Polar Climb 1 Video

Hold my beer watch this.

January 28th-Day 22-Safe in Talkeetna

January 28th - Day 22
4:42 PM Alaska Time

Lonnie was picked up by Talkeetna Air Taxi this afternoon at approximately 1:45 PM.  As I type he is in the shower getting rid of 3 weeks of dirt and grime.  He is in good spirits and is looking forward to a nice fresh green salad and glass of red wine.  All is well and he says hello and thank you for following his progress on the blog. 

Picture of Lonnie taken today at 2:00 PM on the lower Kahiltna glacier right when we landed.

Janaury 28th- Day 22 - 2 miles from Base Camp

January 28 - Day 22
9:43 AM Alaska Time
Lonnie spent the night approximately 2.5 miles from base camp.  He had several close calls yesterday while descending the lower glacier.  The snow conditions had changed since his accent and he punched through a number of snow bridges across crevasses but was able to get himself out.  I talked with him early this morning and his plan is to continue to Base Camp today.  The weather looks promising for a air pickup today. He is looking forward to a hot shower, a green salad and glass of red wine. 

This a picture from yesterday of the Ladder and his sled.

January 27th-Day 21- Descending to Base Camp

January 27th Day 21

 A picture take today of one of the wands that he placed on his ascent and his ski.


KTNA interview with Lonnie made this morning.

January 27th-Day 21- 10,200 descending to Base Camp

January 27th -Day 21- Descending to Base Camp
12:30 PM Alaska time

I just received this picture of Lonnie beginning his descent to 7200 Base Camp.  Lonnie is on his descent to Base Camp and if all goes well plans on arriving this evening.  If the weather cooperates we will schedule a air craft pickup with Talkeetna Air Taxi tomorrow or the next day.  Lonnie is in good spirits and is looking forward to be picked up off the Kahiltna Glacier soon.

Here are some of the links that you can check out that have followed Lonnie's progress on his attempt to be the first to solo Denali in January.  Just do a search for "dupre" on each site.

http://www.kstp.com/index.shtml

http://www.adn.com/
http://www.wtip.org/
http://ktna.org/
http://www.ktuu.com/
http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/
http://www.grindtv.com/
http://www.wdio.com/
http://talktrav.tumblr.com/
http://www.explorersweb.com/
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/
http://www.cookcountynews-herald.com/

January 26th - Day 20 -10,200 Camp

January 26th - Day 20
6:32 PM Alaska Time

Lonnie made it past Windy Corner and is camped at 10,200 in his snow trench that he built on the ascent.  He had a relatively mild day for travel, with temperatures in the single digits with light wind. He did have some issues with his sled trying to kill him by pulling him downslope a couple times.   He is dug in for the night and plans of continuing down to Base Camp tomorrow.  He is in good spirits and says Hi to everyone.

January 26th - Day 20 14,200

January 26th - Day 20
10:09 AM Alaska Time

14,200 camp from Last Year's Expedition

Lonnie recent audio update was cut off,  what he said is the he has made the decision to continue down to base camp. After setting a record pace to 17,200, Lonnie was set for a summit attempt, but mother nature decided that it would "test" him for 7 days, with winds up to 100 mph, temperatures reaching -50 and a 5.4 magnitude earthquake.  After 7 days at 17,200 with dwindling supplies and being inactive for so long he lost considerable strength and conditioning.  Yesterday's small break in the weather gave him the opportunity to move down to 14,200.  There is an old saying that you don't "***k" with mother nature, and I think Lonnie knows and respects that power more than ever!    

Check our a recent article on Yahoo News. 
http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/blog/23870/climbers+history-making+denali+quest+turns+life-threatening/

January 25th - Day 19 14,200 Camp

January 25th - Day 19 14,200 Camp
5:44 PM Alaska Time


I just received a brief call from Lonnie, he has arrived at 14,200 camp tired and weak.  He made it down from 17,200 to 14,200 in 8 hours.  He is going to get something to eat and call it a day.  He will assess his options tomorrow after a good nights rest.

.  Picture of Lonnie's 14,200 snow Trench.

