Vent: Why does everyone think Denali is a 'beginner' climb?

I keep hearing people in this sub call Denali a great first big mountain climb, but I just helped a guy last summer who flew up from Texas and was in over his head by day 2. He didn't bring proper gear for the weather changes and his fitness was way off for the altitude. Has anyone else dealt with encouraging newbies to prep better before tackling a serious summit?

3 comments

3 Comments

reese862d ago

I've heard that "Denali is a great first big mountain" thing too and honestly it makes me laugh considering my first "big mountain" was a hill in Vermont that had a chairlift. I once showed up for a Denali prep climb with gear I borrowed from a friend who was 4 inches shorter than me, spent the whole trip looking like I was wearing capri pants in a snowstorm. That Texas guy you helped probably thought he could just wing it like I did, but altitude sickness doesn't care about your can-do attitude.

kevin_schmidt972d ago

Nah, I kinda disagree - some people just learn better by jumping in the deep end.

the_wesley2d ago

That whole Texas guy situation you described reminds me of a guy I ran into on the mountain a couple years back. He showed up with a brand new 60 liter pack and a pair of hiking boots from the mall, no idea what he was in for. I mean, it's not just the weather or the altitude, it's the sheer length of the haul on the Kahiltna Glacier that gets people. I had to help him dig a proper snow trench on our first night because his tent stakes wouldn't hold in the wind, and by day three he was talking about calling for a flight out. It's rough to see people show up that unprepared, especially when there's so much info out there if they just looked for it. I feel for that Texas guy though, it's easy to underestimate something if you've never been around real cold before.