p.1 #1 · A little bit further: To 18,200 ft on Denali with a Q2M.
Pics first.
"Insane Asylum"
Mid gear check
Gear check complete and neatly organized, ready for take off
Denali base camp
Moving to Camp 1 at the base of Ski Hill
Our team during a break.
11 Camp
A ridge above 11 Camp getting blasted by wind
The view on the move to 14 camp
Our guides during a selfie
The view of the fixed lines from 14 camp
Clouds above 16 ridge
View of 14 camp during a break as we move to 16 ridge
14 camp as viewed from above the fixed lines
Above the fixed lines
Mt. Foraker
View of the autobahn from 17 camp
17 camp
A few years ago, I set myself the goal of summiting Denali. My first attempt was in 2023 and we ended up being shut down at 16,300 ft because of bad weather. I had taken a gamble on that trip by taking a Q2M as my primary camera, and it was a gamble that paid off very nicely. But topping out at 16,300 ft was a bitter pill for a 20,300 ft summit, so another trip was called for. Given how well the Q2M performed on that first trip, there was no question I would bring it along for the second trip. Unfortunately I topped out at 18,200 ft ... because I choked at the top of the autobahn. I thought I was out of steam, when in reality I was just very tired and I should have continued at a lower pace. Oh well, at least the rest of the team summited. And 18,200 ft is still an accomplishment for the bottom dwelling cockroach that I am (I live at sea level).
p.1 #3 · A little bit further: To 18,200 ft on Denali with a Q2M.
Wonderful pictures, thanks for sharing. Q2M has rendered the vast and stark landscape very well. Having shot in extreme cold and wind, I can appreciate the effort required to take these shots. Would love to see more from your Denali adventure.
A few years ago, I set myself the goal of summiting Denali. My first attempt was in 2023 and we ended up being shut down at 16,300 ft because of bad weather. I had taken a gamble on that trip by taking a Q2M as my primary camera, and it was a gamble that paid off very nicely. But topping out at 16,300 ft was a bitter pill for a 20,300 ft summit, so another trip was called for. Given how well the Q2M performed on that first trip, there was no question I would bring it along for the second trip. Unfortunately I topped out at 18,200 ft ... because I choked at the top of the autobahn. I thought I was out of steam, when in reality I was just very tired and I should have continued at a lower pace. Oh well, at least the rest of the team summited. And 18,200 ft is still an accomplishment for the bottom dwelling cockroach that I am (I live at sea level)....Show more →
p.1 #6 · A little bit further: To 18,200 ft on Denali with a Q2M.
RustyBug wrote:
Looks like you're now primed for the 3rd trip.
I am already trying to put together an exercise routine that will cover the blind spots I had on this trip. But I am not sure if I will follow through with a third trip. A full year of exercising 6-7 days a week (one hour per day) is pretty harsh on the body.
RustyBug wrote:
Nice set. Curious to hear more about the trek (timelines, etc.), too.
A sample itinerary is here, and our trip pretty much followed it, though we had a couple of weather days where we chilled in our tents. The only curve balls not covered in that itinerary is where some clients had to be turned around for various issues. Our guides did a wonderful job of working with other guides to allow clients to descend without robbing the ascending party of their guides.
Jaree wrote:
Wonderful pictures, thanks for sharing. Q2M has rendered the vast and stark landscape very well. Having shot in extreme cold and wind, I can appreciate the effort required to take these shots. Would love to see more from your Denali adventure.
Thanks. I have a couple more pics here. But my focus was on climbing, so I was only able to take pics during breaks or in camp, meaning many (so so many) missed opportunities while we were on the move.
lefteye wrote:
These are wonderful thank you for the high altitude escapade. Curious if you used filters and which kinds?
Thank you. I used one filter for all images: 091 Red Dark 630 MRC. On clear days it made the clouds pop. On overcast days it did nothing to help the image but it still protected the front lens element.
p.1 #7 · A little bit further: To 18,200 ft on Denali with a Q2M.
A complete, less than novice question but coming from "sea level", do you have to spend a lot of time (weeks, months, longer?) at higher altitudes to acclimate your body and lungs to higher elevations before attempting something like this? I ask because my wife - who has spent her entire life at sea level - even suffered from altitude sickness going to the mountains of Colorado! Beautiful Images!
p.1 #9 · A little bit further: To 18,200 ft on Denali with a Q2M.
AI re Xenon:
"Lack of Scientific Evidence: The long-term effects and effectiveness of xenon for high-altitude mountaineering are not fully understood, and some experts call for more research.
Health Risks: Xenon is an anesthetic gas, and its use, especially at high concentrations, can carry health risks, including potential damage to the brain and respiratory system.'
'Xenon is a drug that calms and relaxes the body. Xenon is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This means that xenon can only be used in research studies.'
The standard and long established acclimatisation treatment is Diamox (acetazolamide), a sulfur drug that improves oxygen transport in the blood as the body struggles to make more red blood cells. AMS starts for some people at 2800m, is noticeable by almost all at 3500m. Most take Diamox for three days and rest in that period.
p.1 #10 · A little bit further: To 18,200 ft on Denali with a Q2M.
philip_pj wrote:
AI re Xenon:
"Lack of Scientific Evidence: The long-term effects and effectiveness of xenon for high-altitude mountaineering are not fully understood, and some experts call for more research.
