home Bream Alaska, climbing Denali. Mount Denali (McKinley), Alaska - the highest point in North America The natural wealth of Alaska

Alaska, climbing Denali. Mount Denali (McKinley), Alaska - the highest point in North America The natural wealth of Alaska

Denali, the highest mountain in North America. Included in the climbing program "7-Peaks". The "7-TOPS" program means climbing all the highest peaks, 5 continents and 2 poles.
Denali is a two-headed mountain in south-central Alaska, the highest mountain in North America. Located in the heart of Denali National Park. From 1896 until August 28, 2015, it was called McKinley, in honor of the 25th President of the United States of America. At the beginning of the 19th century, it was called Big Mountain and was the highest point of the Russian Empire.

Height 6190 meters (according to the US Geological Survey). Elevation - 6135 m (3rd in the list of the largest mountains in terms of relative height).
It is believed that in 1839 the Russian polar explorer, Admiral Ferdinand von Wrangel put the mountain on the map of Russian America.

And another good amateur movie...

The first European who explored and left a record of this high mountain was the Russian expedition leader Lavrenty Alekseevich Zagoskin. He was probably the first European to see it from two sides, although it is not excluded that it could also be Wrangel who mapped the mountain.

From 1799 to 1867, the mountain was the highest point of the Russian Empire, until March 30, 1867, Alaska, where Denali is located, was sold to the United States.
In the translation from the Athabaskan Indian language, the name of Mount Denali means "great."

Russians during the period of colonization of Alaska called it simply - Big Mountain. According to some reports, this is one of the variants of the translation of the Indian name.

The young scientist William Dickey, who in 1896 informed the world about the highest mountain in North America, proposed to name it in honor of the newly elected US President William McKinley. The name was used from 1917 [source not specified 44 days] to 2015.

In 1975, the Alaska Board of Geographic Names changed the name of the mountain from McKinley to Denali, and the Alaska Legislature approved the decision, submitting it to the US Board of Geographic Names. However, the renaming was blocked by Republican Congressman Ralph Regula, whose district includes Canton, Ohio, the city where President McKinley grew up and home to the McKinley National Memorial. the latter's retirement in 2009 allowed a return to the subject.

On August 28, 2015, the original name of Denali was returned to the summit by decision of US President Barack Obama.
It is located in the Denali borough, 210 km north of the largest city in Alaska - Anchorage and 275 km southwest of the city of Fairbanks.

The summit belongs to the Alaska mountain range system.
In fact, it is a huge granite block that began to move out of the earth's surface about 60 million years ago due to tectonic activity.

The top of the mountain is everywhere covered with snowfields, which serve as a source of food for the adjacent glaciers and reach their maximum thickness on the southern slope.
In 1906, Frederick Cooke claimed to have reached the top of the mountain with a guide, Edward Burrill. In 1909, soon after Peary's accusations regarding the primacy in reaching the North Pole, Cook was also accused of falsifying materials about the conquest of the mountain (mainly Peary's friends did their best here). The basis was Barril's statement and the provision of fake photographs. A number of modern climbers prove that Cook did not reach the summit, but others (Washburn, D. Shparo) prove the opposite with the same success. The next ascent of the mountain took place on June 7, 1913 under the leadership of Hudson Stack.

In 1932, two members of the expedition died while climbing the mountain, becoming the first to die on Denali. According to statistics, almost 100 climbers have already died while climbing the mountain; by the beginning of the 21st century, only 58 percent of those climbing reached the top.

In 2002, Russian climbers climbed Denali under the leadership of Matvey Shparo. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that among 11 climbers (Shparo M., Banar O., Afanasyev V., Bogatyrev M., Gubaev A., Agafonov A., Gvozdev S., Smolin B., Sobolev A.) there were two disabled people in armchairs (Ushakov Igor, the city of Kursk and Tsarkov Georgy, the city of Kumertau), put on skis.

On June 13, 2014, the Catalan Kilian Jornet Burgada set the record for the fastest ascent to the summit along the Rescue Gully route: 11 hours and 40 minutes.

On January 11, 2015, American climber Lonnie Dupre became the first person in the history of the mountain to reach the summit in a solo ascent in winter.

I would also go to this mountain, but somehow far away, and a little expensive, in general, we will think.
See you!
See you.

