open up a path to High Camp for Team 3.

Team 4 has joined the 14K Camp crew, and is taking a day to recover before their last caching climb. Rest days with other IMG teams are always a fun opportunity to see old friends, meet new people, and build some high alpine connections between the hard work of climbing. It sounds like this rest day has been a good one!

Check back in tomorrow for more news from the top!

14 Camp looking gorgeous in the 2025 season! (Phunuru Sherpa)

June 2, 2026

Welcome back for another peek into progress with IMG Denali!

Team 1 is officially back in Talkeetna, and headed for Anchorage. They’re working on getting flights booked and should be back with friends and family very soon.

We’ve got our next summit attempt lined up, with Team 2 progressing to 17K today. They’ll be ready to go starting tomorrow for the first opening to the top!

Team 3 is carrying to 16,500 feet, right below Washburn’s Thumb. They’re caching today, and by tomorrow they’re going to be ready to climb to 17K Camp in Team 2’s footsteps.

Team 4 is moving to 14K Camp today, and will likely rest tomorrow. From there, they’ll start making their last caching trip to 16,500, and then start thinking about the summit!

A team walks along the ridge descending from the summit in 2024 (Peter Dale)