Denali, Alaska & Yukon · climb
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Reviewed by Blake Penson, Expedition Advisor. Two decades in the mountains, the Seven Summits, two Everest expeditions.
Last reviewed 9 October 2026
Ordered by each guide's verified reviews on Denali: the star rating, adjusted so one or two reviews, or only old ones, count for less than many recent ones. Ties go to the guide with more reviews on Denali. ERTI reflects a company's trustworthiness, reputation and ratings across the industry, and more. Out of 5, built from reviews we verify and many other factors. Not a rating for this place. Prices not updated in over a year are marked. These are starting prices, not quotes.
ERTI 4.93 overall
Based in United States
★ 5.0 · 3 reviews on Denali · Last review: Nov 2020
Price: No recent price listed
ERTI 4.90 overall
Based in United States
★ 5.0 · 1 review on Denali · Last review: Jul 2024
Price: From $14,995 USD · guide-listed price for this location · last updated Dec 2025
ERTI 3.51 overall · Unclaimed
★ 4.8 · 1 review on Denali · Last review: Jan 2021
Price: No recent price listed
| # | Operator | Stars here | Reviews | Latest review | From price | Safety | Value | Food | Team spirit | Camps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AAI (American Alpine Institute) | 5.0★ | 3 | November 2020 | – | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| 2 | Climbing The Seven Summits | 5.0★ | 1 | July 2024 | From $14,995 USD · updated December 2025 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| 3 | Jagged Globe Unclaimed | 4.8★ | 1 | January 2021 | – | 5.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
Counted by matching keywords in the 5 reviews for this route; a review counts once per theme.
Pro guides who run trips here but have no reviews for Denali yet.
ERTI 4.82 overall
Based in New Zealand
First confirmed summit by Hudson Stuck, Harry Karstens, Walter Harper, and Robert Tatum on June 7, 1913. At 6,190m, the highest peak in North America. Indigenous Koyukon Athabascan people call it "Denali" meaning "The High One". Approximately 1,200 climbers attempt annually with 50% success rate.
West Buttress (17-21 days): Classic route used by 90% of climbers, established in 1951. West Rib (17-21 days): More technical alternative to West Buttress. Cassin Ridge (5-10 days): Technical alpine route for experienced climbers. Muldrow Glacier (21-25 days): Original 1913 route, longest approach.
Weather: Weather is extremely unpredictable at Denali. For the most part, the mountain is extremely cold (temperatures can reach as low as -60°C with wind chills reaching -80°C!). However, when the sun is out, it can suddenly become t-shirt weather., Best Time to Visit: End of April to the middle of July, Average Expedition Length 17-18 Days
US Dollar (USD) is the currency. Credit cards widely accepted in Talkeetna. Climbing permit fee is $415 (2024). Gear rental available in Anchorage and Talkeetna. Budget $5,000-8,000 for guided expeditions.
Official: English. Indigenous: Koyukon Athabascan, Dena'ina languages historically spoken in region. English is universally spoken. Rangers at Talkeetna provide mandatory orientation briefings in English.
Climbing The Seven Summits
Denali (West Buttress) · Rated 5/5 · Reviewed
I recently came back from Denali (West Butress team of June 9th) and I wanted to share my experience with you. It was undoubtedly the most enjoyable climb I’ve done so far and it’s thanks to excellent logistics and guiding. I would like to praise the guide selected by CTSS…
By Anna K.
Jagged Globe (Unclaimed)
Denali (West Buttress) · Rated 4.8/5 · Reviewed
A great exped from start to finish but Jagged Globe are really only an intermediary / travel agent here because the exped is actually run by American Alpine Institute - one of the few registered companies allowed to guide on Denali. The only thing Jagged Globe about this trip is…
By Verified Reviewer
AAI (American Alpine Institute)
Denali (West Buttress) · Rated 5/5 · Reviewed
Great expedition with an awesome team and great guides!. Guides for this trip are super important and irrespective of who you go with (i.e. you realistically have to choose between a small number of US accredited companies unless you want to solo). I chose AAI (that's…
By Rory M.
AAI (American Alpine Institute)
Denali (West Buttress) · Rated 5/5 · Reviewed
Our Denali expedition through American Alpine Institute could not have been better. AAI’s guides, logistical support, and professionalism exceeded all expectations. I would sign up for another trip through AAI tomorrow without hesitation, and recommend this trip to any…
By Dan D.
AAI (American Alpine Institute)
Denali (West Buttress) · Rated 5/5 · Reviewed
This was probably the best expedition I have ever been on. Everything was organised perfectly from start to finish. We had three very competent guides who got us to the top negotiating bad weather along the way and got us all down safely helping a few other teams on the way…
By Blake P.
Rating: the average star rating of the guide's verified reviews for Denali, with the number of reviews. Order: by those reviews: the star rating, adjusted so one or two reviews, or only old ones, count for less than many recent ones; ties go to the guide with more reviews on Denali. Unclaimed: the company has not claimed its ExpedReview profile. Every review is checked by our team before it's published, and guides cannot pay for a better rating.
Technical essentials picked for glaciated mountaineering. Recommended by our expert team.
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Every review is checked by hand by our team before it's published. Critical reviews stay up.
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The ranking is built from verified client reviews for Denali (West Buttress), and recent reviews count more.
The ERTI badge beside each name is a company-wide score out of 5, built from reviews we verify and many other factors. It is not a rating for this route.
Last updated 30 December 2025 (newest review or price update for this route).
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As of 21 October 2026, 3 operators have 5 verified client reviews for Denali (West Buttress) on ExpedReview.
AAI (American Alpine Institute) is ranked first, with 5.0★ from 3 reviews (latest November 2020). The ranking is built from verified client reviews for Denali (West Buttress), and recent reviews count more.
1 operator shows a "from" price: $14,995 USD (Climbing The Seven Summits, updated December 2025). These are starting prices supplied by the operators, not quotes; check the current price with the operator.
Every review is checked by hand by our team before it's published. Critical reviews stay up, and paying ExpedReview never changes the ranking.
The latest verified review for Denali (West Buttress) is from July 2024.