Glacier Geography

Waldo is easy to locate compared to Scotty. While I'm usually the one sending out the spot signal I am loving getting the updates on Team AHF.

The following photos show their whereabouts and what I especially like is the map image of a couple of their first objectives.

My dad bought me a couple books for my ACL recovery and one of them is on Denali which of course I've begun reading again with a different perspective. Fact: The climbing permits allowed on Denali per year are limited to 1500, yet they've never had to turn down anyone. All time summit success rates are around 52 percent.  I thought Scott being gone maybe I'd get around to reading other books, it's starting to look like I was wrong.

I'm not sure how many people know this but I too have aspirations of climbing "The Tall One" and so I've actually been enjoying the process of collecting info on the mountain and I've always been a pretty solid arm chair mountaineer. It's not easy having Scotty be gone and I've been a total chick about it, but in reality I'm a little jealous of his adventure. The combination of my own infatuation with the mountain and my relationship with Scott is probably resulting with a bit of an obsession in a quest for knowledge about the mountain, thus this blog but Scotty's also put a lot on the line to make this climb and follow his dreams and I'm proud of him for it.

The Mixed Master is Up and AWAY!

I just talked to Scott and he signed off ready to embark out on the lower glacier!  The winds are still a howling up there but all systems go!  He and James will be spending some time on the lower glacier and are going to be doing some climbing there before making their way to 16 camp (16,000 ft) probably sometime during the first week of May!  Their objective climbs for the first week or so is Mt. Francis and the Kahiltna Queen.  The Mini Moonflower wasn't looking like it would be in shape for them to climb, but I know that's been on his list.

He sends his love and will probably be checking back in a few weeks.   I'll gather some beta on the climbs he has planned and post it intermittently to keep us occupied until we here more!

Waiting To Fly

The latest update from AK is that the winds were too strong to get out on the glacier today but Team Alpine Hungerforce is ready to go when the weather window opens, hopefully tomorrow. I know Scott is definitely itching to get out there and get some climbing in. The temperature report out there right now is a blazing -30.

Scotty and James have a SPOT they'll be sending out periodic check-ins that even give a link that will map out their location on google maps.

Scott Matz now has his very own blog.

This is is folks.  The day that Scotty gets a blog.  Scott called early (alpine start early) to let me know he'd landed in Anchorage and all his bags had made it.  He and James have some serious errands to run to get all their last minute items they didn't want to have to haul with them to AK.  Fortunately, James is from Alaska so his mom is there to help chauffeur them around. Yay for moms!

I'll be holding this down till Scott returns and will be relaying any info I get off the glacier!  Scott's in for the climb of his life, (until the next one) climb your ass off Scott!

- Mel