Denali, also known as Mount McKinley, is the highest mountain in North America at 6,190 metres. It is one of the Seven Summits and is also considered the coldest mountain in the world.

Our expedition began on 29 May 2025 with a train journey to Frankfurt. From there, we flew across the Atlantic to Anchorage, Alaska, where we arrived that same evening. The following day, we continued our journey on the Alaska Railroad. It was a scenic train ride that took us through the stunning, wild landscapes of Alaska to Talkeetna, the traditional starting point for Denali expeditions.

There, we first had to practise patience: bad weather prevented any flights to the glacier. It was not until 1 June that a small weather window opened up that we could take advantage of. The flight to the Kahiltna Glacier was short but crucial; about an hour after landing, it started snowing again, and according to forecasts, it was set to stay that way.

Although the conditions were difficult, we decided to ascend to Camp 2 immediately after landing in order to better acclimatise to the altitude, a decision that proved to be the right one in retrospect. We spent a total of four days there while one snowstorm after another passed through outside. The first

We used the time to make the camp more weatherproof. Again and again, we had to clear the tent and paths of snow. We also built higher snow walls around the camp to provide better protection from the wind. It was exhausting but necessary, and it helped us to use the time wisely while we waited for the weather to improve.

As the weather slowly stabilised, we were able to continue our ascent as planned. On the way to Camp 3, it was still snowing, but not as heavily as in the days before. Visibility was very poor for a long time, and we spent almost the entire stage in a whiteout. For orientation, we only had the bamboo sticks that other mountaineers had previously stuck in the snow to mark the route. It was only shortly before reaching the camp that we were able to see anything for the first time. Nevertheless, we made good progress and reached the camp without any major problems.

We left our transport sledges behind at Camp 3. The rest of the route was much steeper and icy in places, so sledges would have been more dangerous than helpful there. Therefore, we had to cover the distance to Camp 4 twice in order to bring our equipment and the rest of our food up in several stages.

With all the equipment set up at the top, Camp 4 was our last base before the high camp. Now all we needed was a stable weather window for the summit day. The forecast predicted a good phase between 10 and 14 June.

On 11 June, we ascended to High Camp (Camp 5). The air was noticeably thinner and the ascent was more challenging. When we finally arrived at the camp, tired, and set up our camp for the night, we wanted to melt some snow to prepare a warm meal. But then we realised that our cooking pot, which had been in constant use for weeks, had broken due to heavy use and was no longer usable. Without the ability to melt snow, there was no water, and without water, you can quickly find yourself in serious trouble on this mountain. Exhaustion briefly gave way to tension. We asked around the camp, hoping that one of the other teams would be willing to help us out. Fortunately, we found someone who was willing to borrow us a pot. So, with great relief, we were able to melt some snow, eat something and finally get a few hours of sleep, tired but grateful. The next day, the time had come: in perfect weather, we started our summit attempt at around 10:30 a.m. and reached the highest point in North America at around 5:30 p.m.

We spent about 40 minutes at the summit, completely alone, in calm weather, with clear visibility and only a light wind. It was quiet, with no other people far and wide. The view stretched to the horizon, surrounded only by snow-covered peaks. After many days in the storm, the long ascent and the uncertainty of whether it would work out at all, this moment was something special. Everything suddenly seemed very calm, almost unreal. We took a few photos and enjoyed the view before slowly making our way back.

As the summit ridge was heavily iced, we decided against a direct descent on skis from the summit. About 50 metres below, we strapped them on and skied back to Camp 5, a brilliant end to an intense, demanding ascent. That same evening, we descended over the ridge to Camp 4, where we spent the night. The next morning, we broke camp early and skied back along the ascent route to base camp. Thanks to our skis, we made good progress and reached base camp in the early afternoon. That same day, we were able to fly back to Talkeetna, straight to burgers and beer. A perfect end to a great tour.