Mount McKinley is third in the list of highest peaks in the world. Only Everest is ahead of it, which Tibetans also call Jomolungma, as well as Aconcagua - the extinct volcano of the South American Andes. The mountain is located on the North American continent and is considered a certain geographical center of both the Alaskan mountain range and the peninsula itself. When the two-headed peak still belonged to Russia, it was called the Big Mountain, paying tribute to its majestic size.
The first mention of the mountain was made by George Vancouver at the end of the XVIII century, as evidenced by the entry in his diary about Alaska. A significant contribution was made by Wrangel, who in 1839 mapped the outlines of the Alaskan mountain range, and McKinley can also be identified there. In the middle of the XIX century, Lavrenty Zagoskin went to study this patch of land and was struck by the savagery of these places. After Mount McKinley got the coordinates, daredevils from all over the world tried to climb to its top, but it was not so simple to do this.
The rock is very steep, and the inaccessibility of places complicates the way for climbers. In addition, it is very cold here, at an altitude of about 5 km above the ground, temperatures below -80 ° C are recorded. Rising higher, people suffer from mountain sickness because the air is very thin. Mount McKinley, on the map it is clearly visible, has two peaks - South and North. The first is the highest, so climbers pave the way for her, but if you go from the north, you will have to visit her neighbor.
They tried to climb McKinley back in 1903, but nobody succeeded. In 1906, the famous doctor and researcher Frederick Cook announced that he had surrendered to the top. For three years, the daredevil was exalted to heaven, and no one dared to doubt the veracity of his words. In 1909, Cook sent a telegram that he conquered the
North Pole on April 21, 1908
, only a few days later
Robert Peary announced that he also visited there, only in April 1909. The influence of the latter served to the fact that Cook was christened a liar and refuted his achievements.
Mount McKinley played an important role in this high-profile exposure. There were members of Cook's expeditions who changed their testimony by announcing that the explorer was not at the top. A study of the doctor’s diary showed that he did not lie and was indeed the first person to visit both the North Pole and the North American mountain. Today, the official conqueror of the summit is Hudson Stack. Mount McKinley submitted to him in 1913, and the first man to set foot on the peak was expeditionary member Walter Harper, a native of the peninsula.
Whatever it was, but to this day, the peak in
North America is considered by climbers to be one of the most difficult. Mount McKinley surprises with the pristine nature, the species diversity of plants, among which there are not only lichens and mosses, but also deciduous and coniferous trees, beautiful flowers. There are also about four dozen species of mammals, among which
grizzly bears and baribals deserve special attention. The purity and beauty of the local landscape attracts thousands of tourists who come to these places every year.