Winter Climbs 2015: Nanga Teams Retreat to BC, Moro Departs for Nepal

There is more news from Nanga Parbat today, where the combined international team of Alex Txikon, Daniele Nardi, local climbers Muhammad Ali "Sadpara" and Muhammad Kahn, along with the Iranian squad, have retreated back to Base Camp after establishing Camp 3 on the mountain. The group had been working for five straight days to establish the route and shuttle gear, and are now ready to rest and regain some strength before heading up again.

According to reports, C3 was installed at 6700 meters (21,981 ft) where at least three of the climbers spent the night as part of their acclimatization. They then fixed ropes above that point, but were unable to reach Camp 4 before deciding it was time to descend. The entire squad is still working on acclimating to the altitude, with the exception of Nardi who has been on Nanga for more than a month now.

Dispatches indicate that Txikon and the other late arrivals are in need of some rest, so they'll spend at least a few days in BC now to let their bodies recover. The forecasts indicate that the weather should be good through the weekend, with storms arriving on the mountain on Sunday. That means that there is no weather window for the next few days, which will limit their efforts. In fact, the forecast calls for poor weather for most of next week, with possibly a meter of snow being dropped on the slopes of Nanga Parbat. For now, the teams will just have to wait to see if and when they'll get another chance.

Meanwhile, Italian climber Simone Moro is preparing to set out for Nepal. He'll leave tomorrow to begin his winter expedition in the Himalaya. He will be joined on the climb by talented alpinist Tamara Lunger, who summited K2 without oxygen this past summer.

The duo have set their sighs on the 8163 meter (26,781 ft) Manaslu, which they hope to link with Manaslu East, a peak that is an impressive 7992 meters (26,220 ft) in height. The hope is to complete the climb before the end of winter, which means they'll have roughly 35 days to top out. Both are said to have already been acclimatizing prior to their departure, with the plan of eventually making an alpine style attempt on the two summits once they have scouted the route.

Finally, there have been no updates yet from Andy Kirkpatrick, who had intended to set off for Denali to complete a solo summit of that mountain in February. The latest updates to the Brit's Facebook and Twitter pages indicate that he was heading off on an expedition, but there has been radio silence for the past eight days. Hopefully he is now in Alaska and prepping for the climb, but at this point it is unclear what his plans are.

That's all for today. It looks like things will be kind of quiet for the next few days at least as the weather on Nanga sorts itself out, and Simone and Tamara make their way to the mountain. We'll have more updates soon as the news warrants.

Legislation Introduced to Officially Rename Mt. McKinley to Denali

Two U.S. Senators from the state of Alaska have introduced legislation that would permanently change the name of Mt. McKinley back to its native name of Denali. This marks the latest attempt to get the mountain, which is officially named after William McKinley, the 25th President of the United States, renamed. Previous attempts to change the mountain's moniker have been denied, although the bill will likely receive more support in the newly elected Republican Congress.

The legislation was introduced by U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, who argue that the mountain first received its name thousands of years ago by the Athabascan tribe, who called it "Denali," which means the "the Great One" or "the High One" in their language. It wasn't officially renamed to Mt. McKinley until 1917, although it has been referred to by that name for nearly 20 years prior to that by local prospectors and settlers.

At 20,237 feet (6168 meters) in height, McKinley is the tallest mountain in North America, and a significant climb amongst mountaineers. While the general public most commonly knows the peak it by its officially designated name, it has been referred to it as Denali for years in mountaineering circles. Regardless of the outcome of this legislation, that isn't likely to change anytime soon.

While there will be more Republican support for a name change this time out, it won't be without some opposition. Ohio Representative Bob Gibbs, who is a Republican as well, has introduced counter-legistiaiton aimed at blocking efforts to rename the mountain. President McKinley was from Ohio, and many people there still take pride in the fact that the mountain bears his name.

