Height: 6,195 metres (20,320 feet)
Location: Alaska, USA
Summit date: 30 May 2006
Route: West Buttress
The first ascent of McKinley (Denali) was on 7 June 1913 by a team of four from the USA; Hudson Stuck, Harry Karstens, Walter Harper and Robert Tatum. Denali is Indian for “The Great One”.
The mountain is regularly climbed today with just over 50% of the expeditions making it to the summit. The climb is a serious undertaking. It has extremely cold weather and also a strong risk of altitude sickness. This is due to its altitude combined with its high latitude. The high latitude means there is low pressure resulting in less oxygen than other mountains of the same altitude. As on many mountains, the sun can be so intense that you can get sunburn in your nostrils or the roof of your mouth. An expedition to summit McKinley (Denali) takes about 3 weeks.
Oz Chicks reflections: “Welcome to the ‘coldest’ mountain in the world! Denali is just as beautiful as it is dangerous. In the heart of Alaska, rising more than 20,000 feet from sea level. This is where Mrs Fahrenheit and Mr Celsius meet secretly at night: -40 degrees…”