January 25th - Day 19 Moving Down to 14,200

January 25th- Day 19
10:56 AM Alaska Time

I just got off the Sat phone with Lonnie.  Lonnie is going to travel down the West Buttress Ridge and Head Wall to 14,200 today.  The decision  to move down to 14,200 was based on the short (one day) of relatively good weather he has to travel in and his diminishing resources (physical and mental) at 17,200.  Once down at 14,200 he will regroup and reassess his options.  UPWARD...

Janauary 24th - Day 18 - Day 6 at 17,200

January 24th - Day 18
12:02 PM Alaska Time

I spoke with Lonnie just after he made his audio update. This is his 6th day at 17,200 in his snow trench that is 3'x3'x6'.  He has only been out once since he arrived at 17,200 due to the extremely high winds.   Laying in his trench with little movement and the constant cold ( it is about -5 in the trench) he feels that his strength and stamina are beginning to deteriorate.  The sanitary conditions of the trench are also deteriorating due to the lack of space to relieve himself.  We are hoping for a break in the weather tomorrow or Wednesday so that Lonnie can make a move to 14,200 to regroup and build up his strength.  At 17,200 the barometric pressure is 407 mmhg, this means that there is 54% of oxygen available at sea level.  Staying at this altitude increases the chances of acute mountain sickness.  He is in good spirits and says hi to all.

Lonnie carries a copy of this poem on the back of his journal notebook. This is a picture of that poem that is taped to his journal notebook...

 "Invictus" is a short Victorian poem by the English poet William Ernest Henley (1849–1903)

January 23rd - Day 17 Pinned Down by High Winds

January 23rd - Day 17
12:51 PM Alaska Time

The weather is the story today. 
Here is the latest from Paul.  "The low to the south is moving north and will seriously effect the wx on the mountain over the next few days. Lonnie should know there could be over 100 mile per winds lashing the mountain starting tomorrow.  He will most likely have to stay where he is for a while and may need to secure his position."  It looks as if that this weather system will be with us for the next few days.

Lonnie is dug in and prepared to wait out the storm.  Patience is the key right now.  He cant move up or down in these conditions.   I Talked with him this morning and he is doing well.  As you heard on his audio update Lonnie indeed feel the effects of a 5.4 magnitude earthquake being only a few miles from its epicenter.  You can do a google search under "alsaka earthquake activity" to find out its exact location.


UPWARD-PATIENCE

January 22nd - Day 16 - Patience

January 22nd - Day 16
5:30 PM Alaska Time
Spoke with Lonnie about and hour ago.  He had good day of rest, eating and hydrating. The winds were constant most of the day at 50-60 mph.  Weather permitting he will make another attempt tomorrow morning.  He has plenty of fuel and food to wait until the weather improves.  UPWARD...

January 22nd - Day 16 High Winds Delay Summit Attempt

January 22nd.  8:30 PM Alaska Time. 
High winds on Denali Pass will delay Lonnie's summit attempt today. Just spoke with Lonnie and the conditions on Denali Pass are not good for travel today with high winds and white out conditions.  He is at 17,200 and will try again tomorrow.   UPWARD

January 21 - Day 15- Summit Attempt Tomorrow

January 21 - Day 15 -17,200 Camp
5:40 PM Alaska Time

I just got off the Sat phone with Lonnie about 1/2 hour ago.  The weather for tomorrow looks good, Lonnie is feeling good so its a go for the summit attempt tomorrow.  Lonnie is going to leave 17,200 camp at 6:00 AM tomorrow morning (January 22) and start his climb to the top of Denali.  He expects to reach the summit by early afternoon and then return to 17,200.  It would be great if everyone would send Lonnie all the positive energy they can.  May the raven be with you to the top.   UPWARD!

