Denali: Move to Camp 4

Looking back at camp 3 while heading up the Headwall to the 16,200 ft. ridge. 

Between camp 3 and camp 4 the route gained 3,000 feet in 1.75 miles.

Mt. Foraker poking through the clouds.

About 1200 ft. above camp 3 you reach the Headwall where guiding companies place fixed lines for protection each season.  The crux of this section was the bergschrund (the large crack in the ice wall where the steep icy slope ends and the glacier begins) which can be up to a 60 degree angle.  Once above this, the slope is a consistent 45 degree angle.  To get over the bergschrund, you had to swing your ice axe into the slope very hard to help pull yourself and your heavy backpack up. On the fixed lines you use an ascender that is attached to your harness to stay attached to the rope. In the photo below, you can see the small rope and carabiner hooked onto the fixed line.  That is a back-up safety measure in case you fall and your ascender fails. 

Looking down at Arnaud and the line of climbers coming behind him.

You can see the steps kicked in to the wall by climbers before us....made it so nice!

At the top of the Headwall starts the exposed, rocky1,000 ft. ridge walk up to camp 4.  This ridge and the summit ridge were the most spectacular parts of the route.  The route weaves through rocks and gets very narrow in some sections.  Sometimes you were hugging rocks while scooting your feet underneath them.  Near the 17,000 mark the rock goes from pink granite to black slate.  Very cool! 

The well-known landmark called Washburn's Thumb.  Due to its exposure and steepness it has a short fixed line going up and around it as well.

Visibility wasn't always the best up here, but it wasn't ever windy.  The wind was normally blowing at the top of the Headwall and at the 17K camp, but not on the ridge in between thankfully!

A raven (on the left side of the big rock) at 17,000 feet!!!

Camp 4 (high camp) at 17,200 ft.

The notch in the ridge behind camp is Denali Pass.  To the right after that leads to the south summit of Denali  (the higher one by 1,000 ft.) and to the left leads to the north summit.

The night we arrived at high camp was the only time the view was mostly clear besides summit day.

It was windy and twenty below zero though, so we didn't hang outside the tent long after we got it setup.