Denali is the highest mountain in North America, its height is 6190 meters. Located in the heart of the Denali National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. For more than a hundred years, this two-headed mountain was called McKinley. Only in 2015, US President Barack Obama returned its historical name.
This is one of the most inaccessible peaks in the world, but you can go the easy way. There are small tours on airplanes: tourists are briefly landed on the glacier, allowed to admire the view and take pictures. Planes take off from the airport of the town of Talkeetna - this is the last base for expeditions to Denali, from here it is only 95 km to the mountain.
38 photos

Photos and text by Slava Stepanov
1. It is believed that in 1839 the Russian navigator Ferdinand Wrangel put the mountain on the map of Russian America. Until 1867, Denali was the highest point of the Russian Empire, until on March 30, Alaska, along with the mountain, was sold to the United States.

2. Translated from the language of the Athabaskan Indians, the name of Mount Denali (Denali) means "Great". Russians during the period of colonization of Alaska called it simply - Big Mountain. According to some reports, this is one of the variants of the translation of the Indian name.

3.

4. In 1896, the gold digger William Dickey made the first scientific measurements, which showed that the height of the peak reaches more than 6000 meters. He proposed to name it in honor of the US presidential candidate William McKinley, who in his election program put the US dollar's gold reserves as one of the points. This name (Mount McKinley) was used until 2015.

5. The mountain has an unusual shape, it is one of the few "two-headed mountains". This is not visible in the photo, because. the "second head" is hidden.

6. Located 210 km north of the largest city in Alaska - Anchorage.

7. If you count from the base (deep under water) to the top, the height of this massif will be greater than that of the greatest peak in the world - Mount Everest.

8. In fact, it is a huge granite block that began to move out of the earth's surface about 60 million years ago due to tectonic activity.

9.

10. In 1975, the Alaska Board of Geographic Names changed the name of the mountain from McKinley to Denali. However, the renaming was blocked by Congressman Ralph Regula. And only his retirement in 2009 allowed to return to this issue.

11. On August 28, 2015, the original name of Denali was returned to the summit by decision of US President Barack Obama.

12. According to statistics, almost 100 climbers have already died while trying to conquer the peaks of Denali. Only 58% make it to the top.

13. The conquest of the summit began in 1906 - Frederick Cook ascended the South Peak of McKinley. This was preceded by two unsuccessful attempts. The southern peak is higher, so it is believed that if you managed to conquer it, you managed to conquer the entire mountain.

14. The following expeditions of other researchers were less successful - in 1932, two climbers died on the mountain.

15. The list of summit victims is updated almost every year.

16. Climbing this mountain is a test for the most persistent. Denali is often compared with Everest in terms of the difficulty of climbing: around the glaciers in the cracks, deserted expanses, frost down to -35 ° C. Automatic weather stations at an altitude of 5300 meters recorded a temperature of -83°C. There is also an increased risk of altitude sickness due to the high latitude at which the mountain is located.

17. The most popular routes for climbing are mastered from the southwestern and southern sides of the summit. The most popular and easiest - West Buttress - can be classified as a climbing deuce (2A-2B), however, the harsh conditions of the north can make significant adjustments to the climbing plans, adding an extra 5-7 days to the expedition time.

18. Local firms organize flights from the town of Talkeetna to the Kahiltna glacier.

19. Small planes deliver groups of tourists, as well as climbers who are going to conquer Denali.

20. The plane takes on board up to 10 people.

21. Ski.

22. Aircraft De Havilland Canada DHC-3 ("Otter") of the airline "K2 Aviation".

23. While staying on the glacier, there is time to admire nature, take pictures and play snowballs at an altitude of more than 2000 meters.

24.

25.

26. Kahiltna glacier is the longest glacier in Alaska.
Its length is 76 km, area - 580 square meters. km. For world-class climbers and mountain tourists, this glacier becomes the last playground before climbing to the top.

27.

28. Tokositna glacier originates on the eastern slope of Mount Hunter, also part of the Alaska Range. It is the source of the Tokositna river.

29.

30. Glacier Ruth (Ruth glacier). It is considered one of the highest glaciers in Alaska - it slides down from a height of more than 5000 meters. At the same time, it is one of the fastest moving glaciers - every day the Ruth moves a meter.

31. The appearance of the glaciers is fascinating: from under the icy growths, huge gray-black rocks topped with openwork snow ridges and caps stretch upwards.

32.

33.

34. The glacier turns into a reservoir.

35. Denali National Wildlife Refuge is spread over an area of 25,000 square meters. km around the mountain ranges. In 1976, he received the status of an international biosphere reserve.

