Further
Information
About Denali
(including useful links and recommended
reading)
The United States government still calls the
mountain by the name Mount McKinley and the preserve around it as Denali
National Park. But, the State of Alaska and mountaineers more commonly
apply the native Athabaskan Indian name, Denali, meaning "The High
One". Denali is North America's tallest mountain at 20,320 feet,
one of the "Seven Summits", and among the tallest 100 mountains in the
world.
With
it's base nearly at sea level, Denali's vertical rise represents one of
the most dramatic on earth. The timberline of the surrounding landscape
is only at about 3,000ft so the summit is a full three miles above the
trees. This huge mountain so dominates it's surroundings that it
can be seen from up to 250 miles away, further than any other continental
highpoint on earth, and creates its own weather patterns. Because
of its close proximity to the North Pole, these conditions can be some
of the most severe on the planet. Early summer temperatures of -50F are
not uncommon at the 17,000 elevation, and winds gale up to 100mph.
Denali has two peaks, the North Summit and the higher South Summit.
In what is considered one of the most remarkable feats in mountaineering
history, a group from Fairbanks calling themselves the Sourdough Expedition
made the first successful climb of the North Summit in 1910. Their
summit push was an astounding 8,000 vertical feet and they returned to
camp in only 18 hours. They were absolute mountaineering novices with minimal
equipment and summit day provisions of only hot chocolate and donuts.
Further, they hauled with them a 14 foot long spruce pole to provide visible
proof of their accomplishment The South Summit was conquered by the
Karstens-Stuck expedition of 1913. With North America's highest point
achieved, it was nearly 20 years before another climber scaled Denali.
Very few attempted it even thereafter until Bradford Washburn proposed
the West Buttress Route in 1947. Washburn eventually became the world's
leading authority on Denali, and the mountain became increasingly popular
among mountaineers through the 60's, 70's and 80's with many route variations
and historic summit attempts.
Today, nearly 1,000 climbers visit Denali each year to attempt its
summit. About 50% succeed, depending on the year and weather during
the short climbing season. The most popular time to climb is during the
month of June.
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Links:
Please follow the links below for useful information about Denali:
United States Government National
Park Service: Denali National Park & Preserve
This is the definitive internet site on Denali, including
an excellent online
climbers guide.
Peakware
World Mountain Encyclopedia, including a Mount
McKinley Home Page
One of the internet's premier resources on the world's
mountains and mountaineering.
Mount
McKinley (Denali) Climbing Guide
Ken Bayne's comprehensive resource on climbing and
expedition planning for Mount McKinley.
Denali Summer
Times
An informative page, including information specific
to the mountain.
America's Roof
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Recommended Reading:
Recommended Readings in Three Categories:
The following books are
considered standard research and reading prior to a Denali adventure:
Denali's West Buttress: A Climber's Guide to Mount McKinley's
Classic Route
Colby Coombs
ISBN 0-98886-516-6
High Alaska: A Historical Guide to Denali, Mount Foraker &
Mount Hunter
Jonathan Waterman
ISBN 0-930410-41-6
Mount McKinley Climber's Handbook
Glenn Randall
ISBN 0-934641-55-2
Surviving Denali: A Study of Accidents on Mount McKinley, 1903-1990
Jonathan Waterman
ISBN 0-930410-48-3
These books offer a good narrative
about Denali, though some are only partially about Denali:
Addicted to Danger: A Memoir About Affirming Life in the Face
of Death
Jim Wickwire and Dorothy Bullitt
ISBN 0-671-01990-2
Eiger Dreams: Ventures Among Men and Mountains
Jon Krakauer
ISBN 0-385-48818-1
Facing the Extreme: One Woman's Story of True Courage, Death-defying
Survival, and Her Quest for the Summit
Ruth Anne Kocour with Michael Hodgson
ISBN 0-312-17942-1
In the Shadow of Denali: Life and Death on Alaska's Mount McKinley
Jonathan Waterman
1-55821-726-6
Mount McKinley: The Pioneer Climbs
Terris Moore
ISBN 0-89886-021-0
Roof of the Americas: From Alaska to Cape Horn
John Warburton-Lee
ISBN 1-85310-522-8
Seven Summits
Dick Bass and Frank Wells with Rick Ridgeway
ISBN 0-44-38516-6
To the Top of Denali: Climbing Adventures on North America's Highest
Peak
Bill Sherwonit
ISBN 0-88240-402-4
Finally, the following books
are among the many excellent references for general mountaineering:
Glacier Travel and Crevasse Rescue
Andy Selters
ISBN 0-89886-250-7
Medicine for Mountaineering and Other Wilderness Activities
The Mountaineers
ISBN 0-89886-331-7
Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills (6th Edition)
The Mountaineers
ISBN 0-89886-426-7
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