One of the Seven Summits

Denali (Mt. McKinley):  The Highest Mountain in North America

Elevation:  20,320 feet (6195meters)

Mountain Range: Alaska Range

Country: USA

Mt. McKinley has tremendous size and unbelievable glaciers.  The five large glacier names are Peters, Muldrow, Traleika, Ruth and Kahiltna. The glaciers start at about 2,500 feet and continue to 20,300 feet.  Mt. McKinley’s weather conditions can be extreme from 100mph winds with a -40f temperature.  The weather is very unpredictable.  It can be sunny one day and the next day may have snowstorms with sub zero temperatures that can last a week at a time.

Mount McKinley’s tremendous size, or bulk and rise are greater than Mount Everest.  The summit of Mount Everest is 9000 feet higher, which is measured from sea level.  Mount Everest’s base sits on the Tibetan Plateau at about 17,000 feet. The difference between summit height and the plateau height equals the vertical rise. The vertical rise for Mount Everest is more than 12,000 feet.  The base of Mount McKinley is roughly a 2000 feet plateau giving Mt. McKinley an actual rise of 18,000 feet.

Mount McKinley is also commonly known as Denali which means “the great one”.  In 1897 the mountain was named “Mount McKinley” after the U.S. President William McKinley.