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March 2016
PHOTOGRAMMETRIC ENGINEERING & REMOTE SENSING
A N I N T E R V I E W
tents can get torn or blow away in high winds if not properly
maintained. Knowing how to maintain equipment in these
conditions, and which equipment to bring is necessary for
success and safety.
There are also very real external hazards to deal with
on the climb. On the lower mountain there are countless
massive crevasses to be navigated.Mid-mountain crevasses
continue to be a danger, but added to it are rock fall and
avalanches. On the upper mountain, altitude illness, rock
fall, avalanches and extreme cold and weather become
the key dangers. Having the skills to mitigate these risks,
knowing when to climb and when to stay are key.
And finally, climbing Denali takes a strong mental will.
There is a saying that mountaineering in Alaska is, “A
series of doing things you don’t want to do when you don’t
want to do them.” This is especially relevant on Denali
where getting out of a tent at -30 degrees Fahrenheit,
to put on cold boots and carry a heavy pack for 12 hours
is not what you want to do. Equally miserable, is being
stuck at one camp, and in a tent 22 hours a day, for over a
week waiting for a storm to blow over. Digging out the tent
every few hours for a week, then when it clears, having the
motivation to dissemble the cold, frozen tents and start
climbing again. A special taste for suffering.
Project Schedule
Original Meeting at Alaska Surveying and Mapping
Conference- February 18, 2015
Follow Up Meeting at MAPPS & NSPS Conference
in Washington D.C.- April 16, 2015
Permits- National Park Service Research Permit
Issued- May 28, 2015
Contract- signed contract between Dewberry and
CompassData for the Survey- June 5, 2015
Land in Anchorage and Team Meet-Up- June 13,
2015
Check in with NPS- June 15, 2015
Fly on- June 15, 2015
Arrive at Camp 1- June 16, 2015
Arrive at Camp 2- June 17, 2015
Cache at Windy Corner- June 19, 2015
Arrive at 14 Camp- June 20, 2015
Establish Windy Corner Monument- June 21, 2015
Cache at 17 Camp- June 22, 2015
Summit and Establish Equipment- June 24, 2015
Equipment Retrieved- June 25, 2015
Batteries Retrieved-June 28, 2015
Team Fly off- June 29, 2015
How much planning was involved prior to the trip?
There several different planning portions of the trip.
Permitting and funding, survey equipment selection and
kit construction, and climb planning.
The permitting and funding portion of the planning
took the most time. There were multiple companies,
government agencies, a university (University of Alaska
Fairbanks). Getting everyone together to decide the best
approach, how to fund the work and how to perform the
work was the most difficult part of the project, taking
roughly 5 months.
The survey equipment planning was engaging, but less
difficult. CompassData is a Trimble supported company,
and I myself have the most experience with Trimble
equipment and the majority of my personal survey work
has been done with Trimble equipment. Trimble put us
in contact with their electrical engineering and technical
support team in California to help make the decision
on what equipment would be best suited for the harsh
environment and project requirements. Trimble eventually
agreed to sponsor our trip with brand new equipment that
was best suited for our project.
The actual climb planning was probably the easiest
planning portion. I’ve been fortunate to have spent lots
of time working in the Denali range and know the food
and equipment that I like to bring. The team met in
Anchorage on a Saturday, purchased and packed all the
food, checked and packed all the equipment and flew to
the glacier on Monday.
