May 25, 2010

Mark Allen called in from Camp 1 at 12,080 feet at 12:15pm Alaska time

The group made a carry  of supplies up to Camp 1 today from Base Camp at the landing site. They have had a couple of minor precipitation storms since arriving, but in general the weather has been good.

Today’s carry was not without adventure, as both of the guides (at different times) dropped into crevasses on the way up. The good practice that the team put in on crevasse rescue the day before paid off. Mark says they have the route well marked now and it will be easier from now on.

The group has awesome views of the surrounding mountains from their vantage point at their new camp.

They’ll head back down to base camp shortly; the current plan is to move up to Camp 1 tomorrow if all are feeling well and conditions are good.

George Dunn

May 24, 2010

IMG Guide Mark Allen called in from Bona base camp.

The group was flown in yesterday without event, and are now spending a day or two acclimatizing and establishing a good, well protected base camp. Mark says they have switched to a nocturnal schedule and will go to bed at noon today and get up again after an 8 hour rest. It is just too warm currently on the lower glacier to work in full sun.

The group will build good walls around camp in anticipation of future bad weather, do some group training and then hope to do a first carry tomorrow or the next day as they are able. All are in good spirits and feeling healthy.

They’ll check back in after their first carry.

George Dunn

May 23, 2010

The Mt. Bona Expedition group met as a team for the first time on Saturday May 22 in Anchorage. They did a final gear check, went over group supplies and had a team meeting. They finished with a final dinner in downtown Anchorage, then called it an early night.

The plan is to depart Anchorage at 6am, do the 4 ½ hour drive to Chitina, and meet the bush pilot at the Chitina airstrip for the flight in to Mt. Bona on the 23^rd.  If weather prevents this, the alternate plan is to overnight at the airstrip in tents, or fly in to the bush pilot’s lodge, a 45 minute flight up the Chitina River.

George Dunn

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