 1 Mt McKinley, Alaska + trecking/climbing gear
 2 Mt Elbrus - considered highest in Europe

\1 Mt McKinley, Alaska + trecking/climbing gear

McKinley was named after the American president - highest of North America, 6194 m. situated near the Arctic circle. Denali is the original native name for this giant, meaning: 'The High One' Denali's South Summit was first climbed by Hudson Stuck, Harry Karstens, Walter Harper and Robert Tatum on June 7, 1913 The first ascent of the West Buttress route was made in 1951, by the party of Dr Bradford Washburn, well known for his excellent photographs of the Alaska Mountains The first winter ascent was made by Dave Johnston, Ray Genet & Art Davidson; the title of their book says it all: 'Minus 148?'. Read this before you even mention the words Winter and Denali in one sentence… Denali's most used route is the West Buttress route (80% of all climbs), which has seen more than 20,000 climbers Roughly 50% of the climbers have reached the summit Until 1997, about 400 accidents were reported on the West Buttress route, which claimed the lives of 34 climbers, mostly while descending. Routes The most used route is the West Buttress route; I will post other route info later

Difficulty: the route is graded II, which is moderately difficult; however the high altitude, cold weather and other harsh conditions are more important than the technical grading. Previous mountaineering experience is essential: Winter camping, glacier travel and high altitude skills are needed and Denali is not the place to acquire these. Alaska is the biggest state of the USA and shares its borders with Canada and Russia. The main city is Anchorage, with about a quarter of a million residents. You can get there by plane, boat or via land. Plane is of course the fastest and easiest way to get to Alaska. There are few if any direct flights from abroad, so it is needed to fly to one of the big cities in the west first: Seattle, Vancouver, Los Angeles and San Francisco are major hubs. Expect to pay from $100 up for a one way ticket from Seattle. There are ferries leaving from Prince Rupert, Canada and Bellingham, Washington, but they only go as far as Haines, Alaska because of the dangers of the open sea near Anchorage. From Haines you can continue by car, it's about another 1200 km/ 750 miles. It is beautiful, but expensive (Car + passenger about $750 one way, Passenger only about $250 one way). But even with these steep prices, reservation is needed! Call Alaska Marine Highway: 0800-642-0066 One of the most interesting ways to get to Alaska is travel the famous Alaska Highway or Al-Can highway, about 4000km or 2500 miles from Seattle. Although called a highway it will not be you average line of smooth road… Bring extra tires!

How to get to Talkeetna? From Anchorage you can take the train, bus, shuttle, car or plane to Talkeetna, the base for all Denali climbs. The train is nice but rather expensive, about $80 one way; the same price for a return by a shuttle bus.

Denali Overland Transport PO Box 330 Talkeetna AK 99676 (907)733-2384 E-mail: denaliak@alaska.net

Talkeetna Shuttle Service PO Box 468 Talkeetna AK 99676 (888)288-6008 E-mail: tshuttle@alaska.net

How to get to Denali? This is the most fun part; as most people don't have the time to travel through the woods and over the lower glacier they rent a plane and are being dropped off at Base camp! This is an exhilarating trip of about 35 minutes, an adventure in itself!

There are several air taxi's who have little price difference; so you better go for quality; we highly recommend Talkeetna Air Taxi who own a bunk house (included) to wait out the bad days in Talkeetna and a shop where you can rent or buy your last minute supplies and gear. More value is added by the excellent and up to date advice from the staff. They specialize in glacier landings and air transportation to various peaks in the Alaska Range for climbing expeditions as well as scenic flights of Mt. McKinley and a variety of air charters. They were founded in 1947 by the legendary Don Sheldon, world renown bush pilot and pioneer of glacier landings around Mt. McKinley. Contact Paul Roderick Owner/Climber of TAT by email: flytat@alaska.net or check out their website: http://www.talkeetnaair.com Where to Stay? Anchorage: In Anchorage there are several hotels and B&B's, depending on the size of your wallet; we checked out the International Backpackers Hostel,which is about $15 pppn (but the taxi might cost $20), but both the caretaker and the other guests (no climbers) were completely bonkers and we didn't feel safe enough to leave our gear out of sight! It is also away from the city center. There is also a youth hostel downtown, but we haven't visited that one yet. Any comments from other climbers are welcome!