As you can imagine, in Alaska the sentiment is quite different. There, the indigenous people and others feel it is time to give the mountain its original name back. Denali is used commonly there to name streets, businesses, and even children. There has been a groundswell of support for the name change there for years, although most locals already refer to it by its Athabascan name anyway.

There is no word yet on when the vote on the bill will come to congress, and while it may seem like a rather trivial piece of legislation, it could get bogged down in committees to try to stall it out. Still, later this year, it is possible that Mt. McKinley will be no more, and everyone will refer to the mountain as Denali.

Winter Climbs 2014-2015: Lonnie is Off Denali, Team Drama on Nanga Parbat

We're barely two weeks into 2015, and it has already been an historic year for winter climbing. With Lonnie Dupre's successful summit of Denali, he has now become the first person to climb that mountain solo in the month of January when it is the coldest, harshest days of all. Meanwhile, over in Pakistan, the three teams currently on Nanga Parbat have pressed forward, while a fourth squad continues to try to clear logistical hurdles.

We'll start with an update from Denali. After reaching the 6168 meter (20,237 ft) summit this past weekend, Lonnie was able to make the descent back to Base Camp with little difficulty. Retrieving his gear as he went down, Dupre managed to return to BC on Wednesday, where he had hoped for a quick airlift back to Talkeetna to start his celebration. Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate, and even though two planes took off to retrieve him and his gear, neither of them were able to land Kahiltna Glacier due to high winds. With the mission to retrieve him aborted, he was forced to settle into his tent for one more night and wait for calmer weather.

Yesterday, the conditions were much more conducive for the aircraft, they were able to land and retrieve the mountaineer/polar explorer from his chilly campsite. Lonnie is now safely back in Talkeetna, where he is thawing out and relaxing, while enjoying sharing his tales of the climb with the locals. His website promises more updates on the summit push, as well as video from the ascent too. Stay tuned for that post, as I'm sure it'll be quite the tale.

Over on Nanga Parbat there seems to be a bit of a drama brewing between Italian climber Danielle Nardi, and his campmates Tomek Mankiewicz and Elisabeth Revol. Tomek and Elisabeth departed Base Camp a week ago to establish several higher camps, and have apparently decided that they are now going to attempt to push up towards the summit. They have made this decision without consulting Danielle or without being in communication at all, as they are traveling with just a satellite phone. In a post to his website, Nardi has said that the cooperative expedition is now over due to this lack of communication between the teammates, although he says he will continue to provide support for Tomek and Elisabeth out of a sense of obligation for their safety.


It seems that the trio of climbers had planned on working more closely with one another on their eventual summit bids than was previously thought, and now Danielle feels that he has been left out of those plans. The lack of updates from Tomek and Elisabeth – who refused to take a radio with on their ascent – has left Nardi to read about the duo's progress on the Internet, rather than hearing directly from them. Considering they had planned the project together, it now seems as if he is the one who has been left behind.

As for their part Tomek and Elisabeth have now established Camp 4 at 7000 meters (22,965 ft) amidst fluctuating weather conditions. High winds have been buffeting the mountain over the past few days, although very little snow is reported on the Diamir Face. The forecast is expected to improve over the weekend however, and the two climbing partners may take the opportunity to move up even higher. So far, they are happy with their progress and can see a good line to the summit, but the blisteringly cold conditions are making it very tough. (Update: It now appears that the two climbers will go down from Camp 4 to BC. How this will impact future plans remains to be seen.)

On the Rupal side of the mountain, the Russians team of Nickolay Totmjanin, Valery Shamalo, Serguey Kondrashkin and Victor Koval have started their second rotation up the mountain. They had been back in BC at the beginning of the week where they were resting and waiting out the weather. On Wednesday they started back up the mountain but there have been few updates on their progress ever since. Presumably they are heading put to stock Camp 2 and possibly press on to C3 as the weather permits.

