The Mountain

The local Athabaskan name for the mountain is Denali (“the Great One”). Also known as Mt. McKinley it is unsurpassed in challenge or scenic beauty, offering one of the world's greatest expedition challenges. Denali at 6194 meters (20320 ft) is the highest mountain in North America situated 150 miles (250km) to the north of Anchorage in the Alaska Range, close to the Arctic Circle.

The mountain is a granitic pluton with a crystallization age of around 56 million years. Over tens of millions of years, Denali has been uplifted by tectonic pressure while at the same time, erosion has stripped away the (somewhat softer) sedimentary rock above and around it.

While it is exceeded in elevation by peaks in South America and Asia, its arctic environment, characterized by extremely cold weather and harsh storms, and its great height above the Alaskan plain make it a severe test of personal strength, team work, and logistics. Denali has a larger bulk and rise than Mount Everest, even though the summit of Everest is about 9,000 feet (2,700 m) higher as measured from sea level, its base sits on the Tibetan Plateau at about 17,000 feet (5,200 m), giving it a real vertical rise of a little more than 12,000 feet (3,700 m). The base of Denali is roughly a 2,000-foot plateau, giving it an actual rise of 18,000 feet (5,500 m) above its surrounding plain. Five large glaciers flow off the slopes of the mountain. The Peters Glacier lies on the northwest side of the massif, while the Muldrow Glacier falls from its northeast slopes. Just to the east of the Muldrow, and abutting the eastern side of the massif, is the Traleika Glacier. The Ruth Glacier lies to the southeast of the mountain, and the Kahiltna Glacier leads up to the southwest side of the mountain.

As the tallest mountain on the North American continent and its status as one of the Seven Summits and its fearsome and well-justified reputation for being the hardest and coldest of these summits provides an incredible challenge for climbers from all over the world. It is often said that the greatest challenge of Denali is not the climbing, but the weather. While most of the world's highest mountains are near the equator, Denali is closer to the North Pole. Denali is located in the middle of the southern Alaskan mainland, 200 miles south of the Artic Circle at 63° North Latitude. This is 35° further north than Everest; this is the same latitude as northern Hudson Bay and central Scandinavia.

The West Buttress Route

In the context of technical climbing skills, the mountain offers quite varied lines of ascent, from several which require intermediate alpine mountaineering skills to others that rank among the world's most difficult alpine routes. By any route, however, the mountain requires great physical effort, skillful and cautious mountaineering and expedition practices, and patient acclimatization and climbing over a three-week period. Rod has chosen the West Buttress route for his ascents of Denali. Denali's West Buttress route offers a physically tough challenge at a technically reasonable level and one must be prepared for heavy load carrying, as no porters are available. The mountain frequently attracts storms and it is not uncommon to have to wait out extreme weather for multiple days. Rod therefore needs to be psychologically and physically prepared for strong winds, cold temperatures and potentially being confined to a tent for multiple days in a row.

Although there are no technically difficult sections on the route, many stretches of “The Butt” leave very little margin for error. Furthermore, the West Buttress is just as exposed as any other route to Denali’s legendary weather. Denali’s unusually high casualty list is due in large part to inexperienced or exhausted climbers tripping on a crampon tip and falling off seemingly easy snow/ice slopes.

The most popular camps are located at 7,200 ft (base camp); 7,800 ft; 9,500 ft; 11,000 ft; 14,200 ft; and 17,200 ft. Other camps are located at 12,500 ft and 16,000 ft, but should only be used under ideal weather conditions as the 12,500 ft camp is vulnerable to avalanches and the 16,000 ft camp is very exposed to high winds. The 11,000 ft camp also experiences avalanches and serac fall, and care should be taken to avoid these two hazards when setting up camp. Above 14,200 ft, snow caves or igloos are usually constructed as back up shelters in case bad weather moves in.

Total horizontal length of the West Buttress route is approximately 13 miles with about 13,500 ft of vertical gain. Between base camp and 11,000 ft, the route is relatively flat and the main hazards are crevasse falls. Above 11,000 ft, the route steepens to moderate slopes (35-45 degrees) alternating with flat benches and bowls. Equipment and supplies are typically carried by sled to 11,000 ft. Above 11,000 ft, gear and food are usually ferried between camps in two trips.

West Buttress expeditions average around 16-17 days, but climbers should take at least 3 weeks of supplies. A 2-3 day supply of food and fuel should be left at base camp in case weather prevents planes from landing on the glacier (climbers have been stranded for as long as 2 weeks due to inclement weather).

OTHER ROUTES

The KARSTENS RIDGE/MULDROW GLACIER was the route of first ascent and used to be the standard route before Bradford Washburn pioneered the West Buttress route. This route is similar in difficulty as the West Buttress, but receives far less traffic. Expeditions are, on average, a week longer than West Buttress trips because of the longer approach from Wonder Lake. More adventurous climbers will attempt “the Traverse”, by ascending the West Buttress and descending Karstens Ridge or vice versa. The Traverse is more strenuous than doing either route alone because climbers must haul all equipment and supplies over Denali Pass whereas climbers doing one route or another typically cache equipment and supplies that are not needed higher up on the mountain.

For some Denali afficionados, the WEST RIB is the next step after completing the West Buttress or Karstens Ridge, but it represents a pretty big step up in skill and experience. The route involves moderate to steep snow as well as mixed snow and rock. Like the West Buttress, many climbers underestimate the West Rib and most of its accidents are attributed to inexperience or overconfidence. Many perceive the West Rib as tame because it is relatively easy to retreat from if they find themselves in over their heads. This does not mean that the climbing itself is easy.

Climbers completing the CASSIN RIDGE find themselves in a small fraternity of elite Alaska climbers. The route ascends the prominent ridge on the 8,000 foot south face that ends a few hundred yards west of the summit. It is steep, demanding, and committing. As a result, frivolous accidents are rare on the Cassin Ridge because only the most experienced climbers will think of attempting it.