A much better place to go is the Earth Bed and Breakfast: The B&B is run by Margriet & Bill and it is a great home for climbers, both before and after the climb. There is a spacious garden where you can organise your stuff before the trip and there is a nice livingroom and breakfast (included) table where you can relax and exchange stories afterwards. It is just a few minutes of walking to the heart of Anchorage; Margriet speaks Spanish, Dutch, German, Italian, French and English fluently! Don't forget to ask Bill (who is a professional guide and can organise really cool trips for you!) about this crazy Iditasport race, many hundreds of miles through Alaska, in the winter, on a mountain bike! It costs about $35 pppn, including breakfast and shower/bath, depending on the season and room; For more info call Margriet van Laake: 1001 W. 12th Avenue Anchorage, Alaska 99501; Phone 1-907-279-9907 Fax 1-907-279-9862 Email: earthtrs@alaska.net or check out their site! Talkeetna: Use the bunkhouse of the Talkeetna Air Taxi (free of charge when you book their airtaxi) or just camp outside their buildings for free Denali: Hey, what are you coming for!

TRECKING Gear

This is a technical mountain, so make sure to bring gear. Make sure to check the official Denali National park and Preserve site as well! Needed gear is:

Stiff mountaineering boots (double plastic, leather shoes will make your toes freeze off) Over boots (super gators won't do) Good crampons, including tools and spare parts for them. Snowshoes or Ski's needed for the lower parts of the mountain. Don't travel without them! A comfortable climbing harness At least two stoves per party, including the gear to clean them! At least one jumar; this will help you on the steep parts and secure you as well. A figure 8 for rappelling if needed At least one short and one long prussik rope A schlinge A headlamp and spare batteries Karabiners Ropes! Not just for yourself, while traveling, but also to use for your sleds, to pin down your tent, glacier rescue etc. A pickel/long ice axe and the knowledge to use it Gore-Tex or similar Jacket and pants. A hat to protect you from the sun Fleece sweater and down vest. Thermal underwear Glacier glasses with nose protection, preferably 2. A complete glove system: a few pairs of mittens a Gore-Tex over-mittens. Bring extra pairs of mittens so you can change if one pair becomes wet.
 Advisable is: Aspirin: you will encounter some headaches; forget the diamox, this is not advisable as it may get you killed if it takes away the symptoms of altitude disease The rest of the mountain medical kit Loads of film and a few camera's! You may consider bringing a video camera as this will be an unbelievable trip! Sleds to carry your food and gear up the (lower parts of the) mountain. These will be supplied by the air taxis.

Tips
 Don't forget to check out the Denali National park and Preserve site for the official guidelines and registration form! Time to climb and seasons: You can climb Denali from the end of April to the end of July, each bringing it's own advantages: In May it will be much colder with less daylight, but as a result there will be better snow bridges over the crevasses and better opportunities to land an air taxi on the glacier. In June/July it will never be dark, will be warmer, but also the crevasses will be more dangerous. Going really late in the season will probably mean that you won't be able to get picked up again as the planes won't be able to land on the exposed glaciers; this means a 10 day walk through the forest! Language: If you understand this sentence, you won't have a problem, although on Denali you will many other tongues as well. Money: US $ (as on the other 6 summits…) Visa & permits: None required for entering the USA as a tourist; you will need a permit to climb Denali, which should be applied for 60 days in advance: the following is taken from the official registration form: '1.A 60 day preregistration period is required for climbing on Mount McKinley and Mount Foraker. This registration form is due at the Talkeetna Ranger Station 60 days prior to your climb date. The leader of your expedition is responsible for compiling the registration forms and deposits for all expedition members and submitting them in one packet to the Talkeetna Ranger Station. 2. A Mountaineering Special Use Fee of one hundred and fifty dollars ($150.00 US currency) will be charged to each expedition member attempting Mount McKinley or Mount Foraker. 3. Registered climbers are required to check in and out at the Talkeetna Ranger Station. This includes expeditions originating on the north side of the Alaska Range. Expeditions should allow two hours for the check in process at the Talkeetna Ranger Station. Expedition members will be required to provide a pictured piece of identification. Your expedition may check in and out during our regular hours of operation: 8:00am - 6:00pm, seven days a week. It is best to arrange for an appointment prior to your arrival. 4. Expeditions are permitted to add or substitute one new member to their expedition. This new member must pay the $25.00 deposit and be registered 30 days prior to the start date of the expedition. 5. If you plan to use a guide service, make certain that the service is authorized by Denali National Park and Preserve. Illegal guiding is prohibited and your climb could be canceled at any time. 6. Read the National Park Service publication, Mountaineering - Denali National Park and Preserve, which covers search and rescue requirements, clean climbing requirements, high altitude medical problems, glacier hazards and self-sufficiency. You should have a solid understanding of the potentially serious medical problems and the extreme mental and physical stresses associated with high altitude mountaineering.

