Denali, meaning “The High One” in Native American Athabaskan language, is located in the heart of Alaska and rises 20,320 feet above sea level. Ali has chosen to attempt this spectacular climb from May 18 to June 15 to challenge herself, and to challenge others to support the pioneering research at Silent Spring Institute.

Ali is an experienced mountaineer who began climbing and backpacking in New England when she was 13 years old.

Denali, courtesy of Denali National Park

More about Ali

During summers as an undergraduate, Ali worked as a Climbing Ranger in Olympic and North Cascades National Parks in Washington. She has climbed internationally for several years, recently summiting Cotopaxi in Ecuador (19,347'). Beyond mountaineering, her love of cold places has shaped her career. She has been a leader for glacier research expeditions in Alaska, and has worked for several years in both the Arctic and Antarctic. She holds a BA from Wesleyan University in Earth and Environmental Science, and a Masters in Polar Climate Science from Columbia University. In Fall 2008 she will begin her Ph.D. in Glaciology at MIT.

Ali describes the Denali climb as “a long-time goal that will require all of my endurance and determination during the weeks we are on the mountain. I am very excited to be able to fulfill this personal goal while supporting a cause I care passionately about – finding ways to prevent breast cancer, and reducing women’s exposures to potentially dangerous chemicals in the world around us. Through this climb, I hope to raise at least $5,000 for Silent Spring Institute.”

click here to follow them on their journey through their blog

The Schedule
May 17: Fly to Anchorage, AK.
May 18: Travel to Talkeetna and fly to Kahiltna Glacier (7,200’). Establish base camp.
May 19: Carry supplies to Camp 1 (7,800’). Return to base camp.
May 20: Move remaining supplies to Camp 1.
May 21: Haul loads up Ski Hill to Kahiltna Pass (11,000’). Return to Camp 1.
May 22: Haul remaining supplies to Camp 2 (11,200’) at the base of Motorcycle Hill.
May 23: Back-carry day. Drop back down and pick up the cache we left near Kahiltna Pass.
May 24: Haul loads around Windy Corner (13,300’).
May 25: Move to Camp 3 (14,200’).
May 26: Back-carry day. Descend from Camp 3 to the Windy Corner cache and bring everything up to 14,200’.
May 27: Climb up the Headwall to the Ridge (16,100’). Return to Camp 3.
May 28: Rest/acclimatization day.
May 29: Climb to High Camp (17,200’).
May 30: Rest day.
May 31-June 12: Summit day. If the weather is favorable, we’ll push for the summit. If the weather is not good we will wait. Extra days here for waiting out storms, additional acclimatization days, etc. The round trip summit day climb will take eight to twelve hours.
June 13-14: Descent from High Camp to Kahiltna Glacier.
June 15: Fly to Talkeetna and relax at the West Rib Tavern!