High on Denali! B^)
High on Denali! B^)
Original Post: 19 Jun, 08 - 15:46
Another scorching hot day at Camp 3 on Denali's West Buttress! B^)
Some of you might know this massif as Mount McKinley...and all of us (now) know that it is the highest peak in North America...and one of the 'Seven Summits' of our fine planet!
An entire website (www.secretspot7summits.com) has been built for your interest and edification. Check it out!
The apex of Denali is 20,320ft(6195m). I'm planning on standing at that altitude in the next 5 days or so...and I'll be waving to all of you from there. B^) Please don't forget to wave back! =^]
At this moment, I'm tap typing on the HP iPac at 14,200ft(4329m)...just below the Arctic Circle...and about 7000ft(2134m) vertical feet from where we started about a week ago. There is no way to do this place justice...even with the most detailed description. I'll attach an image, from here, to this dispatch...so you can at least get a feel for what we are experiencing.
View from Campo Sol at 14,200ft(4329m) with Mt. Foraker dominating!
I'm laying on a closed cell foam pad (provided by Crystal at Intuition Sports)...within the walls of our snow fortress...with nothing but my shorts on. A massive, friendly ball of energy (often referred to as 'The Sun') is passionately kissing my back...while also pumping solar power into the quiver of electronics I have with me. What a generous being she is. =^)
Chris and I have been...and will be...enjoying the full force of her good company for at least 12 hours daily...from about 10am to 10pm. The rest of the 'day' she hides behind the West Buttress of this massive mountain. Don't get me wrong...it is light here 24 hours a day...and will appear even more so as the summer solstice approaches. Que bueno! B^)
At 3pm, it's about 55F(13C), but it feels like 80F(27C)...or so my frying skin is telling me. There isn't a breath of wind...and huge billowing clouds are blanketing the rest of the world that I can see below 12000ft(3659m). It's awe inspiring! B^)
My red blood count is getting higher by the hour...in preparation for being more comfortable at the higher elevations I am about to climb towards. Pre-acclimatizing with Altitudetech.ca products didn't do me any harm...so I am feeling stellar. =^)
Speaking of higher altitudes, Alex and Dawa are resting at High Camp (17000ft/5183m)...after yesterday's grueling ascent. Alex is in a bit of a rush to get to the top...and was paying for it this morning...in the form of a wicked headache and vomiting. Even Dawa was tired!
I'm communicating with them via Iridium satellite phone...thanx to the efforts of the good people at the SatellitePhoneStore.com...and I'll be sending this dispatch out via the same phone, but coupled with an HP iPac with Contact 3 software. Tom at ExplorersWeb.com was good enough to help me get the iPac all set up...and I thank him for it!
I talked to Alex about three hours ago... and he said that he is feeling much better...and looking forward to doing a summit push in the next day or two. Alex is a strong little sucker...and he's got Super Sherpa Ang Dawa with him...so they will be clawing there way upwards with slight smiles on their faces...I am sure.
I'm going to move up to High Camp (17000ft/5183m) in the next 48hrs...so I'll either be summiting with Alex and Dawa...or just Dawa. The forecast looks very solid for the next week...so we must all have done something right in our past live(s)!?
I know I'm making this all sound like a walk in the park, but rest assured- it is not.
As my new Spanish friend, Xavier, noted...as I helped him skid his sled down Motorcycle Hill...
"Es muy duro!"(It's very hard!)
I'm going to attempt to get one or two more dispatches out today...that will include more images.
Please stay tuned to SecretSpot.TV!
Until Soon
Phill =^)
PHILL MICHAEL | Expedition Leader and Summit Climber
Everest Freestyle Expedition/Secret Spot Seven Summits
SecretSpot.NET
SecretSpot7Summits.com
SecretSpotEverest.com
Blog.SecretSpotEverest.com
Original Post: 19 Jun, 08 - 15:46
Another scorching hot day at Camp 3 on Denali's West Buttress! B^)
Some of you might know this massif as Mount McKinley...and all of us (now) know that it is the highest peak in North America...and one of the 'Seven Summits' of our fine planet!
An entire website (www.secretspot7summits.com) has been built for your interest and edification. Check it out!
