Denali 2026 Coverage: Podcast with Summiteer – John Bartolic
The Denali 2026 season is well underway, with a dated climber report as of June 1, 2026, of 513 climbers, mainly on the West Buttress route. 97 climbers have completed their trips, and 381 are left to check in and begin their climbs. One team that did summit was one from American Alpine Institute and Summit Coach client, John Bartlic
John, a Southwest Airlines pilot living in Dallas, Texas, is relatively new to mountaineering, with a Rainier summit last year and a Pico de Orizaba summit a few months ago. His next includes Kilimanjaro and Everest. We discussed everything from motivation, training, gear, clothing and weather to logistics and had a special remembrance of Mayor Stubbs of Talkeetna, Alaska, who died in 2017. I met Stubbs in 2007 on a climb. #Denali2026
If you would like to be notified when my memoir, “Hard or Impossible? Summiting K2 for Ida is available – I’m still looking for an agent. Complete the form at the bottom of this introduction page: https://www.alanarnette.com/memoir
Live from Denali Summit with Garrett Madison
Live from Denali Summit with Garrett Madison in a season of the lowest summit numbers in history from the summit of Denali on June 14, 2025. It’s been a very cold year, as documented by the Rangers: # Denali 2025
Rainier 2015: Summit and Fun
This trip report is for my climb of Mt. Rainier in Washington State, Washington. At 14,409 feet, it is the highest volcano in the lower 48 states of the US and the most popular way of training for higher Himalayan peaks. I summited with friends on July 8, 2015. I rolled over in my sleeping […]
Denali FAQ
These are FAQ from my three Denali climbs
Denali Home
North America: Denali (20,320’/6194m) Denali is the native American name for the mountain. In 1980, in honor of President McKinley, the National Park Service named the surrounding park Denali National Park. In 2015, the mountain’s name was officially changed to Denali. It is in central Alaska – 300 miles South of the Arctic Circle and […]
Denali 2011 Trip Report
My third attempt on Denali, the highest in North America as part of my 7 Summmits for Alzheimer’s campaign in 2011.
Denali 2007 Trip Report
This is a very personal, detailed and sometimes graphic report. It chronicles my attempt on Denali in June 2007. My intent is to bring readers into my world of high-altitude mountaineering by showing the incredible rewards, the obvious dangers and what happens when the human body hits the wall. Remember to click on any picture […]
Denali 2001 Trip Report
Denali is in central Alaska – 300 miles South of the Arctic Circle and 200 miles East of the Bearing Sea. In July 2001, I flew from Denver to Anchorage, drove to Talkeetna, and took a bush plane to land on the Kahiltna Glacier to begin the climb using the West Buttress route. Denali offers […]