Denali

USA– Discontinued Climb • 6,190 meters • USA

Mount Denali/McKinley is the highest mountain in North America. At 6,194 meters and at a very northerly latitude, 63 degrees, it is a formidable challenge. There are alternative names for political reasons. The McKinley name was given by the Federal Government in 1917 in honor of William McKinley, US President 1897-1901. Alaska has been part of the USA since its purchase from Russia in 1865. It is a peninsula that borders Canada, and does not have a land border with the rest of the USA. Denali is the name of the mountain in the local indigenous language of the Koyukon people, and was the official name between 2015 and 2024, when President Donald Trump ordered a return to McKinley. It is still known as Denali by the Alaskan state.

In 2023 I was booked on an expedition to ski the last degree to the North Pole, scheduled for the May of that year. Because the North Pole is on sea ice, not a continent, there is a narrow window in the northern hemisphere spring when the ice may be thick enough and there is enough light. An expedition would take place normally in April or May. Such an adventure is often cancelled, however, owing to concerns over the thickness of the ice, or geopolitical tensions between Russia and the west. In 2023 no expeditions went ahead, and so I opted to climb Mount Denali/McKinley in Alaska.

Owing to the change in plan, I was less than fully prepared for a major climb, having been training for a long-distance skiing trip. Despite some reservations, I went ahead and joined the expedition. I took a flight to Anchorage, the capital of Alaska, and from there a local flight to an airstrip closer to the mountain. 

For Denali, because of its remoteness from human settlements, you have to carry all of your equipment on sleds. I realized as I reached a higher altitude that my fitness level was not good enough. As I reached Camp 1 on the first rotation, I began to feel tired. I climbed to Camp 2, still feeling rather weak. The weather became extremely cold, and I was concerned for the condition of my hands with their amputated fingers. We had decided to stay at Camp 2 for acclimatization, but my condition was not improving and the temperature was very low. There was one more camp before the summit.

Perhaps influenced by my experience on Broad Peak, when I considered abandoning the climb, then nearly died on the descent, I decided to descend from Camp 2 and not attempt the summit. Another member of the group descended with me. 

Although it was not a successful summit, it would serve as a good reconnaissance for a future trip. I still hold the ambition to climb all of the Seven Summits.