Gripped Magazine
Four Nepali Guides Summit America’s Tallest Mountain
It’s been a busy year so far on Denali, North America’s tallest mountain, with several test-piece routes completed, hundreds of climbers on the mountain, and a notable ascent by four Nepali IFMGA guides. The National Park Service’s last public update was on June 1, when it reported: “There are 513 climbers on [Denali], mainly on the West Buttress route. Ninety-seven climbers have completed their trips, and 381 climbers have yet to check in and begin their climbs. We are at the height of the season.”
One of those teams of climbers consisted of Nepali guides Mingma Gyalje Sherpa, Tsering Pemba Sherpa, Tenji Sherpa, and Ashish Gurung. All four climbers are members of the Nepal National Mountain Guide Association, which announced their summit, noting: “The achievement reaffirms Nepal’s enduring legacy as a global centre of mountaineering excellence and sends a powerful message to the next generation of Nepali guides that they are capable of leading and succeeding on the world’s most demanding peaks across every continent.”
Of the more difficult routes on Denali, Vincent Landry and Will Hodgson repeated Slovak Direct (AI6 M8, 2,700 m), noting: “We spent 38 hours on the route, including about 17 hours of napping and resting. Most of the climbing happened through the night and we were able to free every pitch on some of the best granite I’ve ever touched. We had an amazing time on one of the finest alpine climbs North America has to offer. Huge thanks to Will for being the best partner, and to everyone who helped make this possible. The last person to climb this route before us was our friend Balin Miller. We miss him a lot. I thought of him the whole way up.”
The famous Cassin Ridge also saw some action, including by Freja Shannon, Max Kilcoyne, Tom Grant, and Kishen Mangat. Kiloyne shared after: “Cassin Ridge Bergshrund to Summit Ridge (20,170 feet): 9:12. Super fun day climbing such a big route with a light pack. Opted for no rope, stove or sleep system to move faster. Committed to going to the top. Couldn’t quite break @colinhaley1 time of 8:07 shrund to the proper summit that he did in 2018.”
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