Standing over 20,000 feet high, North America’s tallest peak — Denali — draws climbers from all over the world. This spring, Andy Paul, Joe Bailey and Kelly Soohoo are teaming up for an ambitious, early season attempt of Denali. The climb will begin deep in the heart of the Alaska Mountain Range on the Kahiltna Glacier; a trip that will take a little under 3 weeks.
Andy, Joe and Kelly are taking on this demanding ascent to raise awareness about access to public lands for urban youth, and to support Outdoor Outreach programs that connect youth to the transformative power of the outdoors. Specifically, they are hoping to raise $5,000 to support Outdoor Outreach’s impactful outdoor programming for San Diego youth, most of whom never had the chance to explore even the parks, trails and beaches that surround their communities.
The Climb
Denali is a mountain of extreme conditions where a climber may encounter 100-mph winds and -40°F temperatures. Alternately, some days are quite hot with sunshine lasting up to 20 hours. These low temperatures and sporadic high winds greatly increase the rigors of the climb. Snowstorms are known to last a week at a time. The unpredictable weather coupled with the high altitude requires not only technical snow and cold weather skills, but also endurance and fortitude.
Andy, Paul, and Joe will start their climb of Denali’s West Buttress from the S.E. Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier. There will be a base camp and five higher camps established on the mountain. When necessary, the team will make double carries between all camps, except high camp, to ensure proper acclimatization and reduce loads. The trio will build snow walls at each camp for protection from possible high winds. The climb will take approximately 17-18 days round trip, but they have added an additional four days to allow for inclement weather, acclimatization, and optional summit attempts. The ascent will require intermediate mountaineering skills and is physically and mentally demanding.
Meet the Climbers
Andy has spent the last 4 years as a Field Instructor with the National Outdoor Leadership School instructing expeditions mainly in Alaska and Wyoming’s Wind River Range. Andy started mountaineering in the alpine granite of California’s Eastern Sierra. He has climbed Mt. Rainier, Cotopaxi in Ecuador, Mt. Aspiring in New Zealand, and 5,000 meter peaks in Nepal. In addition to his work and personal enjoyment in the outdoor recreation field, Andy has shared his passion of the outdoors with Outdoor Outreach participants as a volunteer.
Kelly is an ultra marathoner and mountaineer. He has completed a triathlon, four marathons, two 50-mile ultra-marathons, four 100-mile ultra-marathons, and the 2015 Boston Marathon. Just last year, Kelly shifted his focus to rock climbing and mountaineering, and completed a 24-day mountaineering course in the Andes of Argentina. He also summited Aconcagua, the highest peak outside of Asia.
Joe is a mountain guide and trip leader across many disciplines. After becoming a successful rock climbing guide within the UK in 2008, Joe set his sights on traveling through Africa to develop new rock climbing areas, and set out to climb some of its biggest mountains including Mt. Toubkal, the highest peak in North Africa and the more technical challenge of Mt. Kenya. Joe’s list of climbing achievements include climbing Mt. Blanc (France), Mt Kinabalu (Malaysia), Mt Shams (Oman) and Ladakhi Peak (Ladakh N.India).
We are so excited to see Andy, Kelly and Joe’s progress as they take on the Denali! With -40°F weather and snow in the forecast, this team faces a lot of uncertainty. But, summit or not, they are making a great impact for the youth Outdoor Outreach serves.
Interested in supporting their goals? Donate today. Don’t forget to follow their Facebook Page for updates on their trip!