36. The fauna of the reserve is so rich that Denali is often called the "Subarctic Serengeti" (a national park in Tanzania, known throughout the world for the richness of the animal world).

37. The territory of the park is crossed by numerous and very wide rivers flowing through mountain valleys. The most picturesque are the Tanana River and the lakes of glacial origin Vonder and Chilchukabena.

38. The Alaskan town of Talkeetna, from where flights to Denali are made. The population of the city is only about 900 people.
Interestingly, for 19 years now, the mayor of this city has been a cat named Stubbs. Every day, 30-40 tourists meet personally with the mayor of Talkitna. In September 2013, Stubbs was hospitalized after being attacked by a dog - the mayor of Talkeetna was seriously injured.

Mountains of Alaska. What are they?

The mountains of Alaska were first discovered and mapped by Russian travelers led by L. A. Zagoskin. For two years, from 1842 to 1844, they sailed several thousand kilometers along the tributaries of the Yukon. And they discovered the mountains of the Cordillera stretching south from the coast of Alaska.

The Cordillera is a system of mountain ranges with plateaus between them. consist of three belts of mountain ranges. The largest belt is located in the eastern part. In the western part there is a belt of the Aleutian Islands, a submerged volcanic chain of 111 islands. Beyond the Alaska Peninsula, the mountains are getting higher and higher, reaching 3500-4000 meters in height, and form the Alaska Range. It is here that the highest peak in North America is located - the two-headed McKinley with a height of more than 6000 meters. This name was given to the mountain in honor of the President of the United States, who ruled the country from 1897 to 1901. Between the eastern and western parts of the Cordillera are plateaus. There is also a third Cordillera belt. It runs along the Pacific coast.

The mountains of Alaska are comparatively young. Scientists suggest that they acquired their current form in the Cenozoic era due to the instability of the local relief, as many extinct volcanoes located here can tell.

Weather conditions of the mountains of Alaska

It is impossible to characterize the climate of the mountains of Alaska with any specific word, because due to the ruggedness of the coastline and the rather large size of Alaska itself, the weather at its different points can be very surprising with its contrast. For example, in coastal areas in the winter season, the thermometer almost never drops below -5 due to the fact that the mountains do not let the cold wind through. Therefore, it is constantly damp and windy here. In areas more distant from the coast, the weather is less pitiful and can greatly spoil life with cold, gusty winds and frequent hurricanes, accompanied by heavy snowfall in winter.

The climate of Alaska made the development of agriculture on this land almost impossible. Here is the world's largest glaciation, with an area of approximately 104 square meters. km. But more recently, this figure was much higher. Glaciers are gradually melting, forming rays that go straight into the ocean. Interestingly, this creates the conditions for the formation of patches of soil, in some cases even a small forest sprouts in these patches, which moves along with the melting water and ice.

It is thanks to their melting glaciers for many thousands of years that the mountains of Alaska today are exactly what they are. The peaks became sharper under the influence of glaciers, the descents became steeper, and some basins became deeper, and some were filled with water.

Natural wealth of Alaska

The flora of Alaska cannot be called scarce. In the southeast, you can find forests with deciduous trees, spruces, firs. These forests are impenetrable, full of marshy swamps and fallen trees blocking the way. There are a lot of ferns and mosses here, which, due to oversaturation with melt water, reach awesome sizes. In the forests there is a very large selection of different berries, but they are all fresh and watery.

In the mountain forests of Alaska, you can meet a grizzly bear, and the world's largest representatives of elks, bison, foxes, wolves, porcupines and beavers. In the rivers you will see the largest trout and salmon.

The main part of the mountains of Alaska, not occupied by dense forests, is tundra, snowy deserts and bare rocky areas. Animals here also live in a lesser variety - you can see a musk ox, a caribou deer, an arctic fox or a wild sheep.

Speaking of Alaska, one cannot help but recall the minerals that this land is full of in abundance. Platinum, mercury, lead, gold - this is not a complete list of useful resources mined here. The southeastern forests provide a field for the timber industry. Reindeer breeding, fur farming and, of course, hunting are developed.

Where to go to a tourist in Alaska

Every year the number of people who want to come here is increasing. And this is not surprising, because Alaska is one of the few remaining places on the planet that man has not yet been able to fully influence. This is the land of wildlife, a land where everyone can feel as if transported millions of years ago and feel the pristine freshness and purity of this place, untouched by civilization.

