Following is a series of dispatches received via satellite phone throughout the expedition:

Dispatch #1: May 18

The Ice Agers have arrived in Alaska!

Alaska Program Coordinator Coley Gentzel has also just arrived in Alaska, and has sent us a quick update to let everyone know that "the Ice Ager's Expedition is off to a grand start here in Anchorage. The orientation and gear check went smooth like butter, and we have just returned from a lovely dinner (see photo below) courtesy of the Snow Goose restaurant here in Anchorage. As we have known for some time know, the group is well prepared and outside of a few odds and ends, the gang is ready for the transition to Talkeetna. Weather permitting, we will also head for the glacier tomorrow."

The team enjoys their dinner at the Snow Goose restaurant in Anchorage

"I think most folks will wander down to Peggy's restaurant for a 6:00am breakfast before catching the shuttle to Talkeetna at 7:00am tomorrow. The "continental" breakfast here at the hotel is well, more proof that the term "continental" must be french for less than exciting!"

"We are still awaiting the arrival of Jack Strickland, the final arrival on the expedition. He is to arrive in another hour or two, fresh from his daughter's graduation in Texas. As long as he gets in as scheduled, we will be on the road as of 7:00am tomorrow. We will make a brief pit stop in Wasilla enroute to Talkeetna. I don't know about the rest of the gang, but I will be looking forward to a cup of Alaska best coffee there, roasted locally by the Kaladi Brothers here in Anchorage."

The team walks around Anchorage and prepares for their departure to Talkeetna Monday morning

"At this point, you must be wondering why you are getting the dispatch from me. I am, for the day, an honorary Ice Ager's team member. I was able to meet up with the group for some socializing and dinner and will be hitching a ride to Talkeetna in the morning. It was great for me personally to finally meet and connect with folks that I have, in some cases, been working with for years. Ron Goodman, Art Huseonica, and Bob Baker have not been far from my daily work for quite a few years now. Seeing this team come together and start to coalesce and make progress is a fantastic reminder of the meaning behind what we as a company do. This is a great group of men and they are all here for the "right" reasons - to have a good time, further friendships, and to work together to try to accomplish this enormous task."

Team member Art Huseonica trains for Denali by pulling heavy loads on the beach

"The Alaska sun is still shining brightly despite the late hour, and we have an early morning tomorrow - goodbye for now." - Coley Gentzel

Dispatch #2: May 20

Ice Agers are on the move

AAI Guide Jospeh Anderson, lead guide for this Denali Expedition, called mid-morning today with a report on the progress of Team 3 (the Ice Agers):

"We flew out of Talkeetna onto the glacier yesterday, and we all arrived by 5:30pm. We got all our things together, and we were able to make it up to Camp 1 late last night around 2:30am. Although it was late, the visibility was great, and we enjoyed the hike. Conditions here are ideal - sunny skies, mild temperatures during the day, a well-packed trail, and a great snowpack so we're not too worried about crevasses. Everything seems to be really filled in."

"When we arrived to Camp 1 last night, we ate cinnamon buns and made all the other teams pretty jealous, so that was fun. The team didn't let me and the other guides sleep in this morning though, even though we didn't all get to sleep until 5:00am! We woke around 10:30am today, and have a busy couple days ahead of us. One of the cool things up here is that there is a sand piper hanging around camp right now, which is pretty unusual up at 7,800'."

"Our plan for today is to check the weather, and go make a carry up to 10,000' this evening. It was a bit chilly last night, around 0-degrees with a 5mph wind, but not too bad. After we make the carry, we would return back to Camp 1 tonight. Then tomorrow, we might pack up Camp 1, and go camp at 10,000'. All in all, everyone and the trip is textbook so far, no complaints - except for that I have a bit of a sniffly nose. Talk to you soon!" - Joseph

Dispatch #3: May 21

Guide Alasdair Turner called in today around 12:30pm with a report on the Ice Ager Team:

"We're hanging out enjoying a late breakfast at Camp 1, and I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that Bob Baker and I will be returning to Anchorage today, as Bob is having some health problems that need immediate attention. It's nothing to be worried about, but unfortunately, his trip will be cut short. I will try to hike back in and meet up with the rest of the team in a couple days."

