Denali 2019

142 days to Day 1 (1st attempt) In Vancouver General Hospital, 7th floor, trauma unit.

143 days to Day 1

145 days to Day 1 (1st attempt) Two of us made First Recorded Ascent (FRA) of Spindle Peak via Spindle Couloir. We wanted to climb (and downlcimb) something similar (or harder) to the headwall on the Denali West Buttress, which is ~250 meters high. Spindle Couloir is 580 meters, steeper and without fixed ropes - was ideal: it supports our motto - if training is not twice as hard of the real climb, it is not a training. Lessons : 1) always check ultimate backup 2) sattelite phones can't dial 911 The bad dream Many, many years ago, I saw a weird dream, which ever since had kept arbitrary popping-up in my mind: an unidentified person, who looks very familiar to me, is starting uncontrolled slow slide down a steep ice chute, then quickly accelerates under gravity and disappears out of sight, probably to her death. It is quiet from the beginning to the very end. Like in those black-and-white silent movies. No screams. And then I am still there, on that edge, alone, tr

146 days to Day 1 (1st attempt) Set up our brand new expedition tent. Practiced climbing and descending fixed lines. Practicing tricky overcoming moat like this will prove very useful tomorrow on Spindle. Same, but with huge exposure and consequences. Since then, we have replaced our Ropemans with Jumars. Our technique has bettered too.