Climbing Denali, Day 8
Tuesday 9th - Mark called at 2.30pm, Alaska time from Basin Camp, an advance base camp at 14,200ft/4,328m. He and his roped team had taken five hours from their Monday night camp at 11,000ft/3,353m to reach Basin Camp. They are all feeling fit and doing well.
It was a crystal clear and hot day. They've left the sledges behind at the last camp, so back-packs are now seriously heavy and with the steep terrain and elevation gain, they were feeling the thinner air and glad to reach camp to put down their packs. Tomorrow they go back about one and half hours to bring up cached kit then rest and acclimatize at 14,200ft/4,328m.
As he spoke, Mark was looking at the next section - Headwall - and said it looked tougher than anything they have done so far. Headwall is an 800ft/244m, 40 to 55 degree snow and ice face. Some of the time at Basin Camp is spent practising techniques for what's ahead.
Two other groups reached the summit today and everybody is really happy for them and encouraged by this news.
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