Pilots conquer highest peak in North America

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Emerald Ralston
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs Office
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  Two members of Team Malmstrom, part of a six-person, all Air Force team, returned last month from climbing Mt. McKinley, Alaska, the highest mountain in North America. 

Capt. Graydon Muller and 1st Lt. Andrew Ackles, 40th Helicopter Squadron pilots, climbed the 20,320 feet in the Denali National Park as part of the U.S. Air Force Seven Summits Challenge. 

The vision of the challenge is to have Air Force members carry the American and Air Force flag to the highest point on each continent, ending on the highest point on earth, Mt. Everest, Nepal, Asia, according to www.usaf7summits.com. 

"The Seven Summits Challenge has two goals," Lt. Ackles said. "The first is to demonstrate Air Force fitness by climbing each of the highest peaks in all seven continents. High-altitude mountaineering is a very physically and mentally challenging activity. I've ran marathons, but climbing is so much more challenging due to the extended duration which can last over a month. The second goal is to raise awareness and funds for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation." 

The Special Operations Warrior Foundation is a charity dedicated to providing education grants to surviving children of special operations members who are killed in training accidents or operational missions, according to www.usaf7summits.com. 

While the goals may be to climb mountains and support charity, there are many other challenges and opportunities present themselves. 

"Along the way, we have the opportunity to demonstrate the resolve, teamwork and physical fitness of the Air Force to the world and to be ambassadors for the Air Force to the many people we meet along the way," Captain Muller said. 

The Mt. McKinley climb was Captain Muller's first serious mountaineering climb, he said, and the event was a learning experience. 

"Every day presented physical and mental challenges to overcome, but each one brought with it a reward. Being a part of a supportive and motivated team was a huge help and pleasure," Captain Muller said. "The experienced members mentored those of us with less experience and everyone was very helpful. Overall, it presented the most physically demanding thing I've ever done. I was completely exhausted by the end of the climb, but it was amazing to be living in such a harsh but beautiful environment." 

But getting away from the comforts of modern life helped make it an enjoyable experience, Lieutenant Ackles said. 

"Mt. McKinley was one of those most difficult and enjoyable things I have ever done," he said. "Modern life is all about instant gratification. Mountaineering is the best escape from that I have found. In order to climb an expedition-type mountain, you must plan, coordinate and train for months - or even years - prior to even seeing the peak. Once on the mountain, everyone must work as a team in order to make it up. Group gear is divided as equally as possible each day, and if someone isn't at 100 percent, it means other members must be ready and willing to carry the extra weight." 

The extra weight comes in the form of about 100 pounds of food and equipment, he said. Sometimes, during steep or technical situations, that means climbing the day's route, caching the gear, and descending to haul up the next 50 pounds the following day. In these situations, jobs are split up between the team members so everything gets done each morning and evening. 

Trust and pride are a couple of other things that come along with the experience, Lieutenant Ackles said. 

"While climbing, everyone is roped together and must have trust and faith in the other members of the team who will catch and rescue you if you fall into a crevasse or off a ridge," he said. "Many people believe the satisfaction people experience when climbing comes from reaching the summit, but really, that is only part of it. Every step you move up a mountain brings satisfaction and a sense of pride. We carried a large American and Air Force flag up to every camp and displayed it proudly. Half the climbers on Denali are international, which provided us a great opportunity to represent the Air Force in a positive light to the international community, along with building great relationships." 

Captain Muller said the best parts were not only the teamwork, but the beauty and the experience as a whole. 

"The best part of the climb is a toss-up between living among the mountains, surrounded by beauty and realizing the expanded nature of my physical capabilities," he said. "We did things on the climb that I had only ever read about or seen on TV. It was awesome to realize that with some determination and some help from my team, I could do these things." 

He said another cool part of the event was on summit day, when they were trekking the final length of the climb. 

"An F-22 from the 90th Fighter Squadron at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, supported us with a fly-by on summit day," Captain Muller said. "It was super motivating for our team, and other climbers also commented on how cool it was." 

Summit day did present other challenges to the team, with a storm turning what should have been an 11 hour climb into more than 15 hours of climbing. 

"The day was going fairly smoothly with light winds and mostly cloudy skies until about an hour from the summit," Captain Muller said. "At this point a storm descended on the mountain bringing high winds, driving snow, cold temperatures and bad visibility. We pushed on but we were slowed down considerably." 

Despite the challenges, all six members of the team persevered and made it to the top of the mountain and back down safely, with the American and Air Force flag flying high at the peak to represent the strength and dedication that is so important to the Air Force lifestyle.