January 21 - Day 15- 17,200

January 21 - Day 15 - 17,200

The weather looks promising for a summit bid on Saturday or Sunday.  Paul owner of Talkeetna Air Taxi (the local guru pilot/weather man!) says "there is a large low to the south expected to stay south at least until monday possibly tues but the upper level winds could increase monday.  There is a small high to the north which should give us at least 2 days of good wx (fri and sat) on the mountain.  I would say that if Lonnie was up to it he could try for the summit tomorrow and this would give him an extra day at Denali pass.  The only issue is the winds could pick up a bit on Sunday."  So with that said, I will be talking with Lonnie tonight and let him know the forecast.  Based on how he is feeling and the weather he will make the decision to make a summit attempt or not.  Due to low battery power on the Sat phone we are limiting communications to once a day.  I will update the site later today after I talk with Lonnie this evening.  
UPWARD

January 20th - Day 14 17,200 Camp

January 20th - Day 14 17,200
6:21 PM Alaska Time

I spoke with Lonnie this evening and he is doing well.    After his very long day yesterday he had little energy left to build much more than a survival trench last night (which basically only has enough room for him and his sleeping bag).  When he woke up this morning he had a 1/2 inch dusting of snow all over everything and he had not room to roll over.  He spent most of today rebuilding his snow trench making it a more snow proof and a little more roomy.  He also worked on a stove pressure problem which he finally resolved.  He has been eating and drinking plenty of fluids throughout the day he has no sign of frostbite or edema.   He is going to take tomorrow as a rest day to acclimatize and rest.  Lonnie is in good spirits but a bit sore and tired. 
The picture is from last years expedition looking up at the Autobahn to Denali Pass from 17,200 camp. 
UPWARD!

KTNA Radio Interview – Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Here is a link to the Local Radio Station KTNA 88.9 in Tallkeetna.  They have been following the climb and interviewed Tom Suprenant the expedtition manger about Lonnie's progress.  So stay tuned to ktna.org for updates..

Morning news cast – Wednesday, January 19, 2011

January 20th - Day 14- 17,200

January 20th - Day 14 - 17,200 Camp
9:44 AM Alaska Time

Lonnie had an extremely long day yeseterday gong from 14,200 Camp to 17,200 Camp.  The winds were favorable and once Lonnie committed to the the days climb he knew it was going to be a long day.   Late last night I got a call from Lonnie saying that he had reached 17,200 camp.  Just a FYI, yesterday's GPS location on the map is a bit off so his real location is a bit farther up the mountain.   Lonnie crossed the last half of the West Buttress Ridge by Head Lamp last night.  The picture is of the West Buttress Ridge from last year's expedition.  As you can see it is quite exposed and very steep.  Lonnie will take a rest day today to acclimatize and get ready for the summit push.   UPWARAD.

January 19th Day-13 17,200 Camp

January 19th - Day 13- 17,200 Camp
7:45 PM Alaska Time

Lonnie just left his GPS location from the West Buttress Ridge.  He is located at approximately 16,500.  He had a great day making it from 14,200 up the Head Wall to 16,200 and proceeded onto the West Buttress Ridge.  He is looking forward to a good nights rest and plans on getting to 17,200 camp tomorrow.  The picture above is of the West Buttress at around 16,500 take on last years expedition.  Lonnie is in great spirits.  UPWARD.

UPDATE:  10:57 PM......JUST RECIEVED A CALL FROM LONNIE.  HE HAS REACHED 17,200 CAMP AND IS DUG IN FOR THE NIGHT. 

January 18th - Day 12 - 14,200 Camp

January 18th - Day 12- Rest Day
6:20 PM Alaska Time

The lastest report from Lonnie is that he had a good rest day today.  Lonnie spent the day cathcing up on some sleep and writing in his journal.  Although the skies were clear today the winds were to high to travel across the West Buttress Ridge.  The weather forecast for tomorrow is promising with some high clouds, warmer temperatures and light winds from the south.  Weather/wind permitting the plan is to ascend the headwall and retrieve the cache of food and fuel that Lonnie stashed at 15,500 and continue to the top of the Head Wall.  He will then take brief rest and continue to 17,200 camp along the West Buttress ridge. 
Here is the latest picture from Lonnie about an hour ago.  This is the entrance to the ranger trench at 14,200.  As you can see he has it decorated quite nice with his crampons, transistor radio and coffee cup ready to go.  Looks pretty cozy to me!   UPWARD.