Finally, ExWeb is reporting that the Iranian team that had hoped to be on Nanga by now has hit a snag with Pakistani immigration. Apparently there have been some issues with their visa, and the squad is trying to work through the situation so that they can proceed with their expedition. Hopefully they'll get over those bureaucratic bumps soon, and can proceed to Base Camp.

Winter Climbs 2014-2015: Lonnie Descends on Denali, Progress on Nanga Parbat

With the winter climbing season now in full swing, teams are working hard Nanga Parbat, where several squads are hoping to complete the first winter ascent of that 8000-meter giant. While they gird themselves for the challenge ahead, another climber is already wrapping up his expedition on the tallest peak in North America.

We'll start with an update on Lonnie Dupre, who successfully completed the first solo ascent of Denali in January on Sunday. When I posted the news of his success yesterday, Lonnie had already returned from the summit to his high camp located at 17,200 feet (5242 meters). An update later in the day indicated that he only spent a few hours resting there before proceeding down to his camp at the West Buttress Ridge, which sits at 14,200 feet (4328 meters). He stopped there long enough to cache some of his supplies, and then was immediately proceeding further town to 11,200 feet (3413 meters) where he had hoped to rest for the night. That means he is almost safely off the mountain, and while he still has further to go before he gets to Base Camp, the most treacherous part of the climb is now behind him.

Lonnie's home team expects to hear more from him later today, including potentially more details on his summit push. As you can probably imagine, he is exhausted from his efforts and could use some rest, but the weather on Denali is fickle, and it is best that he get to the safest place possible before the winter weather returns.

Meanwhile, the Russian team of Nickolay Totmjanin, Valery Shamalo, Serguey Kondrashkin and Victor Koval arrived in BC on Nanga Parbat last week, and have immediately gone to work. According to Russian Climb, the team has now shuttled gear up to their camp at 6000 meters (19,685 ft) on the Rupal Face, and have fixed ropes to that point, but were forced back down due to high winds. After four days of working the route, they have now returned to Base Camp to rest and gather their strength before proceeding up further.


Italian climber Danielle Nardi is back in BC on the Diamir Face as well. He reports that snow is in the forecast over the next few days, so he'll wait for the weather to pass before going back up the mountain. At that time, he hopes to finish establishing Camp 2, located at 5100 meters (16,732 ft). Danielle is hoping to make a solo-summit of Nanga, which means he'll have to be very patient, conserve his strength and energy, and hope that the weather turns in his favor.

Tomek Mackiewicz and Elisabeth Revol are sharing BC with Danielle, and are bit further along in their acclimatization efforts. They have reportedly climbed up to Camp 3 at 6600 meters (21,653 ft), and are planning on going as high as 7200 meters (23,622 ft) before turning back. They report that the weather is holding at the moment, but the route is extremely difficult, with very cold temperatures.

As you probably already know, Nanga Parbat is just one of two 8000-meter peaks that remain unclimbed in the winter. K2 is the other mountain to hold that distinction, and an attempt on that peak was shut down this year when the Chinese refused to issue a permit to climb from the north side. With all of these climbers concentrating on Nanga, it seems that there is a good shot of someone reaching the top this year. But as always, the weather will dictate if that proves to be true.

The season is truly just getting underway. Stay tuned for more updates soon.

Winter Climbs 2014-2015: Lonnie Dupre Summits Denali!

The winter climbing season is barely underway, and we already have our first successful summit of the new year. Yesterday, polar explorer and mountaineer Lonnie Dupre reached the top of Denali in Alaska, bringing an end to his quest to climb the highest peak in North America in January, the coldest, harshest month of the year on that mountain.

On Saturday, Lonnie's home team updated his status indicating that he had reached 17,200 feet (5242 meters) on the mountain, which would put him within striking distance of the 20,237 foot (6168 meter) summit. Better yet, the weather forecast indicated that a period of excellent weather would cover the area for the next few days, creating the best summit window that Lonnie has seen during his winter visits to the mountain. It is not uncommon for temperatures to drop to -50ºF/-45ºC on Denali in January, and winds can blow at speeds of over 100 mph (160 km/h). In the past, those conditions have prevented him from summiting, but that wasn't the case this time.

