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Hear Wally's Call from Denali

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Unfortunately at 14,000, on this route, this mountain, rescues come into play. It's a scary place up here if things go wrong. Last night, [Unintelligible] a friend of mine Kevin Morse, a park service ranger up here, his patrol is currently stationed at the 16,000 foot camp. I saw him down here, it looked like about 14 on the line, on the Lama helicopter [Unintelligible]...

An Italian climber who need to be extracted after he had broken a leg on the West Rib yesterday [click here for news release]. It looked a little scary as Kevin lifted out of here yesterday, swirling on that line, hanging from the Lama. Initial attempts to extract this guy was aborted, but Kevin and his team later in the night did in fact successfully retrieve this guy. And we were all relieved after that.

It turned out a group of British climbers high on the Rib yesturday [Unintelligible]...the summit. We were somewhat concerned about the kind of night they would have. In fact, we found out today that a fall had occurred and, ah, there at about 19,000ft on the West Rib right now. [Unintelligible]. So, rescue is kind of the [Unintelligible] day. I told Kevin and his crew earlier this morning that the Alpine Ascents team: myself, and Jamie and Steve could offer one guide to support with carrying rescue supplies up for the land rescue that is going to be attempted to help these British climbers out up high so that pretty much defines our day.

We'll certainly keep you posted [Unintelligible] experience, as it always is in the mountains when things like this happen, but our team is hanging together [Unintelligible]... taking care of one another, a lot of warm tea and jokes around the tent as the wind blows outside. In the meantime, we're at the service, to all reasonable extent, of whatever else is going on around us. We're reminded that we're in a big serious place and a mountaineering situation where we've got to take our breaks when we get 'em and always be prepared for the worst at all times.

Vern Tejas and company is somewhere below us. I never mentioned this to you, in my earlier dispatches, but the 7800 [Unintelligible]. Vern and Tom Bridge and their Alpine Ascents team just completed their initial carry into that same camp. Vern, being the slave driver and skills-oriented mountaineering guide that he is would not let his team move into our preconstructed walls. He wanted to make sure that they had the experienceof building their own blocks and last time I saw that team they were going to work putting up their walls as we left our 7800 [Unintelligible].

On the low side of windy corner, today, we see the winds are such that they can come up here and join us. And we certainly hope that will be in fact the case, in the next day or so. I'll let you know how they're doing, as soon as we're united and we're all together, we'll get some word. That'll be it for now, we'll continue to keep you posted. The five of us are doing great and are in great spirits here in 14,000ft on the West Buttress of Denali

— Alpine Ascents Guide Wally Berg, MountainZone.com Correspondent

Editor's Note: According to Denali National Park spokesperson Jane Tranel, it has been confirmed, as of 3:48 pm (PST) that three British climbers are stranded at 19,000 feet. Communicating by clicks, the climbers have been able to confirm one of their party is injured and will need to be transported down the mountain. Tranel reports the climbers were making a "quick summit" and do not have tents, which are located at 16,300 feet. While there is a cache at 17,200', Tranel does not know if the climbers will be able to descend. The climbers are stranded just to the right of Orient Express on the West Rib route. Ranger Kevin Morse and 10 VIP climbers are ascending, but are on the mountain acclimated to reach 19,000. Winds are reported to be 70mph on the summit.

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