January 17th - Day 11

January 17th - Day 11 - Carry to 15,500
7:40 PM Alaska Time

 I Just got off the satellite phone with Lonnie.  Today was a perfect weather day with no wind and temperatures in the single digits below zero.  Today Lonnie made a carry up the Head Wall to 15,500.  The route up the Head Wall proved to be as challenging as we predicted.  The lower third  had some snow cover which covered the fixed lines that are placed there by the Park Service. (the slope is quite steep here 50+ degrees)  As he continued his climb up he came to a large Bergshrund (A bergschrund is a crevasse that forms at the upper end of a mountain glacier where the moving glacier ice separates from the stagnant ice above). As the moving ice pulled away, the fixed lines were stretched extremely tight and were buried deep in the snow.  The Bergschrund was filled with snow in one spot where Lonnie was able to make his way across it. Once past the bergschrund Lonnie ran into about 100 metere of exposed blue ice that he double ice axed up to 15,500  feet.  Lonnie then tied his pack off to the fixed lines that were exposed above the bergsrhund and ice.  He then attached his rope to the fixed line and rappelled down the steep section of ice.  He returned to 14,200 camp and is going to get some rest.  The plan tomorrow is to retrace his route up the Head Wall to 15,500, retrieve his gear proceed to the top of the Head Wall at 16,200 and then make his way along the West Buttress ridge to 17,200 camp.  Lonnie is feeling good and his spirits are high.

The picture was taken yesterday at his 14,200 camp with the Head Wall in the background.  The picture doesn't capture how Steep this portion of the climb really is.  UPWARD!

January 16th - Day 10 - 14,200

January 16th - Day 10 - Rest Day
5:04 PM Alaska Time.

 
Here is one of the latest pictures from Lonnie sent today the 16th of January from 14,200, 4:10pm Alaska time.  This is his Ranger Trench "The Hilton" at 14,200.

Just got off the phone with Lonnie.   He had a good night's rest last night. Temperatures were around -40. Yesterday was a long day of travel. He made it around Windy corner despite being buffeted by 70-80 mph winds. He used both ice axes and his crampons and dug in each time the wind gusts hit him and then he would proceed until he had to hunker down again.   After successfully getting around the corner he encountered a number of large crevasses with some being 40 feet across, he also commented that at the 14,200 camp area it was also quite crevassed. He did not get dug in until 9:30 pm last night.  Tonight the temps are supposed to be around -50. He said it was -raw bone cold- today. His plan is to start out early tomorrow and climb up to the base of the fixed lines on the Head Wall and see if the lines are buried or not.  He plans on clearing the lines if possible and returning back down to his camp at 14,200.  This will give him a good day for altitude acclimatization (which is where you climb up high and then return to a lower elevation to sleep).  He had a mild headache early today but is feeling fine tonight.  After spending the another night at 14,200 the plan is to climb the Head Wall from 14,200 to 16,200 and then proceed along the ridge to 17,200 camp.  From here on up Lonnie will be using a backpack and drag bag.  He will be leaving the ladder and sled at 14,200 along with some food and fuel.  His spirits are good and says hi to all.   UPWARD..

January 15th Day 9 - 14,200

Jaunuary 15th- 14,200!!! 
7:03 PM

Just got off the phone with Lonnie.  After a very long day, of wind and crevasses Lonnie is at 14,200.  He made it around Windy Corner today.   Many times during his crossing of Windy Corner he had to double ice axe in and wait out the wind.  From Windy corner to 14,2000 the crevasse were large and numerous.  Lonnie commented that he crossed at least 2 that were 40 feet wide.  He said it there were many more crevasses than this past summer.  He is in good spirits.  He is going to dig in and take a well deserved rest day tomorrow.   UPWARD

January 15th- Day 9

January 15th Day 9, 12,900 feet

Sorry for the late post, lost power in Talkeetna last night and today.  Talked with Lonnie this AM, he is hoping to get around Windy Corner today.  Weather looks good.  More Later....UPWARD

PS: Please disregard Lonnie's location on the map, having problems with GPS.... :)

January 14th - Day 8

January 14th - Day 8, 12,400 feet
9:50 AM Alaska Time

Lonnie had a good day of climbing yesterday despite getting blown off his feet a couple times early in the day.  The winds were quite gusty in the morning and the wind caught him and the ladder and knocked him down.  As the day progressed the winds subsided and he had good travel in the afternoon.  Today's plan is to get around Windy Corner and to dig in at 13,500 feet or 14,200.  Windy Corner is a area on the mountain where the winds are funneled down glacier and is notorious for winds exceeding 100 mph.  This area is quite open and exposed and Lonnie will be placing rope protection around this part.  If the weather is bad the plan is to dig in just below Windy Corner and wait for favorable conditions. Lonnie's spirits are good.  This is a shot from last years climb heading into windy corner.   UPWARD....

