Denali West Buttress
Camp 2, 11,200′
The 3,200-foot climb to Camp 2 takes the team from the broad valley glacier up into an enclosed cirque below a gentle icefall. Here, we begin to experience a high-mountain environment, as we continue to form into a high-functioning team and build the “flow” that we will need higher on the mountain.
Quick Stats: Distance = 2.75 miles, Elevation Gain = 3,200 feet. Time: approximate time from Camp 2 to Camp 3 = 7-8 hours.
The West Buttress route starts to take on a very different feel as Camp 2 is reached. Climbers move out of the low angled valley glacier and onto the mountain’s slopes for the first time. Steep granite ridges and faces start to close in around climbers and the view begins to get better and better as more elevation is gained.
Camp 2 sits just at the base of Motorcycle Hill in a small glacial base below ice slopes and some very large seracs. The corridor between Camp 1 and Camp 2 near Kahiltna Pass is very prone to foul weather and it is not uncommon for climbers to pass through clouds and snow, only to emerge from the top of the clouds to blue skies as they near Camp 2.