Yesterday another update was posted to Lonnie's website, this time indicating that the team had received a SPOT GPS signal from the summit of the mountain. Lonnie had reached the top at approximately 2:08 PM local time, and while I'm sure he took a little time to enjoy the view, he was soon heading back down the mountain. Another SPOT update later in the day indicated that he has descended back to his high camp at 17,200 feet, where he is likely still resting now. He'll continue his descent today, and will likely be off the mountain in a few days, provided the weather continues to hold.

The successful solo-summit of Denali brings an end to a quest that Lonnie has been on for the past five years. This was his fourth attempt at climbing the mountain in January, and this time all of the variables came together in a proper fashion. Hopefully the weather will cooperate for just a bit longer, as the decent can be a treacherous one as well. He won't breathe easy until he has made it safely back to Base Camp. From there, he can call in a flight to come pick him up, and the celebration can truly begin.

Look for Lonnie to post his summit report once he is safely off the mountain and back in BC. I'm sure he has plenty of good insights to share.

Congratulations to Lonnie on completely this challenge. Get down safely!

Winter Climbs 2014-2015: Updates From Nanga Parbat and Denali

Now that the holidays are officially behind us, and we're all returning to a more typical routine, it seems fitting that we start a new week with an update on the winter climbing expeditions that are underway in Pakistan and Alaska. Over the past few weeks, the teams have been getting settled into Base Camp, and have started the challenging work of acclimatizing to the altitude and the cold temperatures. Soon, the real work will begin, with each of the teams hoping to make history in the weeks ahead.

We'll start on Nanga Parbat, where three teams are looking to make the first winter ascent of that peak. The Russian squad of Nickolay Totmjanin, Valery Shamalo, Serguey Kondrashkin and Victor Koval arrived in Pakistan just before Christmas, and set out for BC on the Rupal side of the mountain almost immediately. They established Base Camp on December 27, and have been shuttling gear up the slope ever since. As of yesterday, they have reached 5900 meters (19,356 ft), and have firmly established Camp 1 at that location. They are currently back in BC resting up before they head up the mountain once again.

Over ont he Diamir Face, the first team of climbers in BC as well, with Tomek Mankiewicz and Elisabeth Revol sharing space with Daniele Nardi. While the trio are officially on the same permit, they aren't intending to do much climbing with one another, as Daniele is looking for a solo summit, while Tomek and Elisabeth join forces on their attempt at the first ascent. According to Russian Climb, they reached Camp 1 on January 2, so they are making solid progress thus far. Meanwhile, Daniele is just getting settled in Base Camp today.

A third team consisting of Iranian climbers Reza Bahadorani, Iraj Maani and Mahmoud Hashemi is preparing to depart for Pakistan. The trio intends to arrive on the mountain next week, and begin their expedition as well.


Over on Denali, Lonnie Dupre is forging ahead with his attempt at a solo-summit in January. Conditions remain very cold, but the weather has improved over the past few days, allowing him to move more than 160 lbs (72 kilograms) of gear up to 13,600 feet (4145 meters). Yesterday he planned to go up to 14,000 feet (4267 meters), where he will build a large snow cave that will serve as one of his high camps. Once that job is done, he'll begin carrying gear up to 16,000 ft (4876 meters), which will mark his next major campsite. At the moment, all seems to be going well, and Lonnie is happy with his progress.

Finally, it appears that Dupre won't be the only climber making a solo-summit bid on Denali this winter. British mountaineer Andy Kirkpatrick is also in the final stages of planning his own expedition to the mountain, and intends to arrive their in February. Kirkpatrick says that he has been thinking about this climb for 14 years, and he is now ready to make it a reality. We'll certainly be following his efforts closely in a few weeks as well.