January 13th - Day 7 10:48 AM

January 13th- Day 7, 11,500
I talked with Lonnie this morning at about 8:30 AM.  He had a good nights rest.  He had a relatively short (distance) day yesterday.  The winds were high but he did make it to the base of motorcycle hill at 11,500 feet.  This actually gave him an extra day at 11,500 to acclimatize and rest.  The weather was good this AM and he is on the trail up Motorcycle hill.
For those who don't know Lonnie is digging ranger trenches to sleep in at night, he is not carrying a tent. Due to the potential of very high winds and the added weight digging in at night is preferred.  Although it has taken up to 3 hours to dig in at night, the trenches provide a quieter and warmer environment.  A good reference on how to build a snow cave is :   http://www.usap.gov/travelAndDeployment/documents/FieldManual-Chapt11SnowShelters.pdf

Here is a diagram of a snow trench, the one illustrated does not have a snow block roof like the ones Lonnie is building.... UPWARD.....

January 12th - Day 6 10:06 AM

January 12th - 11,150 feet.  Lonnie continues to make good progress, he is at the base of Motorcycle hill today.  His plan is to make it to 12,900 by the end of the day.  This is just below Windy Corner an area that is notorious for high winds. The weather forecast is for lighter winds and colder temperatures for later in the week.  Today's picture is of the colorful wands with reflective tape that Lonnie is placing as he goes, that way he will be able to follow them down (like a trail of bread crumbs) on his descent.  Lonnie is in good spirits, and he said his body only hurts when he sits or lays down!!!

January 11th- Day 5 2:11 PM

January 11th - Day 5, 10,200 feet
I just got off the satellite phone with Lonnie a couple minutes ago.  The wind of yesterday has lightened up some and he is making great progress.  This is a live image taken by Lonnie on the trail.  He is in good spirits and hopes to make it to 11,200 feet by dark.  Weather continues to be good, with clear skies and less wind expected later in the week. 

January 10th 7:41 PM - 9200 Feet

Day 4 - January 10th

I Just got off the Satellite phone with Lonnie.  He is dug in at 9200 feet for the night.  He had a good day of travel despite a sustained glacier downwind of approximately 50 mph during the day.  This evening the wind is gusting to +70 mph .  The snow conditions have changed as he gains elevation with less snow and more hard ice pack.   It took 2 hours and 45 minutes to build his ranger trench tonight due to a very hard pack surface with wind scoured ice.  Temperature today was around -5 to -10 degrees.  We will be checking the weather forecast tonight to see if the winds are going to continue. 
The picture is of  the Kahiltna Glacier.  Lonnie's location is at the top of the picture in the saddle between the two peaks.

January 10th, 4th Day 8100 Feet

January 10th  11:39 AM.  The high pressure system continues to dominate south central Alaska.  The forecast looks good and it is expected to last into the later part of this week.  This will provide Lonnie some good travel days.  I talked with him last night and everything is going well.  He made some changes in his ranger trench last night and he reduced the time to bulid it to 1 hour and 50 minutes...He has another great day for travel. 

January 8th, Day 2: Lower Kalihtna Glacier

January 8th:  9:37 PM.   Lonnie had a good day of travel today.  He was on the trail for 6+ hours.  He is approximately 1 hour from the base of the Ski Hill at 7800 feet.  The weather was good for traveling today with a north wind at 10-15 mph with temps around -15 to -20 below zero.  Progress was a bit slow due to snow the conditions.  The snow is very dry and abrasive which makes pulling the sled difficult since it does not slide very well due to the friction between the snow and the plastic runners on the sled.  He had a good night sleep last night, his ranger trench was a comfortable +32 .  He plans on hitting the trail again at first light.  Weather patterns continue to be good with a solid high pressure system for the next five days.     