One of the most visited places in Alaska by tourists is. It is located in the southern part. Mount Katmai is a large water-filled volcanic crater. The sight is unimaginably beautiful and very impressive. The height of this crater is almost 2 kilometers. It used to be even higher, but a volcanic eruption cut off its top on June 5, 1912. It was the largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century. Scientists are talking about likely future repeated eruptions.

Going to the mountains of Alaska, it is impossible not to be imbued with their unshakable power, this calm grandeur, thousands of years of silence and centuries of history. A trip here will be remembered for a long time and will always be bright.

On the territory of the state of Alaska is one of the most beautiful and picturesque sights of the United States - Mount Denali. It reaches a height of 6190 meters (the highest point in North America). The climate here is especially harsh. The lowest air temperature was recorded at the top of the mountain (-83 0 С). Denali is part of a national nature reserve.

A bit of history

Several centuries ago, the territory of Denali Park, which stretched at the very foot of the mountain, was inhabited by the Athabaskan tribes. They called this valley "Great" or "Denali". During the Russian colonization, the mountain began to be called the "Big Mountain". In 1896, the famous American gold digger William Dickey stumbled upon this fabulous place and told the whole world about the existence of an incredible natural creation. Thanks to him, the mountain was named after the then president, the great William McKinley. In Europe, they first heard about Mount McKinley only at the end of the 18th century. This was facilitated by the English traveler and explorer George Vancouver. He wrote several essays about the high mighty mountain of Alaska. It was put on the map in 1839, thanks to the Russian geographer and scientist Ferdinand von Wrangel. A little later, another Russian traveler, Lavrenty Zagoskin, took up a thorough study of the area. He has written many books on Alaska and its natural attractions. A hundred years later (August 28, 2015, by decision of US President Barack Obama), Mount McKinley regained its former name - Denali.

Conquest of Denali

Travelers and explorers all over the world dreamed of conquering this impregnable mountain. The 20th century was marked by the first ascents. In 1903, the famous traveler James Cook made his attempt to storm Denali. Together with the expedition, he reached a height of 3700 meters. They were not destined to get to the top, they had to interrupt the path because of the danger of an avalanche. Three years later, James Cook made another attempt to conquer this harsh mountain. Several months passed before the expedition reached the very top. Travelers stayed there quite a bit, but the impressions were unforgettable. A couple of years later, Cook wrote the book "On the Roof of the Continent", in which he spoke in detail about his difficult path and about the breathtaking beauty that awaited them there. After the book was released, Cook's envious friend Robert Peary accused him of lying. He made a loud statement that all Cook's stories about the conquest of Denali are fictitious. The traveler failed to refute the allegations. Only a few decades later his good name was restored. Russian climbers decided to go the same way as Cook. Following his map and descriptions, the expedition reached the top of the mountain. Years of controversy is finally over.

Another conqueror of the mountain ranges of Alaska was a group of explorers led by the clergyman Hudson Stuckey. In 2002, Denali surrendered to the mercy of the Russian traveler Matvey Shparo. Many sought to conquer her, but not everyone succumbed to her. Many became victims of an avalanche, some simply froze, others fell down. Mount Denali is one of the harshest and most difficult peaks to climb.

Denali Nature Reserve

At the very foot of Denali lies a magnificent natural park of the same name. An island of wild nature, lost in the middle of impregnable mountain ranges. The main decoration of the reserve is Lake Horseshu. Its clear waters reflect the snow-white tops of the mountains. The opening panorama is so beautiful that it will take your breath away. The wild beauty of the Tanana River fascinates and bewitches. For tourists, Denali provides remarkably equipped viewing platforms. The view from them is unforgettable. Denali Park is divided into several natural areas. Here and impenetrable tundra, and shifting desert, marshy swamps and green valleys, high mountain ranges and full-flowing rivers, blue lakes and fabulous waterfalls. Tourists are given the opportunity, together with a guide, to make an incredibly interesting journey through the protected park or go to the mountains. There are several designated campsites throughout Denali. There are also great places for fishing.

Millions of tourists from all over the world come here every year in search of extreme sports, new sensations, seeking solitude with nature. Many rush here just to enjoy the local beauties, take a break from the bustle of the city, breathe clean fresh air, try mountain climbing, skiing, go fishing.

This is one of the most inaccessible peaks in the world, but you can go the easy way. There are small tours on airplanes: tourists are briefly landed on the glacier, allowed to admire the view and take pictures. Planes take off from the airport of the town of Talkeetna - this is the last base for expeditions to Denali, from here it is only 95 km to the mountain.

