KAHILTNA GLACIER BASE CAMP, Alaska (May 21, 2012) — Crowning a vast glacier and surrounded by other peaks of impressive magnitude rises Mount McKinley, also known as Denali (a Koyukon Athabaskan word meaning “The High One”).
It stands as the tallest peak in North America and third highest in the world.
The mountain has a history of claiming the lives of unprepared climbers and offers some of the most treacherous terrain and harshest climates on the planet.
It’s exactly the kind of challenge a team of U.S. Army Alaska mountaineering experts is looking for.
Six members of the Army’s Northern Warfare Training Center cadre landed on the Kahiltna Glacier May 17 to begin a 14-to-20-day climb to the summit.
The NWTC trains Soldiers to fight and win in a variety of unforgiving environments. Its Black Rapids Training Center near Delta Junction, Alaska, offers courses in extreme cold weather operations and military mountaineering.
The NWTC team was shuttled in courtesy of two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crews from A Company, 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Brigade, 16th Combat Aviation Brigade.
Even though this is a mission the U.S. Army hasn’t attempted since before the events of 9-11, the climbers are no strangers to mountaineering.
The NWTC instructors specialize in maneuvering on treacherous terrain in arctic conditions and say they’re ready for anything the mountain has to throw at them.
The team consists of five active-duty Soldiers and one Army civilian, each fully equipped with a tailored packing list of sustainment supplies and climbing gear.
“We’ve made sure to plan for everything from weather to altitude sickness,” said Maj. Gary McDonald, commandant of the NWTC, based at Black Rapids Training Area, Alaska. “We’ll be moving in rope teams to help mitigate the danger from potentially falling into hidden crevasses and adhering to strict rest/movement plan.”
People typically experience altitude sickness at an elevation around 17,000 feet above ground level. Bodily functions begin to operate abnormally due to several factors, chiefly the lessened air pressure and reduced concentration of oxygen at the higher elevations, McDonald explained.
Some of the signs of altitude sickness can include altered mental states, a reduced ability to absorb nutrients, vertigo and decreased awareness along with a general feeling of being unwell, McDonald said.
With so many risk factors, this is no small mission for the members of NWTC.
They have planned meticulously for months to make everything happen safely and for some members of the team it is the opportunity of a life time.
“I’ve wanted to climb this thing for the last four years,” Sgt. Jacob Collins, an NWTC instructor said. “I attended the mountaineering course back in 2007 as a (private first class) and I sorta fell in love with it. Ever since then, this mountain has been on my to-do list.”
In addition to meeting the personal goals of some of the team members, the climb is providing the consummate professionals of NWTC the perfect opportunity to hone their skills as they deal with conditions and travel methods most amateur climbers wouldn’t consider.
“Most of our early movements at the lower elevations will be done at night,” Staff Sgt. Brian Bailey said. “Nighttime provides us more protection from the heat and solar radiation reflected off the snow and ice and it also hardens the soft spots, allowing us to cross over them with less risk of falling through and into a crevasse. There’ll also be less traffic from other climbers to deal with, as the other climbers tend to travel during the day.”
Mount McKinley currently has an estimated 200 additional climbers on it at various levels, according to Denali National Park Service officials.
