Soldiers train to climb Mt. McKinley

By SSG Mylinda DuRousseauApril 16, 2014

Getting Ready
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Members of the 1st Stryker Briaged Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Mt. McKinley climbing team prepare to navigate through the McCullam Creek area in the Alaska Mountain Range as part of a three-day mountaineering excursion. The expedition took th... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Denali team training
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Members of the 1st Stryker Briaged Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Mt. McKinley climbing team navigate through the McCullam Creek area in the Alaska Mountain Range as part of a three-day mountaineering excursion. The expedition took the Soldiers ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Taking a break
3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Members of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Mt. McKinley climbing team stop for a break as they travel through McCullam Creek area in the Alaska Mountain Range on skies as part of a three-day mountaneering excursion. Member... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

The sound of skis cutting a path through freshly-fallen snow was all that could be heard in the McCullam Creek area of the Alaskan Mountains. Nine Soldiers were forced to stop as a moose crossed their path during a four-day mountaineering exercise April 8-11.

"I thought this would be a unique opportunity to experience Alaska and gain a lot of skills," said Pfc. Joshua Sexton, a cannon crew member with B Battery, 2nd Battalion, 8th Field Artillery and one of seven Soldiers from 1st Brigade Stryker Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division training to climb Mount McKinley.

The team of 1/25 SBCT Soldiers began training in March to climb McKinley in May. Team members' mountaineering skills range from no experience to having summitted Mount McKinley in the past. Climbing Mount McKinley, the highest peak in North America, requires each team member to train, regardless of past experience.

"We're lucky here," said Capt. Sam Palmer, 1/25 SBCT climbing team leader and Groton, Mass., native. "We get to train for our Alaska mountaineering expedition by doing Alaskan mountaineering expeditions. We'll be able to practice glacier travel on actual glaciers, move over huge terrain you can't find anywhere else and deal with big snow packs."

The team's training advanced from learning to cross-country ski while pulling a sled to learning to identify and react to an avalanche. Mountaineering expeditions like the one to McCullam Glacier provide an opportunity to combine their training and put it to use in the mountains.

"Where I'm from we don't normally do stuff like this," said Staff Sgt. Shawn Sullivan, a medical treatment noncommissioned officer with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 5th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment originally from Jacksonville, Fla.

Sullivan said he was able to use all of the training on this expedition.

Definitely the skiing part," said Sullivan, "Going to the avalanche course, learning about how the snow interacts with the environment it falls in and what we should be looking out for when we are travelling, [are things I used on this trip]."

During this expedition the team experienced heavy snow fall, high winds and an avalanche. Although most people prefer clear days and nice weather the team said their training benefits from bad weather too.

"You aren't guaranteed good weather on [Mount McKinley],"said Sgt. 1st Class Ken Miller, Denali Team noncommissioned officer assigned to Brigade Troops Battalion.

The team's next expedition is scheduled for April 21to Castner Glacier in the Alaska Mountains.