"The good news is that the rest of the team made a successful carry to about 10,500'. They left to make the carry at 8:00pm last night, and returned to camp around 1:00am. We were all back in bed at about 2:00am, and woke up late this morning at 10:00am. We're enjoying a yummy breakfast this morning of Cheerios and breakfast burritos, and we still have our sand piper friend with us. Tomorrow we will hike up to our cache, and camp out there or at Camp 2."

Dispatch #4: May 23

Guide Alasdair Turner with an update on Team 3's condition:

"I am calling you with the just sat phone antenna stuck outside of the tent door at Camp 2, while I am huddled inside the tent. Snow is everywhere and the wind is blowing hard! We moved up to 11,200' yesterday with no problems. Around 11:00pm last night, we had some amazing views when the sun was setting! I took some of the best pictures that I have taken on a Denali expedition yesterday. We had beautiful views of the the ridge, Kahiltna dome, and Mt. Foraker."

An archived image of Mt. Foraker from Camp 3

"We are going to expect to be at camp for three more days and will wait out the weather. It isn't a problem, we have a good camp dug out. We had social hour this morning and enjoyed some bacon, hash browns, and tasty Chai tea for breakfast today. We will spend our time improving camp and socializing with the pretty cool people that are at camp now. There are about 60 people at this camp. Joseph is reading a book about Bruce Lee and I am going to start reading Kite Runner."

Dispatch #5: May 25

Today's dispatch comes from Karen - her husband and ice ager team member Art called her this morning with an update:

"Today, the team is still at Camp 2 with about 60 other climbers. This is due to the bad weather . . . lots of snow and high winds. If the weather clears today, they plan to make a carry of supplies to 13,500' below Camp 3 then return to Camp 2 to spend another night before moving to Camp 3 at 14,200'. Weather is always a factor in mountain climbing and Denali is certainly no exception, so everyone needs to be patient and prepared to move when the chance occurs."

Dispatch #6: May 26

Guide Jeremy called with an update on the Ice Ager's progress today:

"It has been clear and sunny weather today at Camp 2, a nice respite from several days of storms. Yesterday, we went to pick up our cache at 9,500'. And today, we headed up Motorcycle Hill, a tough climb, to drop a cache at 13,500. For the most part, everyone is healthy and happy, but I will be taking Ron Goodman, Tim Bullard, and Paul Rose out today. They will be calling family and friends when they make it safely off the glacier."

Dispatch #7: May 27

Guide Alasdair called with an update this afternoon:

"We are packing up to leave Camp 2, and head up to Camp 3. We made a successful carry yesterday, and feel ready to move up. The weather is fairly nice, and there's no wind right now. I will call later on, and let everyone know if we've made it to 14,000' - I have to go now though, the SAT phone batteries are low."

Dispatch #8: May 28

Guide Joseph just called the office with a new dispatch from the Ice Agers:

"We are at Camp 3. We got in pretty late, after a very hard carry up here. Our loads were very heavy, because we decided to move quickly and didn't have time to dispose of the extra food from the other team members who left early. So today is a much appreciated rest day."

"It is fairly windy again, but mostly sunny so the chilly weather hasn't been too cruel. It was about 10-degrees this morning."

"Camp 3 is very full right now, I think about 100-140 people are here. It's like a small international village. There's a few interesting groups - an Austrian team is taking up a blind man, and I'll be interested to see how that expedition goes. Also, there's a team here from Vancouver that got stuck at Camp 2, and we had to share some of our extra food with them. They had cached their food up high, and then got stuck low on the mountain because of the windy weather last week. We didn't mind sharing, because we had extra supplies available. That's one of the wonderful things about climbing on Denali - there's a sense of responsibility that everyone shares, and it's not just each man for himself. Well, the SAT phone battery is low, say hello to our wives and family and we'll talk to you soon!"

Dispatch #9: May 29

Alasdair's Walking Tour of Camp 3:

"The weather is beautiful up at Camp 3, not too much wind. I can count about 50 people heading up to 16,000 to the fixed lines to practice, and a few people will probably be continuing on to 17,000. There are also some climbers heading up to climb the West Rib, which is surprising considering the forecast."

