“I’ve been to Baffin Island, the Arctic three times, I’ve been to the Antarctic … I think this might be the coldest!” – Ingrid Backstrom
Ingrid Backstrom, Sage Cattabriga-Alosa, and The North Face crew climbed, summited, and skied Denali this past summer. They skied right off the summit and had good snow. Good snow off the summit is tough to come by, these guys scored.
If you’ve never been to Denali, this is a cool way to get a feel for what it’s like there. What’s the best part of Denali climbing trip? The view from the top, the sense of accomplishment, the exposure on the Western Buttress, the low-oxygen cerebral high, drinking at The Fairview after the climb? Nope, it’s the flights in and out. The views from these flights in this park are like living in a lucid dream – it’s surreal while it’s happening and you can’t really remember the details afterwards.
Skip to 12:35 to see the skiing
Congrats to Ingrid and the whole North Face team on their summit and ski.