That's all for today. Expect regular updates on each of these expeditions in the weeks ahead. It should be an exciting time on both Nanga Parbat and Denali. Perhaps this year could see the first winter ascent of Nanga at long last.

Winter Climbs 2014-2015: High Winds and Extreme Cold on Denali

Just a very brief update from Alaska today, where Lonnie Dupre has been waiting for the arrival of the New Year, while preparing for his major challenge ahead. His plan is to make a solo-summit of Denali in January, which is when that 6168 meter (20,237 ft) mountain is at its absolute coldest. This is his fourth attempt at this expedition, and Dupre is already being reminded of why this is such a difficult goal to attain.

Since his arrival on the mountain a few weeks back, Lonnie has been shuttling his gear up the route, and building a series of camps that will be well stocked for when he eventually makes his summit push. This is not only a good logistical move, it is also helping him to acclimatize. A few days ago, he reached an altitude of 11,200 feet (3413 meters), where he had intended to stash some gear, and then descend 600 feet (182 meters) back down the slope for a rest day. High winds and very cold temperatures have hit his location however, forcing him to take a second consecutive rest day simply because it was unsafe for him to climb in the whiteout conditions that had developed. Reportedly, winds were as high as 60 mph (96 km/h), and temperatures plummeted with their arrival.

Just how cold does it get on the mountain? Have a look at the photo attached with this blog post. That's Lonnie inside of a snow cave that he dug for protection on his 2012 expedition. As you can see, the frost is forming on his boots and pants, and just about all the rest of his gear, due to the temperatures. These are the kinds of challenges he is facing as he presses ahead with the climb.

Tomorrow marks the first day of 2015 and of January. That means the clock is now officially ticking on the expedition, and Lonnie has 31 days to complete his quest. The weather forecast calls for improving conditions over the next few days, so he now plans to descend a bit lower, collect some more gear, and bring it back up to 11, 200 feet. From there, he'll begin scouting the upper sections of the mountain and start placing his high camps in anticipation of an eventual summit push. The next few weeks should be prove very interesting.

Elsewhere, the teams on Nanga Parbat should be gathering in Base Camp now as well. Expect reports on the progress on that mountain soon too.

Winter Climbs 2014-2015: Teams Gathering in Pakistan

Just a quick update on the winter climbing expeditions that are either now underway, or are preparing to begin. With the new season just over a week old at this point, most of the teams are still making their way to the mountains following the holiday season last week. While they are in transit, the climbers are mentally and physically preparing themselves for the challenges ahead on what will likely be the most difficult expedition of their careers.

As mentioned last week, the planned attempt on the North Side of K2 has been scrubbed following the denial of a climbing permit by the Chinese government. This has left Denis Urubko, Adam Bielecki and Alex Txikon on the sidelines this season after they had been planning their expedition for months. As you can imagine, the team is disappointed by this turn of events, but they have vowed to try again in the future. Chinese officials cancelled the permit after terrorist activity in the region picked up in November. They have already invited the climbers to reapply for a permit when conditions improve and it is once again safe for foreign visitors to travel in the Xinjiang region.

With K2 now off the table for this winter, all attention will now turn toward Nanga Parbat, the only other 8000 meter peak that remains unclimbed in the winter. There are no fewer than three teams attempting that mountain, including Daniele Nardi, who arrived in Pakistan on Saturday and is now making his way out to Base Camp. He'll climb with Elisabeth Revol on the Diamir Face, and now expects to be in BC by January 1.


That duo will be sharing Base Camp with Tomek Mackiewicz, who spent a few weeks acclimatizing in the Rupal Valley before the arrival of winter. Tomek should already be in BC at this point, where the is scouting the route and already preparing to make his solo attempt on the mountain.

The Russian team of Nickolay Totmjanin, Valery Shamalo, Serguey Kondrashkin and Victor Koval arrived in Pakistan in time for Christmas, and wasted no time in getting to work. They were in and out of Islamabad as quickly as possible, and arrived in Base Camp on December 27, where they report that all is okay. After a few days of getting settled, they will begin the first preliminary steps of heading up the mountain, while they begin to acclimatize to the altitude and cold weather.

