We had both read Jon Krakauer's book, Into Thin Air, about climbing Mt. Everest and had seen the IMAX movie done by David Brashears about the same climb. We were appalled at the amount of detritus (empty oxygen cylinders, colorful parkas, mittens, boots, etc and even human waste) that the climbers left on that mountain.
The National Park Service does not allow that on Denali. Anything taken up the mountain must come back down the mountain. They even give the climbers a cylinder to carry out their human waste. It's called a CMC, or Clean Mountain Can.
Mount Everest boasts the world's highest summit at 29,035 feet, but Denali has a greater rise, soaring 18,000 feet from its base to its 20,320 foot peak. Everest climbs 12,000 feet from the Himalayan plateau.
Climbing season runs from late April to early July.During those months, rangers live on the mountain in tent camps to help protect the environment, and provide assistance to climbers in need. Rangers are taken off the mountain in early July when the summer snow becomes soft, and it becomes dangerous to cross the crevasses.
From the park info:
What are the National Park Service regulations for climbing Mt. McKinley?
Climbers are required to register with Denali National Park prior to the climb; pay a $200 special permit; attend a pre-trip orientation briefing at the Talkeetna Ranger Station; and check back with the ranger staff after the expedition. Everything carried onto the mountain must be brought off and the proper protocols for dealing with human waste disposal must be followed.
How long does it take to climb the West Buttress route?
An average expedition spends between 17 to 21 days on the climb. It is not uncommon for climbers to experience severe weather conditions on the mountain, which can lead to prolonged confinement inside tents and/or snow caves while climbers wait out a storm. This means they must carry up to four weeks of gear, food and fuel, such heavy loads can weigh up to 120 pounds. To carry this much weight they must make 'double carries'. This means hauling a load up to a higher elevation, then descending to sleep at a lower camp before hauling the second load of gear higher the following day. In addition, climbers on Mt. McKinley do not use bottled oxygen, and therefore they must limit their ascent rate to an average 1,000 feet per day in order to adjust to the low levels of oxygen.
Who pays to rescue climbers on Mt. McKinley?
As on all federal public lands, search and rescue costs are funded by U.S. tax dollars. Whether a climber suffers from high altitude illness, a boater is stranded, or a child wanders from a campground, it is the intent of the National Park Service to assist those in need.
What do climbers eat on a McKinley expedition?
Mountaineers need to consume 4000-5000 calories per day. Foods are durable, lightweights, nutritious, high-energy, and quick and easy to prepare. At high altitudes both hunger and digestion are suppressed, so meals above 16,000 feet must be low in protein and fat, which are harder to digest than carbohydrates. It is important to have several extra days food in case of prolonged bad weather.
What is the name of the mountain, Mt. McKinley or Denali?
Both! The official federal name is Mt. McKinley named in 1896 by William Dickey, for presidential nominee William McKinley. Denali is a native Alaskan name, translated as "the high one" and is the Official State of Alaska name for the mountain. Most Alaskans and locals refer to the mountain by its native name.
How difficult is it to climb the mountain?
Mt. McKinley, at 20,320 feet, is the highest peak in North America and lies at 63 degrees north latitude. It is an extremely demanding climb for even the most fit and well-prepared mountaineers due to the severe cold. the extreme weather, the thin air at high elevations, and the heavy loads that must be carried. Because of these difficulties, only 50% of the people who attempt the mountain each year are successful in reaching the summit.
What type of experience is necessary before attempting to climb Mt. McKinley?
The Mountain is a land of eternal winter. Even in June, temperatures on the upper mountain can drop to --40F. Climbers must be able to work hard, travel, and live for extended periods in a harsh arctic environment. They must also have glacier travel and crevasse rescue skills and experience climbing at high altitudes, preferably above 14,000 feet.
What time of year do people climb Mt. McKinley?
The main climbing season begins in late April and lasts through mid-July. Typically, the highest summit success rate occurs in June. Prior to late April, winter conditions linger on the mountain. By late July, travel on the lower glaciers is made difficult by melting snow bridges over crevasses and by more inclement weather with heavier snowfall and increased avalanche danger. Winter ascents are attempted by just a few hardy people each year.
Why is Mt. McKinley so difficult to see?
All mountain deflect air masses, but Mt. McKinley rise so abruptly, and so high above its base that this effect is more dramatic here than perhaps anywhere else on Earth. The mountain is so massive that it generates its own weather systems, much the way a huge boulder submerged in a river makes whitewater rapids. It is not uncommon for weather systems to obscure the mountain for days on end.
Unlike most of the other seven summits, there are no porters or guides that are able to help carry your gear on Denali. While climbers on Mt. Everest will carry only a daypack, those on Denali will have up to 150lbs of gear to haul between their backpack and sled in one of the coldest places on the planet.
This makes Denali one of the greatest physical challenges in the world and certainly the most challenging in the western hemisphere. The low pressure of the Arctic and extreme distance from the equator have an effect on the body that makes it equal to several thousand feet higher. Some climbers who have frequently gone above 5,000 meters without issues find themselves out of breath and with altitude problems at only 4,000 meters on Denali. The unusually high number of altitude sickness problems combined with severe weather, temperatures that easily reach -40F and being just two degrees south of the Arctic Circle literally expose climbers to some of the most hostile and miserable environments on earth. Denali is colder in the summer than Everest gets in the winter.
We drove down to the cemetery where the Talkeetna Cemetery Association has put up a memorial to all the people who have lost their lives while climbing Mt. McKinley. It was, of course, very sobering. We seem to be checking out a number of historic cemeteries as we travel this year. We guess that after our looong year of 2010 and all the medical appointments we are feeling vulnerable, and more aware that time on this earth for all of us is limited.
(Linda's disclaimer: I have always liked cemeteries. My niece Sue does, too. She says prowling cemeteries is called 'harolding', from the classic movie Harold and Maude.)
People who climb mountains are different and know the danger they undertake but do it anyway.
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