Our Kahiltna
Dome Mountaineering Seminar is a comprehensive,
skills based mini-expedition that is held at the foot of Mount McKinley. The course covers aspects of climbing including
glacier travel techniques, crevasse rescue, winter camping, snow and
ice climbing with emphasis
on expedition climbing. This is an expedition unto itself which is designed to get
you ready for a climb of Denali, Aconcagua or Himalayan peaks. The Seminar culminates with an ascent of the 12,550’ Kahiltna Dome,
using techniques similar to those needed for
an ascent of Denali.
Located directly across the
Kahiltna
Glacier
from
Denali, the views on this heavily glaciated route are spectacular! The challenges your will face are similar to an ascent of Mount Rainier, although the glaciers are bigger, and we use the same expeditionary skills that we employ to climb Denali.
This is a unique way to get a taste of what it is like to
climb Denali, as you will follow the same route as West Buttress climbers for about 8 miles up the Kahiltna Glacier. This Seminar is invaluable
for climbers who want the most realistic way to prepare themselves for a future ascent of Denali.
: Climbers will meet in Anchorage for a morning team meeting and
equipment check. Any needed gear can be picked up in Anchorage at this time.
: Drive to Talkeetna and, weather
permitting, fly onto the Kahiltna Glacier. This
is the normal
Base Camp for almost all Denali climbs. The Big Three (Denali, Foraker and Hunter) all tower over Base Camp and give you a real feel of how small you are in this magnificent arena. The first few days of the Seminar will be held in the area around Kahiltna Base Camp.
: We cover many skills on the first few days, including: knots, belaying techniques, rope handling, self
arrest and glissading,
rappelling, snow climbing techniques, proper use
of ice axe and crampons, glacier travel techniques,
crevasse rescue (self and team rescue techniques),
and more.
: We'll take the basics that we have been working on and use them to work on technical climbing skills including ice climbing.
: Our ascent of Kahiltna Dome begins by leaving Kahiltna Base Camp with all of our
equipment
and food.
Using sleds, we'll head up the Kahiltna Glacier
to its junction with the Northeast Fork, where we'll set up our Camp One.
: Break camp, pack up, and head up Ski Hill to Kahiltna
Pass (10,200 feet). This can be a tough day as the ascent out of Camp One is a pretty long climb.
We'll set up our High Camp
and prepare for the next day's ascent.
: If the weather is good, we
will climb Kahiltna Dome in a moderately long day, using many of the techniques that we covered back in Base Camp. This climb is actually a bit more technical than the West Buttress of Denali, which will help give you an increased comfort level on tricky terrain.
: Extra summit day, in case we didn't get a shot the day before.
: Return to Kahiltna Base
Camp where we can relax or do some ice climbing
near
camp if we made the summit on Day 8. In the afternoon we'll fly
out to Talkeetna
and drive back to Anchorage.
This is a real Alaskan expedition that is primarily designed
for the climber who is interested
in
climbing Denali in the
near future. You will be introduced
to
all the climbing
techniques necessary for the
a Denali ascent and you will also experience
hauling
a sled
up the
Kahiltna
Glacier. You should come away with the necessary skills to feel comfortable joining similarly skilled partners on glaciated terrain anywhere in the world.
