Back in 2008 and 2009, I spent the months of May up in Alaska, doing my best to reach the summit of Denali (aka Mt. McKinley). In 2008, terrible weather and sick teammates forced me to turn back just 1,000 feet from the summit. In 2009, our rope team was strong, the weather (mostly) cooperated, and I was fortunate enough to finally make it to the top. All told, I’ve spent somewhere around 47 days on that mountain; 47 of the most challenging and rewarding days of my life.
I just came across this well-produced video from the National Park Foundation about exploring Denali National Park, featuring many scenes of climbers making their way up the 20,320-foot mountain. The Alaska Range is an awe-inspiring landscape, and this video does a great job showing the hard-to-comprehend scale of the glaciers, mountains, and weather. Take four minutes to enjoy some scenes from the highest peak in North America:
(At the top of the page – My 2009 summit photo – From the top looking over Denali’s summit ridge, with Mt. Foraker in the background and the Kahiltna Glacier stretching out below.)