Note: on the form are no email addresses, but I sent my application to DENA_Talkeetna_Office@nps.gov and it worked out fine.

Food and drinks: Salmon is what the bears eat, and so can you! Beware: you cannot bring Freeze-dried meat into the country! Only commercially canned meat and meatless freeze-dried food can be brought in! Vaccinations: One good thing about climbing is a western country is that no needles are needed in your behind. Politics and other hazards: Although some people are still paranoid about the Russian border being close, this is probably one of the safest areas in the world. There are some native groups protesting against the taking and abusing of their land (oil), but nothing violent\

\2 Mt Elbrus - considered highest in Europe

Summit of Europe, 5642m above sea level.

No, the Mont Blanc is not the highest mountain in Europe! In fact it is not even in the top5 as there are many higher mountains in the beautiful but war-torn Caucasus. Enjoy the enormous snow slopes and celebrate with cheap Vodka!

Fact & Figures Elbrus has two summits, the west summit is the highest: 5642m, the east summit is just a bit lower: 5621m The local (Balkar) name: 'Mingi-Tau' means: 'Resembling a thousand mountains', because Elbrus is so big... First ascent of east summit (5621m): 1868 First ascent of west summit (5642m): 1874 In 1967 the Soviet party organized a mass climbing and about 2500 people participated; although most of them had never seen a mountain up close before... There is a cable car running: it starts at 2200m in Azau, the first stop is Stary Krugozor, 2900m; the second stop is Mir station, 3500m. From mir a chairlift can take you to 3750m. At the end of this chairlift are 'the Barrels' and that's just what they are: old huge barrels, in each of which 4 people can sleep.

Routes The normal route is along the cable cars, past the barrels up the Garabashi glacier. Just follow the big poles up the snowboarding area. After about an hour and a half you will see the remains of the Pruitt 11, the old hut that burnt down in August 1998. The remains are found on a ridge leading up; the best camping spots are on the ridge, parallel to it, about 300m to the right. If you look up to the east summit (which is closest) you will see some rocks halfway, these are the Pastukhov rocks, 4800m. Is it a good idea to make an acclimatization walk to these rocks the one or two days before the summit attempt. Below the rocks the route will get steeper and crampons are advised, certainly in the summit night when all the snow is frozen solid. From Pastukhov rocks the route bends slightly to the left until it traverses to the saddle between the two summits. You will pass the remains of an old hut on the saddle and will traverse the west summit to the north. After a few rocks, make a left turn and go up to the steep part leading up to the summit plateau. Go straight to the little hill in front of you, this is the highest of the three sub peaks of the west summit and is marked with an iron triangular shaped sign with a machine gun and a pickel (?!?)

Stories Soon I will post my stories here about: leaving for Moscow 5 days after we entered our new house in Amsterdam (yes we did find our gear in all the boxes!) Meeting our climbing partner Niall, whom we had never seen before... The hotel in Moscow with 3000+ rooms and the caring of the Russian women The trip to the Baksan valley which probably was more lethal than the mountains itself The daytrip up Cheget mountain and the two day-hike up the Azau valley The climbing of Elbrus: broken cable cars, Russian climbers, Snowboard chicks in bikini, sudden storms, a great summit night and the call from the summit.

