Planning an expedition, particularly an expedition to climb Mount McKinley, can appear monumental. Not only must the obvious items like food, equipment and personnel be carefully planned, but attention must also focus on "insignificant" items like applications and reservations which, if forgotten, could mean the difference between a successful or unsuccessful expedition. Climbing partners should be selected for their skill, dependability, compatability and reliability. Practice climbs beforehand will help the group learn to function as a team and test new clothing and equipment. Team members should contribute to expenses from the very first; with money actually invested, people are less likely to back out at the last moment. Both physical and mental conditioning should be undertaken before the trip; embarking on an expedition in poor physical condition is a miserable way to get in shape and a dangerous one, too. Food planning must take into account such considerations as that at high altitudes it takes more fuel and time to cook foods, the body tends to dehydrate, and the metabolism loses its ability to fully utilize fats. Food should never be packed in the same bag with fuel; strange new flavors may result. Other areas for expedition planning discussed in this paper include equipment and clothing needs, climbing strategy and tactics, and collection of equipment and packing. Additional information sources on expedition planning, mental conditioning, medical information and routes are also given. (DS)