Stephan Keck

17.05. Camp VI Tundra 22:45 750 m - We are somewhere between McGonagall Pass and Wonderlake. After leaving our campsite this morning, we made good progress at the beginning. We then entered a huge glacier break, with several small difficulties, including extreme rockfall, which we then bypassed. The Muldrow Glacier stretches on forever and if it were a bit warmer, you'd probably sink up to your knees in silt. You probably wouldn't be able to get back and forth. We reached the McGonagall Pass at around 18:00. The descent from the pass was brilliant. It saved us two hours of walking. Hiking through the tundra with our light backpacks and skis on the back is a special experience. I'm really glad we didn't do the whole thing in the other direction, because we wouldn't have got very far with our equipment. Swamp, dense bush, etc. Now, for the first time in a long time, we are lying in the tent without snow, without ice, without storms, without cold. We've hung the food up in a tree in case we get a visit from a bear. Now we are enjoying the evening atmosphere with the tent open.

We have reached our camp IV and are on the Denali Pass. If the altitude is correct, we are at about 5750 meters. It is now 22:30, the sun is setting and we are doing relatively well. It has taken us seven hours to get here from the last camp. We are very lucky, there is almost no wind. We are quite exposed, if the wind came up we would have big problems.

It is now 12.05.09, 11.00 am. ?so one day later: we are now lying in a tent belonging to the Americans. It's the only place where it's a bit warm due to the radiation...

The two extreme alpinists Stephan Keck and Günter Burgsteiner embarked on a very special (goal) tour at the end of winter 2009: The ascent of the 6,194 m high Mount McKinley (called Denali in Alaska).