1. It is believed that in 1839 the Russian navigator Ferdinand Wrangel put the mountain on the map of Russian America. Until 1867, Denali was the highest point of the Russian Empire, until on March 30, Alaska, along with the mountain, was sold to the United States.

4. In 1896, the gold digger William Dickey made the first scientific measurements, which showed that the height of the peak reaches more than 6000 meters. He proposed to name it in honor of the US presidential candidate William McKinley, who in his election program put the US dollar's gold reserves as one of the points. This name (Mount McKinley) was used until 2015.

5. The mountain has an unusual shape, it is one of the few "two-headed mountains". This is not visible in the photo, because. the "second head" is hidden.

6. Located 210 km north of the largest city in Alaska -.

8. In fact, it is a huge granite block that began to move out of the earth's surface about 60 million years ago due to tectonic activity.

10. In 1975, the Alaska Board of Geographic Names changed the name of the mountain from McKinley to Denali. However, the renaming was blocked by Congressman Ralph Regula. And only his retirement in 2009 allowed to return to this issue.

11. On August 28, 2015, the original name of Denali was returned to the summit by decision of US President Barack Obama.

12. According to statistics, almost 100 climbers have already died while trying to conquer the peaks of Denali. Only 58% make it to the top.

13. The conquest of the summit began in 1906 - Frederick Cook ascended the South Peak of McKinley. This was preceded by two unsuccessful attempts. The southern peak is higher, so it is believed that if you managed to conquer it, you managed to conquer the entire mountain.

14. The following expeditions of other researchers were less successful - in 1932, two climbers died on the mountain.

15. The list of summit victims is updated almost every year.

16. Climbing this mountain is a test for the most persistent. Denali is often compared with Everest in terms of the difficulty of climbing: around the glaciers in the cracks, deserted expanses, frost down to -35 ° C. Automatic weather stations at an altitude of 5300 meters recorded a temperature of -83°C. There is also an increased risk of altitude sickness due to the high latitude at which the mountain is located.

17. The most popular routes for climbing are mastered from the southwestern and southern sides of the summit. The most popular and easiest - West Buttress - can be classified as a climbing deuce (2A-2B), however, the harsh conditions of the north can make significant adjustments to the climbing plans, adding an extra 5-7 days to the expedition time.

18. Local firms organize flights from the town of Talkeetna to the Kahiltna glacier.

19. Small planes deliver groups of tourists, as well as climbers who are going to conquer Denali.

20. The plane takes on board up to 10 people.

22. Aircraft De Havilland Canada DHC-3 ("Otter") of the airline "K2 Aviation".

23. While staying on the glacier, there is time to admire nature, take pictures and play snowballs at an altitude of more than 2000 meters.

26. Kahiltna glacier is the longest glacier in Alaska.

Its length is 76 km, area - 580 square meters. km. For world-class climbers and mountain tourists, this glacier becomes the last playground before climbing to the top.

28. Tokositna glacier originates on the eastern slope of Mount Hunter, also part of the Alaska Range. It is the source of the Tokositna river.

30. Glacier Ruth (Ruth glacier). It is considered one of the highest glaciers in Alaska - it slides down from a height of more than 5000 meters. At the same time, it is one of the fastest moving glaciers - every day the Ruth moves a meter.

31. The appearance of the glaciers is fascinating: from under the icy growths, huge gray-black rocks topped with openwork snow ridges and caps stretch upwards.

34. The glacier turns into a reservoir.

35. Denali National Wildlife Refuge is spread over an area of 25,000 square meters. km around the mountain ranges. In 1976, he received the status of an international biosphere reserve.

36. The fauna of the reserve is so rich that Denali is often called the "Subarctic Serengeti" (a national park in Tanzania, known throughout the world for the richness of the animal world).

37. The territory of the park is crossed by numerous and very wide rivers flowing through mountain valleys. The most picturesque are the Tanana River and the lakes of glacial origin Vonder and Chilchukabena.

38. The Alaskan town of Talkeetna, from where flights to Denali are made. The population of the city is only about 900 people.

Interestingly, for 19 years now, the mayor of this city has been a cat named Stubbs. Every day, 30-40 tourists meet personally with the mayor of Talkitna. In September 2013, Stubbs was hospitalized after being attacked by a dog - the mayor of Talkeetna was seriously injured.