The apex of Denali is 20,320ft(6195m). I'm planning on standing at that altitude in the next 5 days or so...and I'll be waving to all of you from there. B^) Please don't forget to wave back! =^]
At this moment, I'm tap typing on the HP iPac at 14,200ft(4329m)...just below the Arctic Circle...and about 7000ft(2134m) vertical feet from where we started about a week ago. There is no way to do this place justice...even with the most detailed description. I'll attach an image, from here, to this dispatch...so you can at least get a feel for what we are experiencing.
)
View from Campo Sol at 14,200ft(4329m) with Mt. Foraker dominating!
I'm laying on a closed cell foam pad (provided by Crystal at Intuition Sports)...within the walls of our snow fortress...with nothing but my shorts on. A massive, friendly ball of energy (often referred to as 'The Sun') is passionately kissing my back...while also pumping solar power into the quiver of electronics I have with me. What a generous being she is. =^)
Chris and I have been...and will be...enjoying the full force of her good company for at least 12 hours daily...from about 10am to 10pm. The rest of the 'day' she hides behind the West Buttress of this massive mountain. Don't get me wrong...it is light here 24 hours a day...and will appear even more so as the summer solstice approaches. Que bueno! B^)
At 3pm, it's about 55F(13C), but it feels like 80F(27C)...or so my frying skin is telling me. There isn't a breath of wind...and huge billowing clouds are blanketing the rest of the world that I can see below 12000ft(3659m). It's awe inspiring! B^)
My red blood count is getting higher by the hour...in preparation for being more comfortable at the higher elevations I am about to climb towards. Pre-acclimatizing with Altitudetech.ca products didn't do me any harm...so I am feeling stellar. =^)
Speaking of higher altitudes, Alex and Dawa are resting at High Camp (17000ft/5183m)...after yesterday's grueling ascent. Alex is in a bit of a rush to get to the top...and was paying for it this morning...in the form of a wicked headache and vomiting. Even Dawa was tired!
I'm communicating with them via Iridium satellite phone...thanx to the efforts of the good people at the SatellitePhoneStore.com...and I'll be sending this dispatch out via the same phone, but coupled with an HP iPac with Contact 3 software. Tom at ExplorersWeb.com was good enough to help me get the iPac all set up...and I thank him for it!
I talked to Alex about three hours ago... and he said that he is feeling much better...and looking forward to doing a summit push in the next day or two. Alex is a strong little sucker...and he's got Super Sherpa Ang Dawa with him...so they will be clawing there way upwards with slight smiles on their faces...I am sure.
I'm going to move up to High Camp (17000ft/5183m) in the next 48hrs...so I'll either be summiting with Alex and Dawa...or just Dawa. The forecast looks very solid for the next week...so we must all have done something right in our past live(s)!?
I know I'm making this all sound like a walk in the park, but rest assured- it is not.
As my new Spanish friend, Xavier, noted...as I helped him skid his sled down Motorcycle Hill...
"Es muy duro!"(It's very hard!)
I'm going to attempt to get one or two more dispatches out today...that will include more images.
Please stay tuned to SecretSpot.TV!
Until Soon
Phill =^)
PHILL MICHAEL | Expedition Leader and Summit Climber
Everest Freestyle Expedition/Secret Spot Seven Summits
SecretSpot.NET
SecretSpot7Summits.com
SecretSpotEverest.com
Blog.SecretSpotEverest.com
Posted by Phill Michael at 6/19/2008 5:08 PM 
Categories: Secret Spot Seven Summits, Everest Freestyle Expedition, secretspot7summits.com, Phill Michael, Audio Dispatch, Alaska, Denali, Mount McKinley, Intuition, Denali Freestyle Expedition, SatellitePhoneStore.com
Tags: Secret Spot Seven Summits Everest Freestyle Expedition Mount McKinley Phill Michael Audio Dispatch Alaska Denali secretspot7summits.com Intuition Denali Freestyle Expedition SatellitePhoneStore.com
Categories: Secret Spot Seven Summits, Everest Freestyle Expedition, secretspot7summits.com, Phill Michael, Audio Dispatch, Alaska, Denali, Mount McKinley, Intuition, Denali Freestyle Expedition, SatellitePhoneStore.com
Tags: Secret Spot Seven Summits Everest Freestyle Expedition Mount McKinley Phill Michael Audio Dispatch Alaska Denali secretspot7summits.com Intuition Denali Freestyle Expedition SatellitePhoneStore.com
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