Mount McKinley and Mount Foraker Climbing Permit Terms and Conditions

1. Required Orientation

• All registered climbers are required to attend an orientation appointment at the Walter Harper Talkeetna Ranger Station together with their teammates.

2. Caching Garbage and Equipment

• EVERYTHING brought into the park must be brought out. Abandoning surplus gear, food, fuel, or wands is not allowed.
• Caches must be buried in a hole in the snow with at least 3 feet (1 meter) of snow on top of the food and equipment. Caches left for longer periods of time should be buried more deeply to prevent climbers or animals from tampering with your cache.
• Permanent caches are illegal.
• Mark caches with 5 to 6 foot (1.5-2 m) tall wands and the cache tags provided by the NPS. Caches without cache tags or labels will be removed from the mountain.
• Fixed lines and protection that you place must be removed on descent.
• Don’t place your cache in the middle of an established camp site, trail, or tent platform.
• Strain waste water and dispose of liquid in a sump hole. Pack out food particles and uneaten food.
• Below 6,000 feet (2000 m), store food caches in bear-proof containers or 3 layers of plastic bags to prevent attracting wildlife.

3. Preserve Natural Resources and Wildlife

• Leave what you find. You may not remove any natural object from the park.
• Below 6,000 feet, travel and camp on durable surfaces. Avoid camping on fragile tundra plants in non-glaciated areas of the park.
• Don’t feed or interfere with wildlife.

4. Human Waste Management

• Clean Mountain Cans (CMC’s) and biodegradable bags used for containing solid human waste will be provided by the NPS.
• Solid waste must be collected in a CMC below Camp 4 (14,200 feet) on the West Buttress route. Below Camp 4, solid waste must be removed from the mountain and returned to the CMC cage at the Talkeetna Ranger Station. There will be no crevassing of waste below Camp 4.
• At Camp 4 and above, (14,200 feet and higher elevations), solid human waste must either be removed from the mountain, or alternatively, it can be deposited in a single marked crevasse at the 14,200-food camp designated and flagged by the NPS rangers.
• Each party must arrive at Camp 4 with at least one CMC. Extra CMCs will be available at Camp 4.
• CMCs must be returned to the Walter Harper Talkeetna Ranger Station when teams check back.
• In areas other than the West Buttress use of the CMC is optional. Collect human waste in biodegradable bags and deposit in a deep crevasse.
• Use an existing urine spot whenever possible. If making a new urine spot at a commonly use camping area, mark it with a wand.

5. Be Courteous to Other Visitors

• Take breaks off to the side of main trails or routes and take care to move your ropes and sleds off of the trail so other climbers can pass.
• Total climbing party size may not exceed 12 members.
• Let nature’s sounds prevail. Avoid loud noises and voices during normal sleeping/resting hours.

6. Practice Safe Climbing and Make Good Decisions

• All parties are expected to be self-sufficient and to self-rescue and/or evacuate themselves should a member of the party become ill or injured.
• If the NPS provide emergency medical treatment to you, or evacuates you, your climbing permit for the year is cancelled and you must descend.
• If the NPS treats a member of your party and/or evacuates a member of your party due to an emergency and determines that the situation was caused due to negligence, your climbing permit may be cancelled.
• Solo climbing requires a separate application process and permit. If the rest of your expedition descends, you must descend as well and re-apply for a solo permit.
• Minors must be accompanied by at least two adults (over the age of 18) while travelling on glaciers or in terrain where a fall is likely to result in injury or death.

7. Commercial Operations

• All guided climbs must be conducted through one of the seven mountain guide services licensed to guide on Mount McKinley and Mount Foraker.
• Commercial filming and photography require a separate permit; filming activities cannot impact park resources or other visitor use and enjoyment of the area. The use of drones is prohibited in all areas of Denali National Park and Preserve (36 CFR 13.5).