"There is a solid cloud layer on the north side of the mountain at around 8,000 ft. Our guys are building walls in preparation for the expected winds. It's sunny right now, and there are lots of sleeping bags on top of tents, drying in the nice weather. I think our outhouse has one of the best views in camp, looking towards the towering Mt. Hunter, so it is probably just about the best place I can think of to relieve yourself."

"There are many interesting things going on at camp. A llama came in this morning delivering food and rangers to the ranger station. Looking around at the different camps, I can see Spanish, Swedish, Polish, Serbian, Italian, and Canadian flags. The mood up here is very light, which is good considering the considerable work we are all doing."

"I just interviewed some Canadians in regards to what they were eating and they responded "Canadian food," which apparently consists of freeze dried meals from Toronto. Nowhere near as gourmet as what our team has been eating - like the mac and cheese ala chicken which we thoroughly enjoyed last night."

"Well, this is the end of the walking tour! Tomorrow we will back carry to pick up some food, and then will be resting at camp."

Dispatch #10: May 30

Alasdair's daily dispatch:

"Today is another rest day at Camp 3. Yesterday we carried back to 12,900 to pick up food and fuel. It was very cold when we returned, and so we had some warm burritos for dinner."

"This morning we enjoyed some bacon that we found in the cache. It ia a beautiful sunny day here, and we will probably head for the fixed lines and practice up there. Tomorrow, we will cache at 16,000'. Camp is emptying out as other teams head up to 16,000', but our motto is 'slow and steady' and that is how we will be!"

Dispatch #11: June 1

Guide Jeremy Ellison returned to Talkeetna last week after bringing a couple climbers back to sea level from Denali. He sent in these wonderful photos of the Ice Agers' expedition.

Dispatch #12: June 1

Alasdair called with an update on the Ice Ager's progress:

"We are stationed at Camp 3. Yesterday, we made our way up to 16,200 to make a cache. The climb started with good weather, and we didn't even need jackets on the fixed lines. Once we were above the fixed lines, the weather moved in. Unfortunately, clouds surrounded us, and brought snow, but luckily there was no wind. After caching five days worth of food, the team headed back down to camp."

"Today is a needed rest day and it also happens to be a weather day as well. It is pretty stormy out. In fact, the next few days will also probably be weather days. We are waiting for a few days of mild weather, and then the team will move up to 17,000 - High Camp - and be in position for a summit bid. Everyone is currently writing in their journals and patiently waiting for the clouds to move on."

Dispatch #13: June 2

We just spoke with Alasdair, who is resting at Camp 3 with Joseph and the rest of the Ice Agers:

"Well, we are just hanging out at Camp 3. It's actually been a fun and relaxing time because Team 4 is at camp too, so we've been able to party together! We are hoping to move up higher tomorrow, but in the meantime we took a short field trip to the 'Edge of the World' yesterday. The only thing I am bummed about is that we ran out of hot coco!"

Dispatch #14: June 3

Guide Joseph called with an update on the 'slow and steady' progress of Team 3:

"We are still stationed at Camp 3. Because we are taking things nice and slow, we are enjoying discussions of world politics and literature in the cook tent, and some of the climbers are entertaining themselves by building snowmen. It is misting and snowing outside, but nothing very extreme. There is a rescue going on on the other side of the ridge from the fixed lines, and we have been trying to stay informed on that situation. It sounds like everyone is alright, and it is no one that we know."

"The forecast isn't fantastic for the next couple days, but as soon as it clears up, we will be heading up high. Talk to you soon!"

Dispatch #15: June 5

We received a call from Kurt this morning, and Teams 3 (the Ice Agers) and Team 4 will be joining forces up at High Camp:

"The Ice Agers have already moved from Camp 3 up to High Camp. We (Team 4) are leaving in about 10 minutes for High Camp. Once up at 17,000', we will all join together and share meals, food, and gear. This is going to be a very safe and solid group."

"There are several updates on the Ice Ager Team. Joseph and Alasdair are on their way down the mountain, with climbers Art Huseonica and Jack Strickland. Mike Triller from Team 4 will also be going down the mountain with this group. We expect that Joseph, Art, Jack and Mike will arrive at the airstrip late tonight, and will fly back to Talkeetna on Friday. Guide Mike Madden from Team 4 will continue up the mountain to High Camp with the remaining Ice Agers from Team 3."

