Moving to 14k camp

Pi called this morning as the team was gearing up to move out of 11k camp and get on the trail towards 14k. The weather has hesitated to cooperate for the last few days but the team waited it out comfortably in a fortified camp below Motorcycle Hill and finally got the window they were looking for. 11k camp is mostly sheltered from the sometimes very high winds that come through Kahiltna Pass below and across the polo fields and over Squirrel Point above, so deciding to move up often involves trying to guess how strong the winds are across the terrain above camp.
The move from 11k is a big day because of the distance and altitude gain; having a good rest step and pressure breathing help to keep fatigue at bay, as well as always drinking lots of water and eating lots of food. The climb for the day involves moving up Motorcycle Hill right out of camp perimeter. Motorcycle Hill is a moderately angled climb that eventually flattens out after 40 minutes or so to a nice break spot with breathtaking views of the Peters glacier. The route then heads up another shorter steep section that leads to what climbers have informally named the 'polo fields', mainly because the trail is mostly horizontal for a short distance. The trail then traverses at the base of a precipitous ice and granite face named Washburn's Face before taking a left at the aptly named Windy Corner. A steep sidehill leads to flatter ground which meanders up to the flatter bench that is 14k camp. From there climbers can see so many iconic Denali features: the fixed lines, Washburn's Thumb, the Messner couloir, the upper West Rib route and the Edge of the World.
Another Mountain Trip expedition led by Robert Durnell (Durny) has been in contact with Pi's group and have arranged a kitchen swap, which is when an expedition moving to a higher camp leaves up the kitchen tent for a lower group to move into. Durny left 14k this morning to move to 17k camp after waiting out the same bad weather cycle and was more than happy to help out. Any work saved in building camp is greatly appreciated by team members tired from a long day, and makes it that much quicker for the guides to get hot water and food going for dinner..