Just realized I've been planning routes all wrong for Denali

I kept looking at distance and elevation gain like I do for any other trip. But after 3 days on the Kahiltna Glacier last summer, it hit me that terrain type matters way more than miles. Everyone talks about how many miles per day they do, but nobody talks about how slow you go on a glacier with a 60 pound pack. I watched a group of experienced hikers burn out trying to do 8 miles in a day on soft snow. Has anyone else found that route planning needs a whole different set of rules for snow versus dirt?

2 comments

2 Comments

black.patricia17d ago

Used to just punch in mileage and elevation like it was any other hike, then I got humbled real fast postholing through wet snow for four hours on a two mile stretch. Terrain type is everything once you factor in that 60 pound pack and the constant micro-decisions about crevasses and route finding. Now I budget twice the time for glacier travel and still end up behind schedule.

west.claire16d ago

Read in a guidebook that wet snow can triple your travel time, and it really stuck with me.