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Little More Than One-Third Summited Mount McKinley At Denali National Park This Year

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Published Date

December 21, 2014
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Some days were busier than others at basecamp on Mount McKinley this year/NPS

How long do you think it takes to summit Mount McKinley in Denali National Park and Preserve? For most climbers who summited this year, the average trip was about 18 days. For Kilian Jornet, it took less than 12 hours.

While Denali officials don't track speed records, they say the speedy Spaniard's ascent was reportedly almost 5 hours faster than an also-impressive 2013 ascent by Ed Warren. Jornet was one of 1,204 climbers who set out to summit the 20,322-foot Mount McKinley, and one of just 429 to stand atop the mountain, according to park records.

According to reports, Jornet acclimatized first on the West Buttress route, then on June 7, made his solo speed ascent via the Rescue Gully variation, ascending on both skis and crampons.

June was a busy month on Mount McKinley. In fact, it was the busiest month of the summer, with 330 summits recorded. May tallied 49 summits, and July saw 50. The busiest single day was June 4, when 99 climbers made it to the top.

Totals by Climbing Route

MOUNT MCKINLEY (by route) Attempts Summits Summit %
Cassin Ridge 5 4 80%
Muldrow Glacier 4 0 0
Muldrow Traverse 2 0 0
West Buttress 1,156 404 35
West Rib 15 12 80
Upper West Rib 22 9 41
TOTALS 1,204 429 36%

 

MOUNT FORAKER (by route) Attempts Summits Summit %
Sultana Ridge 12 6 50%
TOTALS 12 6 50%

Nearby Mount Foraker saw just a dozen summit attempts, with six reaching the top of the 17,402-foot peak.

For an in-depth look at notable ascents and other climbing trivia from the 2014 season, check out this report by Denali mountaineering ranger Mark Westman.

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