"The exciting news is that the Ice Ager group that is at High Camp will most likely try for the Summit on Friday or Saturday. Team 4, lead by myself and Gabe, will also be headed for the Summit on Saturday, as the weather is looking fairly calm for the next couple days."

Dispatch #16: June 5

Kurt called with a second dispatch today, letting everyone know that they arrived at High Camp safely at 5:00pm:

"The weather was good today. It was overcast with occasional snow showers, but as we got higher we climbed out of the clouds and had great views of Foraker and Hunter. Later we got, and still have, a thin haze of clouds above us. The climb from 14,000 feet took us only eight hours - pretty good time - and we were the first team to arrive at 17,000 today (the Ice Agers arrived yesterday)."

"We're going to take a rest day tomorrow and hope for a Summit on Saturday. The forecast is for another day like today for tomorrow, Friday - patchy clouds, and then clear and cold on Saturday. Then on Sunday they are predicting higher winds, so we want to be up and down before that."

"There are eleven of us here, with five climbers from Team 4 and three Ice Agers. Everybody is doing fine. There are a few mild headaches, ' but we're working on setting camp and getting dinner rolling and we plan on drinking lots of water. Everyone did great today, but the rest day on Friday will be perfect and put us in a great position for the summit bid. We'll call again when there is more news. Everyone says 'Hi to family and friends back home'."

Dispatch #17: June 6

Kurt called with a quick update from High Camp:

"I am laying in my sleeping bag, staying warm and sleeping in. Today will be a rest day for Team 4, but Team 3 - the Ice Agers - is currently headed for the Summit. The weather is good enough for summmit bids, and a few other teams have headed up as well. Today we will lay around, eat a lot of food, drink lots of water, fortify camp with snow blocks. Around 8:00pm we will check the forecast, and if things are still looking decent, we will depart for the summit tomorrow morning."

Dispatch #18: June 6

Guide Alasdair, back in Talkeetna, sent in these amazing portraits of the Ice Ager Team - good luck to them on their summit bid today!

Dispatch #19: June 9

We have heard from both Teams 3 and 4, and they both summited! Team 3 - the Ice Agers - summited on Friday evening June 6th, and Team 4 reached the top on Saturday, June 7th! Read below for dispatches from Kurt and Mike:

Mike reporting for Team 3: "We left for the summit at 11:00am on Friday, in pretty resonable weather so we decided to give it a look. We climbed under blue sky and the weather was fairly nice, but as we moved on to the summit ridge we were hammered by high winds and snow. The team worked hard to reach the summit and in spite of the wind, we made it! After we reached the summit we turned right around to get back to High Camp! We got back at 2:30am in the morning and the team was very happy. After drinking lots of water, the team went to bed. We will be heading to rest at Camp 3, and then moving down the mountain and hopefully flying off the glacier on Sunday."

Kurt reporting for Team 4: "We left High Camp at 10:00am on Saturday. The weather was warm, except it was cold in the shade of Denali pass for the first two hours of the climb. Then, it felt like the temperature warmed up even though it was minus 15 degrees out! Our team moved steadily and efficiently up the mountain. We took a break when we reached the football field. Then we powered on up it, and saw friends and other guide services on the route. Everyone worked together to get everyone to the top. At 6:00pm we reached the summit! There was a light breeze with a few clouds but we had beautiful views of Mt. Foraker and other surrounding peaks. We didn't stay on the summit for long. Our group did not want to get held up on the ridge with a lot of other climbers, which is often the case on this part of the route. So we descended down the route, and it took about two hours to get back down Denali pass - which it took us six hours to get up! All was fine all the way down to High Camp. The plan is to get up early on Sunday and power down to Camp 3 and rest. We will then make the long hike down to base camp and wait to fly out!"

We have just heard (as of 12:00pm on Monday) that Team 3 was able to fly off the glacier late Sunday evening. Team 4 will hopefully be able to fly off the glacier soon, and they are currently hanging out at Base Camp. We will post a dispatch as soon as we hear that Team 4 has arrived safely back in Talkeetna.