What a day! A tough one for sure. We have arrived at Camp 3, at 14,200ft. The hike today was the move to Camp 3, so we pulled sleds as well- well most people did but not all. The 4th (last) man does not haul a sled, but he/me carries more weight on their back. We need the sleds up at Camp 3 to bring all the stuff down on our descent. The role of the last person (me in our team) is to control the sled of the person in front.
So it was a tougher day, more challenging than our first trip. Regardless of our attempts to split the weight, the 2nd trip is always heavier!. Managing the sleds up Motorcycle and Squirrel hill was tough, managing around Windy corner was challenging. A steep fall on the right meant a sliding sled could off-balance the sled puller. My role was to maintain a taut rope to prevent a slide. We got through it like experts. Once again the heat after rounding Windy corner was incredible. Base layers only. The new base layer is going downhill fast. We passed the cache and had a long haul in soft snow and heat to Camp 3. A 30 minute break, and then we set about making camp. A sudden wind and snow storm blew up as we did, nearly causing us to lose a tent. A couple of hours work and we were done – 4 tents, the cook tent, and the latrine.
Dehydration, the increase in altitude, as well as the 6 hour hike means a tired team tonight. But we’re at 14,200ft, with incredible views of Mt Hunter, Mt Foraker – it is always there, and seems bigger as we climb higher – the west rib of Denali, the Messner Couloir, and the route to 17,000 camp. What a privilege to be able to stare upon such beauty.
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