Back to Denali

This spring I worked with the mountaineering rangers on Denali. I spent two and a half months training with them and also had the opportunity to participate in a West Buttress patrol on Denali. The whole experience was incredible. I did a week long Rigging for Rescue course in the Chugach Mountains near Anchorage. The course was great but it was just the beginning. I also got to do a six day trip into the Ramparts. The Ramparts are west of the Kahiltna Glacier and south of Mount Foraker. My training also included helicopter shorthaul training in Talkeetna. I took the first picture while being shorthauled under the helicopter. This is a technique used for rescues in technical terrain where the helicopter cannot land. The training was great, but it's probably not for everyone. I like to think of it as the world's craziest rope swing.