About this Event
Denali Divas: Three Teams. One Mountain. A Whole Lot of Adventure.
What does it really take to climb Denali, North America's highest peak?
Join three Colorado Mountain Club women for an engaging evening of stories, lessons, and firsthand experiences from their Denali expeditions via the West Buttress route.
Climbing Denali is about much more than reaching the summit. It takes months of physical preparation, careful planning, strong team dynamics, logistical coordination, and the ability to adapt when the mountain throws you a curveball.
Our presenters will walk you through the entire expedition experience—from the initial dream and assembling a team to training, planning, life on the glacier, summit day, and the long journey back down.
What we'll discuss
Team Formation & Expedition Planning
- Turning a big mountain dream into a reality
- Building a compatible team with shared goals and risk tolerance
- Choosing expedition dates, permits, flights, and logistics
- Resources and planning tools for preparing for Denali
Training & Preparation
- Physical training and preparing for the demands of hauling heavy loads
- Planning food, calories, fuel, and group meals
- Personal and group gear, clothing, and emergency equipment
- Organizing the spreadsheets, caches, and countless expedition details
Life on the Mountain
- Moving loads and establishing caches
- Glacier travel, route finding, weather, and camp selection
- Managing food, water, waste, and rest days
- Navigating the different camps, fixed lines, and the challenges of high camp
- Preparing for summit day and the descent
Expedition Highlights & Lessons Learned
- What went well and what surprised us
- Gear failures, unexpected challenges, and memorable moments
- What we would do differently next time
- Lessons that can help future Denali climbers prepare
Meet the Presenters
Jenn Bealer – Director, Glacier Travel
Sheryl Lampert – Director, Alpine Climbing School
Kelly Greaser – Director, Advanced Alpine Climbing
These experienced CMC leaders will share their personal perspectives and experiences, giving you an honest look at the realities of a major mountaineering expedition.
Who Should Attend?
Whether you're considering Denali, planning a future expedition, building your mountaineering experience, or simply interested in learning what goes into climbing a big mountain, this presentation is for you.
You don't need to have Denali on your immediate climbing calendar to enjoy the stories and take away valuable lessons.
We'll wrap up with an open Q&A, so bring your questions!
Come for the stories. Leave with a better understanding of what it takes to take on Denali.
Denali Divas: Behind the Scenes of Climbing North America's Highest Peak
Three women. Three teams. One incredible mountain.
Join us for an evening of firsthand stories and lessons from three Colorado Mountain Club climbers who took on Denali via the West Buttress route.
We'll go behind the scenes of a Denali expedition and discuss everything from building a team and preparing physically to expedition logistics, gear, food planning, glacier travel, weather challenges, life at high camp, and summit day.
Expect practical advice, honest conversations about what went well (and what didn't), memorable mountain stories, and lessons learned along the way.
Whether Denali is on your climbing bucket list or you're simply curious about what it takes to tackle a major expedition, come join us!
Bring your questions. We'll save time for Q&A!
📍 RAB Denver - 1551 Platte St.
📅 Dec 9, doors open 6PM Event starts at 630PM
🎟️ Free Registration here!
#ColoradoMountainClub #Denali #DenaliDivas #WomenWhoClimb #Mountaineering #AlpineClimbing #WomenInTheMountains #CMC
Event venue & nearby stays
1551 Platte St, 1551 Platte Street, Denver, United States
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