Lonnie spends first night on Kahlitna Glacier

January 8th.  Lonnie called in last night after travelling 3 hours.  He had just finished building his ranger trench and was getting ready to have dinner.  The weahter has been excellent and he expects to hit the trail at first light today.  The picture is of the Kahlitna glacier.

Lonnie left on January 7th at 2:26 PM Alaska Time

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Tom Surprenant, expedition manager

Cell: 218-370-0749 E-mail: surprenant.tom@gmail.com
Web site: http://www.lonniedupre.com/

Explorer Attempts January Climb of Denali

TALKEETNA, ALASKA. January 7th, 2011-- Polar explorer Lonnie Dupre departed today for the Kahiltna Glacier located at the base of Denali, aka Mount McKinley, in Alaska, North America’s highest mountain.
Dupre is attempting the first solo January ascent of Denali. The expedition, called ‘Polar Climb 1,’ is expected to take one month. Dupre has over 25 years of polar exploration experience, including the circumnavigation of Greenland and two expeditions to the North Pole.
Denali’s 20,320-foot elevation and sub-Arctic latitude makes it a challenging climb in summer even by Himalayan standards. In winter, winds often exceed 100 miles per hour, temperatures plummet below -50F, and there is little daylight. This, combined with unpredictable weather and vast hidden crevasses, deems the mountain nearly unclimbable.
Only nine expeditions totaling 16 people have ever reached the summit of Denali in winter. Six deaths resulted from those climbs. Only one team (comprised of three Russian climbers) has ever made the summit in January…the dead of winter. Of those nine original expeditions, four were solo, but none of the solos were in January, the darkest and coldest time.
Dupre plans to pull a 6-foot, 150-pound sled across the lower reaches of the mountain, on skis to bridge crevasses. Both the sled and Dupre will be attached to a 14-foot lightweight aluminum ladder. The ladder will help to span crevasses should Dupre slip into one. As the terrain steepens, Dupre will switch to crampons and a backpack.
Six thousand calories per day will be needed to stave off the cold and will be eaten without cooking, with the exception of the dinner meal, to conserve weight and fuel. Some 300 bamboo wands with reflective tape will be carried to mark the route and previous camps from start to summit to guide the return during low visibility. Camps will consist of snow caves for shelter against hurricane force winds and frigid temperatures.
Dupre will be in daily contact from the trail with a support team stationed in Talkeetna. From there, daily blog entries, photographs, video and audio posts will be sent to support the expedition’s website www.lonniedupre.com.
Dupre plans to use the project as a platform to bring attention to vanishing glaciers; produce a film and an audio documentary for radio and do something big at the summit that will be documented there…stay tuned.

-END

GREEN LIGHT TO FLY: Departure set for January 6th at 12:30 PM Alaska Time

Hey Folks, We finally got a green light to fly tomorrow at 12:30 Alaska time to the Kahiltna Glacier at the base of Denali. The long term weather forecast look good...this is where the 'rubber meets the road'. We will keep you updated daily as Lonnie begins his journey to the top of Denali.

Weather Improving: 6th or 7th looks promising for departure

Talkeetna:  The Weather is slowly improving.  We had a briefing with our pilot this morning and it is looking good for a Thursday or Friday departure.  With the heavy snow of the last couple days it looks like we will be able to land on the glacier fine and get Lonnie on his way, but we will likely stay overnight and snowshoe a runway on the glacier (depending on snow density and depth this may take 8-12 hours) so that we can get enough lift to takeoff.  

Possible Weather Break on the 5th or 6th

Weather looks promising for later this week with a high pressure system moving into the area.   Base Camp activity continues at the "Trapper John" cabin.  This is one of the original Log Cabins from the 1920's that the Talkeetna Roadhouse manages in town.  We will keep you posted as we wait for improving weather.

New Years in Talkeetna

Lonnie and I watched the locals bring in the new year at the Fairview bar.  We are still grounded in Talkeetna.  We talked with our pilot with Tallkeetna Air today and the report is that up to 6 feet of snow has fallen on Denali in the last 48 hours.  Weather forecast is for more snow.  We wait........