How to get there? The easiest way to get to Elbrus is by air and bus: fly from Moscow to Mineralnye Vody (MRV) with Mineralnye Vody airlines or Vnukovo airlines (return trip about $100, if you let a Russian travel agent book it, else it might be doubled). There are also direct flights from Munich to MRV, but it is much cheaper to fly via Moscow and it gives you the chance to see this great city as well! From MRV take a bus to Terskol, twice a day, although not recommended because of the long trip and the overcrowded bus. It is better to arrange a private shuttle with your travel agent (about $50); that will take you and your luggage reasonably safe to the valley in about 4 hours. In the Valley you can walk from Terskol or Cheget in about 30 minutes to Azau, where the cable cars starts.

Where to Stay? Moscow: we recommend hotel Rossia /Russia; it is one of the biggest hotels in the world (3000+ rooms), but it's not too pricey , about $60 for a double room including a good breakfast buffet. It's situated next to the Kremlin on the red Square side, so the location is perfect. Baksan Valley: try the cheap Sporthotel in Cheget: although half is still not finished the other half is all right. The food is good and cheap and so is the Vodka. It is situated on the foot of Cheget mountain which is an excellent place for a day hike up the ski slopes. Don't forget to visit the "Deep Purple Bar' in the basement and have an Elbrus beer!

Azau: the best place is Anatoli's place at the bottom Cable station: two good meals a day and 3-6person rooms for about $5 pppn.!

On Elbrus: You can camp near Mir Station (3500m), the cable car is running until about 15.00. You can sleep in the Barrels at 3800m, but these are filled with Russian snowboarders and mountaineers most of the time, so don't forget your tent!

There are many good spots between Mir and the Barrels, as well as higher up the mountain; the best site for a basecamp is the right one of the two rocky ridges going up from about 4100-4200m.

You can camp at Pastukhov rocks as well, but it will be hard to find a flat area and it is very exposed.

Gear: This is a non-technical but cold and high mountain, so make sure to bring gear. Needed gear is: Stiff mountaineering boots (double plastic, or at least crampon proof) A headlamp and spare batteries A pickel/long ice axe if you are comfortable with it; it is not really needed as the route is nowhere stepper than 35 degrees, but I found it safe on the descent of the mountain. A 4-season tent that can stand strong winds! Gore-tex or similar Jacket and pants. You will meet quite some clouds, wind and maybe snow on the way up! Fleece sweater and/or down vest. Thermal underwear Glacier glasses! Without them you will be blinded within a day; you will wear them even inside your tent! Gloves: it will get cold on summit night and in the mornings on the mountain as well. A mittens system -thick fleece mittens with Gore-Tex over mittens- are advised. Gaiters

Advisable is: Aspirin: you will encounter some headaches; forget the diamox, this is not advisable as it may get you killed if it takes away the symptoms of altitude disease. Lots of film and a camera! Get acclimatized well before you summit and you will notice the brilliant views over the Caucasus!

Tips: Time to climb and seasons: The mountains will be really cold in the fall, winter, and spring. So climb in the 'warm' months of summer: Jun-Sep.

Language: some people will speak a few words of English, but most will speak Russian only, so bring a Russian guide. In Moscow many people speak English, but only in the center of the city.

Money: Rubles, Check the bank or the web for the latest currency values. Be sure to exchange enough $$$ in Moscow as local money will be a problem in the Baksan valley

Visa: most foreigners need a visa to enter. Get an invite from a Russian travel agent or hotel and you will be able to buy one at your local consulate. There are many hotels that offer this service (faxing an invitation) for about $50; when you arrive you will have to check in your passport/visa, which will be validated the next day.

Food and drinks: This is the land of Vodka! Bit also here is an abundance of Pepsi and Coca cola and Fanta; the water is mostly very clean and tastes good; there are several mineral springs in the valley. The food is simple but nice, lots of cabbage, soups and meat; also some salads can be available. Vaccinations: Not necessary

Politics and other hazards: of course the reason that the Caucasus appeared on the world map is because of the endless war in Chechnya, which is only about 200km away, but there are a lot of high mountains in between, so little of the war is noticeable in the Valley. There are no strong separatist forces in the Elbrus region, although there is a 'weight control' post on the way to MRV where they don't check your weight!