Mt. Baker in the moonlight during an early season Denali Prep course. Alasdair Turner.

Denali is home to some of the most severe conditions on the planet, and climbers looking to have a safe and successful climb on the mountain need to do an excellent job of preparing both mentally and physically for this undertaking. The American Alpine Institute has over twenty-five years of guiding experience on Denali, and we have used that experience to tailor a program in the Cascades that will prepare you for the physical and mental challenges of climbing North America's highest peak.

Guide Erik Johnson leads a group up Motorcycle Hill on Denali's West Buttress. Photo: Matthew Anderson.

This winter mountaineering and Denali preparation program is geared for folks with a basic to intermediate level of mountaineering skill and experience (see prerequisites on left sidebar) who are looking to prepare for and climb Denali in the coming year. This program is set-up to be a mini-Denali expedition on which we will employ and use every skill and technique that climbers would expect to use on Denali. This will include the use of sleds, snowshoes, cook tents, and the use of fixed lines in addition to a review of glacier travel and rope team techniques.

This program is led by at least one (depending on the number of climbers) of AAI's lead Denali guides, and participants will have the unique opportunity of getting direct feedback as to their level of preparedness and areas of training including physical conditioning and technical skill. Our hope is that by offering a prep program several months before the Denali expedition, we can help climbers round out the final pieces of their technical and physical training before heading to Alaska.

An AAI team's fortified camp on the summit of Mount Baker.

This course is held on the north side of Mount Baker on the Coleman and Deming glaciers. In March and April, Mount Baker is still in winter condition and the weather here in the Cascades can be quite horrible. Temperatures can dip into the single digits at night and winds can be quite high and very relentless. Heavy snowfall is not uncommon and you will more than likely encounter whiteout conditions for at least part, if not all, of this trip. In other words, the Cascades in the winter are the perfect training ground for Denali!

Because of the cold weather and harsh environment, climbers should plan on bringing all of the equipment required for a Denali Expedition, including their overboots and warm sleeping bags. Although these might not be required and/or used extensively on the program, making sure all of your gear fits, works, and is up for the challenge is essential in preparing for Denali. The equipment list for this course and our Denali expedition maybe be downloaded here.

On Mount Baker's Coleman Glacier in winter.

Day 1: This program meets at AAI's headquarters in Bellingham, Washington at 7am on the first morning of the trip. We will take a few hours to discuss expedition-related gear and to check everyone's personal equipment and cold weather gear. Before leaving AAI's headquarters, we will establish a formal trip plan as a group and discuss things like time, mileage, camp locations, and general strategy for the coming days as a group would on an expedition climb.

From our office, the drive to the trailhead will take about two hours. The drive is only 50 miles, but the going can be slow in the winter and we will stop for a break along the way. The road that accesses the summer trailhead will be snowed in anywhere from one to four miles from the trailhead, so the approach time and distance can vary quite a bit.

Before casting off, we will discuss sled rigging and pulling methods, pack loading and rigging, trail-breaking strategy, and will then employ all of these things on the way to our first camp. Exactly where and at what elevation we camp will depend on how far the team gets on this day. Our goal is to make it to the typical summer camp at the edge of the Coleman Glacier, but with big packs, sleds, and potentially deep snow, we may camp below treeline on the first day. At camp we will only have time to prepare hasty tent platforms before the short winter day comes to an end.

In the evenings the guides will hold group lectures in the cook tent over dinner and discuss a variety of topics related to expedition climbing. The first nights lecture will have to do with camp and cooking etiquette and hygiene.

Day 2: On day two we will work on camp-fortifying techniques and building snow and/or block walls. On all Denali expeditions we use a group cook tent, which must be dug into the snow and set up at each camp as we work our way up the mountain. Being able to efficiently and effectively dig-in and reinforce camps on Denali is hugely important to the group's safety and success, and no detail is spared in covering these methods. Group camping and cooking etiquette are put into practice and camp duties will be assigned on a rotational basis.