Finally, we leave the Karakoram behind to check in with Lonnie Dupre on Denali. He is busy preparing for his attempt to summit the tallest mountain in North America in January, and has already been very busy establishing some of his higher camps. He has already climbed up to 11,200 feet (3413 meters) where he has started to get a taste of the weather that the mountain is so well known for. Wind speeds have already been in excess of 50 mph (80 km/h), and temperatures are well below zero. Still, he is happy with his progress thus far, and will take a rest day today before continuing to shuttle gear up the slope. Once January 1 arrives, the expedition will be officially under way, with Lonnie hoping to become just the 4th person to stand on the summit during the coldest, darkest, windiest month of the year on Denali.

That's all for today. I'll post more updates as the teams start to progress.

Winter Climbs 2014-2015: The Season is Underway!

This past weekend officially marked the first day of winter here in the northern hemisphere, which means it is time for the winter climbing teams to start their expeditions as well. While some are waiting until after the holidays to get underway, others are already making their way to the mountains, where they'll now face the daunting task of climbing some of the world's toughest peaks during the coldest, most treacherous time of year.

There will be no fewer than than three teams heading to Nanga Parbat this winter, and according to ExWeb the Russian squad of Nickolay Totmjanin, Valery Shamalo, Serguey Kondrashkin and Victor Koval left for Pakistan yesterday. They hope to be on the trail to Base Camp as early as tomorrow, with plans for reaching the mountain as quickly as possible. They intend to climb a variation of the Schell Route on the Rupal Face, establishing Camps 1-3, with an intermediate camp consisting of one small tent stationed between C3 and the summit. They'll start acclimating as soon as they arrive, and will then let the weather dictate their progress.

The Russians won't be alone in Base Camp. Polish climber Tomek Mackiewicz is already there after acclimatizing in the Rupal Valley. He's sharing space with Elisabeth Revol and Daniele Nardi, although they won't be climbing together. Mankiewicz is attempting a solo summit of Nanga Parbat, while Revol and Nardi will try a new route.

Also heading to Nanga Parbat soon will be the Iranian team of Reza Bahadorani, Iraj Maani and Mahmoud Hashemi. The trio of climbers remain at home in Iran at that moment, where they are currently putting the final touches on their planning and logistics. They plan to depart for Pakistan during the second week of January.


After sorting out the issues with their climbing permit on K2, Denis Urubko and his team, which consists of Adam Bielecki and Alex Txikon, will now depart for China in the first week of January. Denis posted to his Facebook page that they will have 40 days to climb once they reach Base Camp. He feels confident that they are a strong enough team to accomplish the first ascent of K2 in the winter. They will be climbing along a new route on the North Face of the mountain, where they hope to get some protection and respite from the dangerous winds.

Finally, we head to Alaska for an update on Lonnie Dupre's efforts to climb Denali in January. He was flown out to the mountain last Thursday, and has skied into his first campsite, which he's using as a base of operations until the expedition officially gets underway on January 1. In the meantime, he has started to shuttle gear up to Camp 1, located at 7800 ft (2377 meters) as also acclimatizes to the cold and altitude. He has a lot of work to do for his solo expedition, but with more than a week to go until the arrival of the new year, Lonnie is in good shape so far. He even reports that a raven has joined him on his expedition, and has followed him on his journey over the past few days.

For more on Lonnie's efforts, check out the video below.

Winter Climbs 2014-2015: K2 Permit Issues Resolved, Three Teams Head to Nanga Parbat

With the winter climbing season now just a few days away from officially beginning, things are really starting to get interesting. It now appears that we will have a team on K2 after all, and no less than three squads are headed to Nanga Parbat. Meanwhile, in Alaska, the weather is still dictating the start of the action.

