Patience, Patience, Patience.

View of High Camp, 17,200 feet

Patience is the name of the game right now on Mount McKinley. We are still at 17,200 feet, waiting for the weather to clear. The weather report says winds may die down late Friday, which would make Saturday the earliest summit window. With overnight temperatures as low as -30 degrees F, our morale is beginning to wane. We are trying to stay positive but it is a struggle. At 17,200 feet, you can feel your body get slowly weaker. Your body starts to use any fat you have in search of energy, especially in this low oxygen environment.

View to the summit

On a brighter note, being at high camp puts us within view of the summit. It seems so close, only 3,000 vertical feet above us. The years of training and weeks of pushing through difficult conditions finally has an end and a reward in sight. With anticipation and respect for the mountain, we wait for the mountain to grant us safe passage to the summit.