Solo Ski Denali
Donation protected
Purely Selfish Goal. I am asking you to contribute towards nothing tangible, really. Pure Adventure and Self-Sufficient Daring.
On April 25th, I fly onto the Kahiltna Glacier Base Camp for Denali, Alaska. Base camp is at 7,200'. The summit is at 20,310'. I am planning on a four+ week adventure climbing and skiing from the summit, on my lonesome.
The average temp upon arrival is -20F. All drinking water must be melted from snow. Giant snow blocks must be cut out of the glacier to erect a wind screen around camp. Huge, many-day storms bury everything with enormous drifts of snow and apacoliptic winds.
From Telluride, driving to Denver. Air fair to Anchorage, shuttle to Talkeetna, AK. Tiny plane lands me on the glacier. Two tents, two sleeping bags, two stoves, two shovels, avalanche probe, avalanche beacon, Huge down coat, huge down gloves, wool gloves, cordura mittens, wool base layers, fleece pants, down pants, cordura pants, four gallons of white gas... Goggles, multiple pairs of sunglasses, huge first aid kit including high-altitude drugs, full dental kit, trauma kit, etc. Air mattress and two foam mattresses. Crampons, two backpacks, snow saw, sled, multiple duffels full of expensive freeze-dried food and sausages, skis, skins, ice axes, ropes and harness and crevasse-rescue pulleys and equipment. A colossal pile of STUFF. Nothing that doesn't have multiple uses. No clothing that can't all be worn at once. Absolutely nothin above bare-bones survival gear.
Basically, I have to bring with me a giant pile of stuff to live in sub-zero conditions by myself for one month. Air fair is most expensive, and flying onto the glacier is charged by the pound.
Solo travel is three times the danger and four times the work. If you're not doing something, then something is not getting done. The work load is enormous and unrelenting, and this venture is mega EXPENSIVE!
Whats the deal with spending six months working-out like a fiend and living on ramen noodles in order to travel to the very far reaches and live on ramen noodles in a scary deep freezer?
I will make this happen with the budget I have laid out. Things are lean, though. This is an incredible trip, with much potential.
Please help me maximize my potential in this endeavor.
In exchange, I will provide a wonderfully written tale of my adventures and learnings, and will provide highest-quality imagery from what I experience. I cannot promise the summit, but I can promise a beautiful story, and plentiful beautiful pictures.
Can you visualize a mountain that rises 13,000ft above your head?
With the most sincerity and appreciation,
Joe
On April 25th, I fly onto the Kahiltna Glacier Base Camp for Denali, Alaska. Base camp is at 7,200'. The summit is at 20,310'. I am planning on a four+ week adventure climbing and skiing from the summit, on my lonesome.
The average temp upon arrival is -20F. All drinking water must be melted from snow. Giant snow blocks must be cut out of the glacier to erect a wind screen around camp. Huge, many-day storms bury everything with enormous drifts of snow and apacoliptic winds.
From Telluride, driving to Denver. Air fair to Anchorage, shuttle to Talkeetna, AK. Tiny plane lands me on the glacier. Two tents, two sleeping bags, two stoves, two shovels, avalanche probe, avalanche beacon, Huge down coat, huge down gloves, wool gloves, cordura mittens, wool base layers, fleece pants, down pants, cordura pants, four gallons of white gas... Goggles, multiple pairs of sunglasses, huge first aid kit including high-altitude drugs, full dental kit, trauma kit, etc. Air mattress and two foam mattresses. Crampons, two backpacks, snow saw, sled, multiple duffels full of expensive freeze-dried food and sausages, skis, skins, ice axes, ropes and harness and crevasse-rescue pulleys and equipment. A colossal pile of STUFF. Nothing that doesn't have multiple uses. No clothing that can't all be worn at once. Absolutely nothin above bare-bones survival gear.
Basically, I have to bring with me a giant pile of stuff to live in sub-zero conditions by myself for one month. Air fair is most expensive, and flying onto the glacier is charged by the pound.
Solo travel is three times the danger and four times the work. If you're not doing something, then something is not getting done. The work load is enormous and unrelenting, and this venture is mega EXPENSIVE!
Whats the deal with spending six months working-out like a fiend and living on ramen noodles in order to travel to the very far reaches and live on ramen noodles in a scary deep freezer?
I will make this happen with the budget I have laid out. Things are lean, though. This is an incredible trip, with much potential.
Please help me maximize my potential in this endeavor.
In exchange, I will provide a wonderfully written tale of my adventures and learnings, and will provide highest-quality imagery from what I experience. I cannot promise the summit, but I can promise a beautiful story, and plentiful beautiful pictures.
Can you visualize a mountain that rises 13,000ft above your head?
With the most sincerity and appreciation,
Joe
Organizer
Joe Stiles
Organizer
Telluride, CO