We'll start with an update on K2 today since things have started to improve there. Yesterday I posted the news that Denis Urubko, Adam Bilecki, and Alex Txikon had been denied their climbing permit by the Chinese, just as they were preparing to depart for the start of the climb. Reading Denis' Facebook page, it was clear that he was dismayed over the news, and looking for ways to continue with an expedition that has been planned for months. Fortunately today there is good news for the trio, as the Chinese officials have reissued the permit, although it does involve a two week delay in the start of the climb. This will allow the climbers to remain home for the holidays, and will only minimally alter their schedule. There is no word yet on when they will now depart for China. 

Meanwhile, there are three teams that will now be headed for Nanga Parbat, including a Russian squad that includes Nickolay Totmjanin, Valery Shamalo, Serguey Kondrashkin and Victor Koval which will depart for Pakistan on December 22, and an Iranian team consisting of Reza Bahadorani, Iraj Maani and Mahmoud Hashemi, who will start their climb in early January. 

Polish climber Tomak Mackiewicz is already in Pakistan, where he as been acclimatizing in the Rupal Valley. Mankiewicz has already knocked off a couple of 5000 meter (16,400 ft) peaks, and will be heading to Base Camp in time for Christmas. He'll be joined in BC by Elisabeth Revol and Daniele Nardi, who will bring a film crew along with them. While the trio will share space, Tomak hopes to climb solo to the summit of Nanga. 

There has been no news yet out of Lonnie Dupre, who is in Talkeetna, Alaska awaiting the start of his January expedition to Denali. Poor weather has delayed his flight out to the mountain, although he remains unconcerned at this point, as he doesn't intend to start the climb until January 1 anyway. For now, he sits and waits for things to improve so he begin his fourth attempt at the highest mountain in North America during the coldest, harshest, darkest season of all. 

Finally, lets not forget about Simone Moro. The Italian is also cooking something up for the winter, but he has yet to reveal his plans. We will probably learn more about what he has in store after the holidays as well. Knowing Simone, it should be something very interesting. 

The pieces are now falling into place for the start of the winter season. Things should really start to pick up beginning next week.  

Winter Climbs 2014-2015: Lonnie Dupre is in Alaska

As I write this, winter is now officially just six days away from starting. That means, a number of climbers are preparing to depart to the Karakoram and Himalaya to take on some big peaks during the coldest, most challenging season of all. But not every winter expedition is taking place in those two mountain ranges this year, as Lonnie Dupre has once again returned to Alaska, where he's now gearing up for the start of his latest attempt to climb Denali in January.

Lonnie updated his website over the weekend with a dispatch indicating that he had arrived in Talkeetna, with all of his gear for the expedition. He had hoped to fly out to the mountain today, so he could begin getting settled in Base Camp, but the weather forecasts indicate freezing rain throughout the area for the next several days. So, for now, he'll sit and wait for the skies to clear before he catches his flight out to the Alaskan wilderness.

This will be Dupre's fourth attempt to climb Denali in January. The mountain has seen 16 total summits in winter, with just three of those coming during the coldest month of them all. Of those 16 summits, 6 perished on the descent, which gives you a sense of how dangerous Denali can be during the winter season. Lonnie expects temperatures to fall below -60ºF/-51ºC, with winds howling at speeds in excess of 100 mph (160 km/h). Heavy snow, whiteout conditions, and avalanches are not uncommon either, with the weather being the number one cause of the failure of his previous attempts.

In the past, Lonnie has attempted to climb Denali with the use of tents. Instead, he would dig a series of snow caves up the mountain, which would become his home during the expedition. This time out, he'll be carrying a small tent with him as well, giving him the opportunity to use it as an emergency shelter should the need arise. As with all previous attempts on the mountain in January, he'll also wait until the start of the new year before launching the climb. Any extra time he has on the mountain before that will be spend organizing gear, scouting the route, and acclimatizing to both the weather and altitude.

