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Denali would mean c limbing t o three times the al t i tude I had experienced this week. I thought about this for a couple o f hours: I was still very much the climbing r ookie. Then our rides showed, and we headed b ack down t o the othe r world at sea level. So am I re ady for Den al i ? One o f the lessons o f living a week in I ce Age beauty is t o not think of li fe i n such event-based terms. But the sho rt answer, I think, is "yes, eventually, and only as part o f a guided gr oup. " Cedar told me my skill level even now would make a guide's life much e asier on an ascent of one of the world's big peaks . But I haven't been tested at altitude yet. I am considering an ascent o f Aconc agua or another more manageable peak before taking on Denali. But, s omeday in your future you'll be reading right here about my Denali ascent . t o be Meanwhile, I'm already exc ited c limb ing those fro~en waterfalls that c ascade down like kryptonite j ust miles from my home in Haines. Thanks t o Alask a Moun tain Guides and a glacier with no n ame, I 've a bunch of new addictions. I l ook at mountains differently now. When I s ee areas once releg ated t o scenery status, I now wonder if there's a way up. b lue Contribut ing Edito r Doug Fine has repor t ed on locations from Burma and U'tbeklstan t o 1\wanda and the Arc t ic f or venues like the Washington Post, U.S. News & World lfeport and Wired. He lives in Alaska where he recently finished No t }feall,}' An Al askan Mo un tain Man, a flrst- winter memo ir . A website o f his work 1s at www .well.com/ user/ fine. • THE PATH TO DENALI TEXT: ALBERT PODELL So you stili want to climb Denali? You need to hone your mountaineering skills on easler, less technical climbs IIrst. We surveyed a number of outlltters and expedition leaders. All agreed the ideal timeline from your IIrst experience mountaineering course to your Denali ascent would be a 4- step process, over a range of Idealiy 4 to 5 years mountaineering experience. To start testing your commitment, ideal training grounds can be found around the globe, and include some of the world's most famous peaks. Try Mt Full (12,388 It) and leam a lot about Japanese culture on the way. Even though it tops out at 19.340 feet. Mt K1Urnanjaro is a non-technical climb that Involves nothing more difficult than putting one foot in front of another while trying not to puke your guts out from being at altitude for so long. A good next step is Mt Shasta (14,162 feet) in Northem Califomia. perhaps the most beautiful mountain the u.S. But it's not steep and has no crevasses on the southern side-so unguided ascents are possible-but has enough snow to give you sound experience with crampons and an Ice axe. Just watch out for the big boulders that bounce down alter the sun warms the snow. On the way down, enjoy a wide·open snowfield where you can glissade 3.000 feet In minutes. To push the envelope, take a ten-day trip up the Mexican volcanoes, Iztacdhuatl (17.154 IU and Odzaba (18.404 ft.. and the third highest peak In North America). with a reputable outfitter. You can summit them without great danger. To cement your skills further, good candidates are Cotapald and Chlmbarazo (20,563 feet) in Ecuador. Although IInancially out of reach for most mountaineers, climbing Antarctica's Mt Vinson (16,067 ft.) was recommended by Mark Gunlogson of Mountain Madness as a great training ground for Denali. The Vinson expedition offers specilic sled-pulUng experience. similar to that they would experience In Denali, but much easier. All outlitters we spoke with recommended summiting Argentina's Aconcagua (22,835 ft., the highest peak in the Western Hemisphere) before attempting Denali. It will give you experience climbing in cold temperatures (one mountaineer said he had experienced colder days on Aconcagua than Denali itselO. and high altitude, but it does not have the abundance of snow and glaciers that you will find on Denali. It is only a technical climb for a short bit. Then upward and onward - the sky's the limit. MOUNTAINEERING SCHOOLS. Alaskan Mountain Guides &. atmblng School Haines, AK; 800-766-3396; www.alaskamountainguldes.com 7 day expedition primer. $1,260; with a specillc focus on preparing mountaineers for Denali Colorado Mountain School, Estes Park, CO. 888-267-7783 www.cmschool.com. 6 day mountaineering and expedition training course. $1.000-$1.400 International Mountain atmblng School, North Conway, NH , 603 356- 7064; www.lme-usa.com. 3 day mountaineering course $400-$665 KILIMANJARO OUTFITIERS Geographic Expeditions. www.geoex.com. 16 days. $4.195 Mountain Madness. www.mountalnmadness.com. 5-17 days. :a'l .. IiOl~-O.,O Alaska Mountain Guides, 8 days. $2.500 MEXICAN VOLCANOES OUTFITIERS Mountain Madness. www.mountalnmadness.com. 9 days. $1,799 VINSON OUTFITIERS Mountain Madness. 19 days. $26.000 Adventure Network International. 15 days. $26.000 ACONCAGUA OUTFITIERS Alaska Mountain Guides. 20 days. $3.000 Mountain Madness. 27 days. $3.975 DENALI GUIDES Alaskan Mountain Guides. 800-766-3396 www.alaskamc)unltalngull~es.co 22-days. West Buttress route, $3.900 Alpine Ascents International. Seattle. WA, 206-378-1927 www.alplneascents.com. 21-days, West Buttress route. $40500 Mountain Trip. Anchorage. AK. 907-345-6499. www.mountalntrlp.com 16-25 day climbs. West Buttress route + West Rib route. $4.000-$5.000 WHO CAN SHOW YOU THE WAY? An excellent resource on the Mountain Madness website. www.mountainmadness.com. "Live Your Dreams," recommends a series of climbs. leading up to being ready for an attempt at climbing Everes