Climbing Denali: Tactics And Best Practices With Sam Hennessey

Join Evoke coach Mark Postle for a discussion with Sam Hennessey about all things Denali. Sam is a professional guide with extensive experience guiding and climbing on Denali, and in the Alaska Range.

Learn more about Sam Hennessey here.

Timestamps

• 0:00:00 Introduction
• 0:02:20 Sam’s experience in the Alaska Range
• 0:04:41 The remoteness of the Alaska Range and existing there
• 0:08:44 Factors that create uncertainty during an expedition.
• 0:10:49 Alaska Range has unreliable weather forecasting.
• 0:15:39 Being flexible with day-to-day planning.
• 0:20:24 Summit attempts from 14k ft vs. 17k ft.
• 0:22:58 Underestimating cold and altitude.
• 0:24:36 Greater levels of energy expenditure unique to climbing in the Alaska Range.
• 0:26:11 Common scenarios resulting in failure to summit.
• 0:36:23 The necessity of training and practice on technical terrain.
• 0:41:03 A multi-year approach for success on Denali.
• 0:42:07 Limited bandwidth for skill instruction while on the mountain.
• 0:50:45 Logistical challenges on Denali.
• 0:52:45 Ways to reduce weight on Denali.
• 0:59:41 Heat exposure on Denali.
• 1:02:13 Best practices for descending after summiting.
• 1:04:17 Observations of unguided parties on Denali.
• 1:09:07 Efficient strategies for meal prep.
• 1:14:01 Thoughts on decision-making high on Denali.
• 1:23:48 Sam’s final thoughts about climbing Denali.