At 6168 meters (20,237 ft), Denali – aka Mt. McKinley – is the tallest mountain in North America. It is a technically difficult peak to climb, with unpredictable weather all year round. Because it sits at an extreme latitude, the air pressure is higher on Denali as well, making it seem that the mountain is actually taller than it really is. It's 5486 meter (18,000 ft) prominence is greater than any other mountain on the planet as well.

Over the next few weeks, I'll be sharing updates on Lonnie's progress, and we'll be watching his expedition closely throughout the month of January. Hopefully this time luck will be on his side, and the weather will cooperate for once. That hasn't been the case on previous attempts, but the polar explorer/mountaineer seems optimistic that he can complete the expedition this time out. We'll soon find out if that is true.

Video: The Ridge

Shot in Denali National Park this past spring, this video gives us a dramatic look at a long, and treacherous, mountain ridge. The slow, meandering pace of the clip gives the mountains an almost sinister quality, as if it is daring viewers to just try to traverse its difficult route. But the images are also beautiful and inspiring, reminding us that the dangerous places of our planet are also worth the effort to explore. Sit back, and soak this one in. It says a lot, without saying anything at all.

THE RIDGE from Forge Motion Pictures on Vimeo.

Winter Mountaineering 2014: Lonnie Dupre to Return to Denali

Although we will be closely following the efforts of climbers on both K2 and Nanga Parbat this winter, not all of the major climbing expeditions will be taking place in the Himalaya. Polar explorer and mountaineer Lonnie Dupre will be heading back to Alaska in a few weeks, where he'll once again attempt a solo summit of Denali in January, something that has never been accomplished before.

This isn't the first time Lonnie has attempted this climb. In fact, for three straight years we followed his efforts, during which he often flirted with the summit, only to have his efforts thwarted by poor weather. He skipped an attempt this past January to concentrate on other efforts, but is now planning to return more focused than ever.

According to ExWeb, Dupre will begin the expedition on December 15, when he is expected to fly to the Kahiltna Glacier at the foot of Denali, where he'll prepare for the actual climb itself. As in the past, he won't launch any efforts to go up the mountain until at least January 1, the start of the coldest, windiest, and darkest month of the year in Alaska. Whether or not he'll be able to stick to that date remains to be seen. A weather window will need to open for Dupre that will grant him – and the bush pilot who flies him out to the glacier – access to the region.


And just what can Lonnie expect on Denali? Cold. Lots and lots of cold. Average temperatures in January are about -50ºF/-45ºC, with wind speeds often topping out at over 100 mph (160 km/h). On top of that, the mountain sees only about 6 hours of sunlight per day in January, making it a very inhospitable place.

As Lonnie is quick to point out on his website, just 16 climbers have ever summited Denali in winter, and of those, six died on the descent. Those successful summits are spread out over nine expeditions, four solo, five as a team. The mountain has only be climbed once in January, and that was by a team of three Russians. If successful, his would be the first solo-summit ever in January.

As in years past, Lonnie will approach the climb in a unique fashion. Just as if he were traveling in the Arctic, he'll pull a sled behind himself with all the gear he needs for the journey. He'll also dig a series of snow caves up the side of the mountain, stashing gear in those caves as he goes. This will not only help him acclimatize to the altitude, but will also build his camps for the eventual summit push. Those caves will serve as his shelter from the weather, keeping him out of the most inhospitable conditions. On one of his previous attempts on Denali, Dupre ended up spending nearly two weeks stranded in a snow cave as he waited out the bad weather.

At 6168 meters (20,237 ft), Denali – also known as Mt. McKinley – is the tallest peak in North America. It's extreme northerly latitude gives it some of the coldest, and most unpredictable weather, imaginable. That same latitude also creates higher air pressure, making the altitude seem higher than it actually is. These are all challenges that climbers on Denali face each season, but they are augmented even further during the winter, when the weather is even more extreme.

Good luck to Lonnie on this latest attempt at a summit attempt of Denali in January. We'll be following!