Health Risks: Xenon is an anesthetic gas, and its use, especially at high concentrations, can carry health risks, including potential damage to the brain and respiratory system.'
'Xenon is a drug that calms and relaxes the body. Xenon is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This means that xenon can only be used in research studies.'
The standard and long established acclimatisation treatment is Diamox (acetazolamide), a sulfur drug that improves oxygen transport in the blood as the body struggles to make more red blood cells. AMS starts for some people at 2800m, is noticeable by almost all at 3500m. Most take Diamox for three days and rest in that period. ...Show more →
Thanks-
I can get an AI response just like you. Interested in someone's real-life experience from someone in that community-
p.1 #13 · A little bit further: To 18,200 ft on Denali with a Q2M.
Tariq Gibran wrote:
A complete, less than novice question but coming from "sea level", do you have to spend a lot of time (weeks, months, longer?) at higher altitudes to acclimate your body and lungs to higher elevations before attempting something like this? I ask because my wife - who has spent her entire life at sea level - even suffered from altitude sickness going to the mountains of Colorado! Beautiful Images!
Thanks!
Typically 3-5 days at 14,000 ft (plus taking some amount of Diamox) is sufficient for the average (strong/fit) climber to reach 17,000 ft and then have an honest shot at the summit. But it varies. Some people are more fit than others, and I have seen guides get altitude sickness at 16,000 ft. Perhaps they had unknown underlying conditions?
RustyRus wrote:
Awesome!!
Have you seen the crew from England that took Xeon gas to get past the altitude sickness?
Congrats on 18k though! Great pics!
Thanks.
I had seen the story, yes, but they were on Everest, so I did not see the crew with with my own eyes on Denali.
!!! I am not an expert, just a client, so take the following as opinions, not facts !!!
Acclimating for 3+ days at 14,000 ft in combination with Diamox is a tried and true method that works for most people. If it does not, I would think that such a person should not be going any further up a mountain (let alone with Xeon). I think Xeon is used by folks who want to skip the 3+ days of acclimating, and this can come in handy when you have a very narrow weather window or if you must summit even though you are short on food. In other words, I think it is for the "light and fast" crowd. "Light and fast" is strongly discouraged on Denali as the weather can quickly turn bad and trap folks for many days. "Minus 148 Degrees" by Art Davidson and "Denali's Howl" by Andy Hall are good reads on what the mountain can throw at a climber. Of course weather forecasts and rescue capabilities have gotten better the last couple of decades, giving the "light and fast" crowd more resources, but there are still risks.
We were climbing expedition style - so "slow and heavy" - allowing us to deal with a couple of days of lousy weather without putting our summit at risk. I did not have strong opinions on "light and fast" vs. "slow and heavy" until my trip to Denali in 2023 where I had seen two climbers go from 8k camp to 14k camp (skipping a stay in 11k camp). While both climbers arrived in 14k camp, one of them was flown out in a body bag the next day.
Being a scuba diver, I would also think that climbing with Xeon requires some amount of special training, and that there are some tradeoffs.
p.1 #17 · A little bit further: To 18,200 ft on Denali with a Q2M.
olegkin wrote:
Nice images. Do you remember how did you set exposure for these images - manual, or what automatic settings?
Highlight weighted (because highlights are impossible to recover from a mono image and because I d not mind pitch black shadows) and exposure compensation to -2/3 stop. C1 told me that most images were ~1/2 a stop underexposed, so the camera's meter was spot on.
p.1 #18 · A little bit further: To 18,200 ft on Denali with a Q2M.
theHUN wrote:
Highlight weighted (because highlights are impossible to recover from a mono image and because I d not mind pitch black shadows) and exposure compensation to -2/3 stop. C1 told me that most images were ~1/2 a stop underexposed, so the camera's meter was spot on.
Excellent, this worked for me too with super bright clouds, and sand.
p.1 #19 · A little bit further: To 18,200 ft on Denali with a Q2M.
These are incredible images and thank you for sharing them with us. The expedition timeline...when you left your house until returning, how many days were you on this trip? My guess is three weeks but I'd love to hear more about the logistics of such a trip. BTW, I've flown twice over (around?) Denali with K2 Aviation out of Talkeetna. The whole Denali Massif is incredible from the air but being on top of it has to be even more special.
The small restaurant in Talkeetna...I believe it is somewhat of a jumping off point for Denali climbers and on the day we visited it seemed like the whole UN was having lunch there. A great, but short immersion into so many climbing cultures. I recall the Chinese had some incredible images that were shared with everyone that day.
Al
p.1 #20 · A little bit further: To 18,200 ft on Denali with a Q2M.
Awesome!! Many thanks for sharing.
I was at Everest basecamp for a couple days with a photography group couple years back. Plenty high enough for me. Kudos for getting to 18k!
but coming from "sea level", do you have to spend a lot of time (weeks, months, longer?) at higher altitudes to acclimate your body and lungs to higher elevations before attempting something like this? I ask because my wife - who has spent her entire life at sea level - even suffered from altitude sickness going to the mountains of Colorado! Beautiful Images!
