CLC Prepares For Its Largest Expedition Ever: Denali

Sunrise over Sunrise- Mt. Rainier 2013

In just a few short weeks, Cascade Leadership Challenge will embark on it largest and most ambitious expedition ever. Nestled in the Alaskan interior, Denali, also known as Mt. McKinley, is the tallest mountain in the United States. As the tallest mountain in North America, it is also one of the famed Seven Summits. Thanks to its immense size and unique location near the Arctic Circle, Denali's weather can change in an instant and extremely cold temperatures accompany climbers even at the height of nightless summer.

In June 2014, a team of seven of CLC's most experienced youth and adult climbers will make a summit attempt of Denali in a month-long expedition. An advance team will fly to Anchorage, AK on June 12 to buy food and organize supplies. The full team will assemble in Anchorage on June 14 and travel to Talkeetna for a National Park Service briefing, then fly by bush plane to Kahiltna Base Camp to begin the climb. If a summit attempt is made, it will be in the last week of June. The team will return to Anchorage and then Seattle between June 30 and July 4, 2014.

CLC cooperates and engages with outdoor leaders working at high levels of achievement in adventure travel and civic engagement. These leaders consistently encourage CLC, based on CLC's success and methods, to raise our sights. Specifically, CLC has been encouraged to accept the challenge of higher-level activities in Alaska and Nepal. The 2014 Denali Expedition is a response to this encouragement. The purpose of the Denali Expedition is to strengthen CLC's ability to deliver quality programs to its teenage and young adult members and position the organization to support future activities of increasing complexity, including international adventure travel and humanitarian work in places like Nepal, Tibet, Canada, and future trips to Alaska.

Crevasse rescue practice

After a number of years of serving youth, CLC is now retaining youth members into their college years. These older youth - now young adults - present our organization with two exciting opportunities. First, these young adults are assuming greater responsibility to deliver CLC programs to younger, newer members. The leadership of these young adults is causing both the quality and scale of CLC activities to grow- better activities for more youth. Second, these young adults compel the organization to develop higher-level programs that recognize their growing experience and help them to continue in their personal and leadership development as truly high-functioning adults. CLC's program is unlike any other and is certainly among the most ambitious programs ever undertaken by a youth group.

For more information, please visit the Denali Page on our website. Check back often for updates on the team's progress. We'll see you on the top of North America!