‘It’s the closest terrain to Afghanistan’: Incredible images show U.S. Army helping set up base camp on North America’s tallest mountain as they fly in food and medical equipment for training exercise 

  • Troops flew to the Alaska Range and continent's tallest mountain, Denali
  • They travelled with food and supplies for early season climbers in Alaska 
  • US Army uses exercise to prepare pilots and crews for difficult conditions

Three U.S. Army Chinooks have flown in urgent supplies to climbers scaling the highest peak in North America as part of a training operation.

The helicopters, which are each the size of an American bus, flew to the Alaska Range following the 44-mile long Kahiltna Glacier. 

At 7,200 feet, they landed light as a feather at the base of North America's tallest mountain, Denali, where below are a few brightly colored tents, temporary shelters for early season climbers dotting the white landscape.

The helicopters, which are each the size of an American bus, flew to the Alaska Range, following the 44-mile long Kahiltna Glacier

The helicopters, which are each the size of an American bus, flew to the Alaska Range, following the 44-mile long Kahiltna Glacier

At 7,200 feet, the helicopters landed light as a feather at the base of North America's tallest mountain, Denali

At 7,200 feet, the helicopters landed light as a feather at the base of North America's tallest mountain, Denali

The helicopters the size of city buses took supplies like food, communication equipment and fuel to the base camp at the 7,200-foot level of Denali

The helicopters the size of city buses took supplies like food, communication equipment and fuel to the base camp at the 7,200-foot level of Denali

Urgent need: The U.S. Army helped set up base camp on North America's tallest mountain

Urgent need: The U.S. Army helped set up base camp on North America's tallest mountain

This image shows the Arctic Ranger patch of a soldier from the B Company, 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment at Fort Wainwright, Alaska

This image shows the Arctic Ranger patch of a soldier from the B Company, 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment at Fort Wainwright, Alaska

There's nothing military about this mission. Instead, these Chinooks are delivering potentially lifesaving food and medical equipment for two base camps, one at 7,200 feet and the other at 14,000 feet, to assist those attempting to climb the 20,310-foot Denali.

But it's not just a delivery job for the Army, ferrying this equipment up the mountain for the National Park Service. It's training for when the helicopters need to fly in high altitude locations such as Afghanistan, which one of the helicopter pilots said most closely resembles Alaska.

'It's really valuable training in a really unique location in high-altitude flying, in hoist training and then mountainous area flying,' said Capt. Corey Wheeler, commander of B Company, 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment.

The unit, which goes by the more nickname of Sugar Bears, is based at Fort Wainwright, near Fairbanks, Alaska.

'This is one of the opportunities we have here in Alaska that really they don't get in a lot of the other places in the Lower 48,' said the pilot, Chief Warrant Officer III Kirk Donovan, who was wearing dark sunglasses to fend off the unforgiving sunlight glistening off the glacier.

Among the benefits is taking 'the helicopter right to the very limit of what it will and will not do. But on top of that, it gets all the guys familiar with the competence and the confidence it takes to fly up there on a regular basis,' he said.

The Chinooks were temporarily based at the airstrip in nearby Talkeetna, Alaska, the quirky little tourist town where climbers get their last taste of civilization before heading up the mountain.

There's nothing military about this mission. Instead, these Chinooks are delivering potentially lifesaving food and medical equipment for two base camps

There's nothing military about this mission. Instead, these Chinooks are delivering potentially lifesaving food and medical equipment for two base camps

Chief Warrant Officer III Kirk Donovan, second from right, giving instructions to soldiers unloading a Chinook helicopter that landed on the glacier near Denali
Denali ranger Dan Corn, right, helping put supplies into a net at lower base camp

Chief Warrant Officer III Kirk Donovan, second from right in the left picture, giving instructions to soldiers unloading a Chinook helicopter that landed on the glacier near Denali while (right) Denali ranger Dan Corn, right, helping put supplies into a net at lower base camp

Climber Geoffrey Johnson of Boston. He and a friend were spending two weeks climbing and skiing in the Alaska Range and intended to climb Mount Frances, shown behind Johnson

Climber Geoffrey Johnson of Boston. He and a friend were spending two weeks climbing and skiing in the Alaska Range and intended to climb Mount Frances, shown behind Johnson

Open to the elements: Some of the tents occupied by early season climbers near Denali in the Alaska Range

Open to the elements: Some of the tents occupied by early season climbers near Denali in the Alaska Range

The Army has helped establish the base camps for decades when not deployed, and in those years it helps reduce the carbon footprint of getting supplies on the mountain, said Dan Corn, one of Denali rangers

The Army has helped establish the base camps for decades when not deployed, and in those years it helps reduce the carbon footprint of getting supplies on the mountain, said Dan Corn, one of Denali rangers

As of Tuesday, there were 759 climbers on Denali, attempting to become the first to reach the summit after the Obama administration changed the name of Mount McKinley late last summer to its traditional Alaska name

As of Tuesday, there were 759 climbers on Denali, attempting to become the first to reach the summit after the Obama administration changed the name of Mount McKinley late last summer to its traditional Alaska name

They flew supplies to the lower base camp on April 24, where soldiers slogged, slipped and sank in two feet of snow trying to off load telecommunication equipment, plywood flooring for tents, propane tanks, fuel blivets and boxes of frozen food.

The supplies for the higher base camp were set aside for delivery at a later date, when a park service helicopter could fly the supplies higher up the mountain and when rangers were in place to receive them.

The Army has helped establish the base camps for decades when not deployed, and in those years it helps reduce the carbon footprint of getting supplies on the mountain, said Dan Corn, one of Denali rangers.

'It helps out a tremendous amount because we get everything in here with one load,' Corn said. It would take a small aircraft 10 or 11 trips to match the 12 1/2-ton carrying capacity of a Chinook.

That wasn't the most impressive part of the helicopters for Geoffrey Johnson, a Boston man who was spending a two-week climbing and skiing trip with a friend.

'The rotor wash was quite powerful and it blew the center pole of our cook tent through the snow base that we had erected for it,' he said of one Chinook's landing about 100 yards downglacier from their tent.

Johnson and his friend never intended to climb Denali, instead setting their sights on the smaller 10,450-foot Mount Frances - which was right outside the flap of their tent. Those attempting to climb Denali arrive in late April, and the main climbing season goes through early July.

As of Tuesday, there were 759 climbers on Denali, attempting to become the first to reach the summit after the Obama administration changed the name of Mount McKinley late last summer to its traditional Alaska Native name.