Day 3: Snow skills and ice axe and crampon use. The snow conditions will dictate a lot of what is possible with regard to snow skills. The potentially deep and soft snow conditions can make skill practice difficult, as climbers tend to wade rather than climb in these conditions. If self-arrest and cramponing practice is not possible, we will cover more in-depth avalanche assessment scenarios.

Day 4: Crevasse rescue and group rescue scenarios. Crevasse rescue methods on Denali are often quite different than those on other peaks because of the unique nature and size of the rope teams and because of the heavy backpacks and sleds each member has in tow. We will practice scenarios for individual and group rescue as they relate to crevasse falls.

We will plan on moving camp at least three times on this trip both to gain experience with establishing camp in different locations, and to put ourselves into better position for a summit attempt.

Day 5: Fixed line and running belay practice. Moving efficiently through the portion of the West Buttress route protected by fixed lines and fixed protection is very important to maintaining the set schedule and maximize summit days on the upper mountain. We will spend the majority of Day 4 practicing passing pickets and running protection, and ascending fixed lines as a rope team.

As long as conditions warrant, we will move to a higher camp on this day in preparation for a summit attempt.

Day 6: Summit day. The conditions high on Mount Baker in the winter can vary from hard, wind-blown ice to deep snow. We will probably employ a variety of techniques, from snowshoeing to cramponing, on the upper mountain. If conditions permit we may attempt a technical route on the mountain such as the North Ridge or Coleman Headwall. If the snow is deep on the lower mountain, making for slower conditions, we will attempt the Roman Mustache or the Coleman-Deming Route. Descend, pack up camp, and head back to AAI's headquarters.

AAI Guide Matt Anderson leads a team on the fixed lines above 14 Camp on Denali.

Participants should plan on being in Bellingham on the day before the program is schedule to begin. Arriving in the late afternoon or evening is ideal, but anytime on the day before would work. AAI works with the Best Western Heritage Inn in Bellingham, and all AAI climbers receive a discount off of their standard rates.

For courses here in the Cascades, your best bet for getting to our headquarters is to fly into Seattle. From there you will have to two options for continuing to Bellingham, which is about an hour and a half (90 miles) north of Seattle. The first option is to continue flying. You can catch another flight from Seattle to the Bellingham Airport (BLI). Sometimes this option is pretty reasonable and other times it is quite expensive. The second option, and what most folks do, is to take a ground shuttle from Seattle to the airport here in Bellingham. The cost for this shuttle is $34 for a one-way ride and $60 round-trip. Once at the airport, the Best Western Heritage Inn will pick you up. If you are participating in one of our scheduled programs (not a private trip), such as the Cascades Denali Prep Program, we will pick you up from the hotel on the first morning of your course, and take you back when the course is finished.

A group practicing sled hauling at the Mt. Baker Ski area. Photo: Stacey Kurtz

Inclusions: AAI plans and packs the food for all Denali Expeditions. To introduce expedition food and cooking styles we will provide the food, group cooking gear, stoves, fuel, and cook tent as well as transportation while on the program.

Exclusions: Transportation to and from Bellingham, hotel stays, personal camping and climbing gear, and insurance are not included as part of the program fee. AAI provides planning materials and counsel on arranging for these items as part of the registration process.

I would recommend this course for anyone preparing for a Denali expedition. I also would HIGHLY recommend AAI and especially my guide. He was absolutely aware, skilled, well versed, chilled back just enough to be personable and smart (former Microsoft software engineer)!

For Denali hopefuls like me, whether or not one holds an extensive climbing resume, the prep course is invaluable. You learn how to deal with staying clean for 6 days, unforeseeable circumstances, expedition type lifestyle, getting along with strangers, and working together as a team. Not to mention skills that don't usually get used in general mountaineering like fixed lines, sled pulling, and rope team travel. I worry about team members that haven't had some type of course like this. The course also lets you and the guides know whether or not you are even ready for Denali. I'd hate to find that out in Alaska and lose a lot more time and money.

All and all, amazing folks and an amazing mountain! I certainly cannot wait for Denali in June.
Tina T., Huntington Beach, CA