Hugh and I have convinced each other that we are up for a return to Mt Denali and a summit attempt in May/June of 2017.

Both of us have been to Denali on 2 previous occasions, and returned home with the summit just beyond our grasp. Denali is a tough ask, some rate it more difficult than Mt Everest and this is proven in the summit stats.  The long run average for successful summit attempts is 52%. (between 1903 – 2016) During the 2016 climbing season 676 climbers reached the summit of Mt Denali – 60% of those that made an attempt.

And so to next year.

We’ve started the logistical planning, but more importantly we have upped the anti on our  physical training programme as well. With the Mt Denali climb requiring approx. 30 days on the mountain pulling sleds and carrying backpacks as we progress slowly from the Kahiltna glacier to the summit, fitness is crucial.

Eventually we’ll also have to set a start date for  our climb. On both previous occasions  we’ve commenced our climb early in May, being one of the first groups to reach Basin Camp and take our turn on the Head Wall.   Each time, these early arrivals at 14,200 feet have coincided with bad weather that has eventually been the reason for our turn-around and return to Base Camp

For now though the big focus is developing and sticking to a training programme that will have us ready for the long haul up Mt Denali.

Follow Hugh andI over the next 6 months as we ramp up our training programmes.  There’s a lot of gym work ahead of us but we also have some exciting plans in the outdoors as well.