Denali 2019

Packing last items: our sleeping bags. You want to keep them without pressure, in storage, as long as possible. These are brand new -29°C Marmot Col 800+ fill goose down, thanks to 2018' Alaska car-braking when our older bulky bags were stolen. The new sleeping bags are THE heat-machines - so thick (yet super soft) that require 20L compressions bags, or they won't fit in backpack.

Our sleeping mats, although very warm, are very slippery. So they tend to move inside tent. To avoid that, make loops on inside and connect mats together when in tent. Use fabric cloth and glue from provided repair kit. For even stronger stability, make two more attachment loops on the tent's floor.

One week to departure.

50 days to Departure Four-season tent has 26 attachment points, for a reason. .

128 days to Day 1 Camped two nights at Dinkey Peak . We wanted to check our tent under heavy static stress and we got lucky. It was pretty big (for local standards) dump of wet snow overnight and our expedition tent passed the test. Had to get out at night and check the structure - the tent stood, with thick layer of wet snow on top and sides. Lesson leaned : watch tent poles. If accidentally dropped, they can travel over and then under the snow quite a distance. Although I knew this, I still managed to drop one and it was gone down the steep slope in less than one second. It was already dark, so we pitched the tent without it. Next morning, Vera spotted it sticking out 10 meters below us. So I lowered her on belay and she retrieved it: after being airbiorn like an bow arrow, it pierced hard layer of crust and stopped, only 20cm of it still sticking out. One pole is gone...and odds of finding it next morning being <1%. Vera's attitude in such situations (not first time!...

96 days to Day 1 (1st attempt) Easter 2018. Inspecting our boots. Looking good. Interesting fact - doctors at hospital saved these boots - they didn't cut them off, probably cause the lacing was already loose - I took them off Vera's feet that night in Spindle Coulour to place toe warmers, then put them back on, without lacing.

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.