Denali Team 1: May 1 – May 21 Dispatch #1

Denali Team 1: May 1 – 21
Guides: Kurt Hicks, Dan Otter, Aili Farquhar
Climbers: Izabela Smolokowska (Warsaw, Poland), James Haydock (Dublin, Ireland), Ardeshir Yaftebbi, Iwan Irawan, Fajri Al Luthfi, Martin Rimbawan, Popo Fajar Sidik, and Nurhuda (all from Indonesia).
Kurt called with a dispatch at 10:35am Pacific Time:
“Hey guys!  The snow is quickly melting in Talkeetna, however it is still a sleepy little Alaskan town.  It has yet to fully awaken for the Alaska season, but it will soon be bombarded by climbers and tourists alike.  Currently we are driving down to Anchorage to make some last minute food purchases.  Dan Otter and I have spent the past three days packing food and prepping equipment for the upcoming Denali training and climb.  We will meet our colleague, Aili, at the airport tonight, and get her up to speed.  We are really excited to meet some of the climbers tonight, and to get this expedition underway!
As I look out the window I can see the sun poking out of the clouds, so the weather will hopefully hold and is looking promising for flying onto the glacier tomorrow.  We will definitely call you in the morning and let you know how it goes.  For now, I will enjoy my last night in a bed for quite some time.  We can’t wait to get onto the glacier and start working our way up this magnificent mountain!”