Smyrna times., 1932-07-27
ATTEMPT CLIMB
TO MT. MCKINLEY
Mountain Climbers Try Ardu-
Gus Task of Reaching
the Summit
is 20,3OO FEET HIGH

North America, is a slow job. Foul
men set out from the headquarters
of the Mount Mckinley National
park early in April in an effort tC
reach the 20,3OO-fOot summit of the
south peak of the mountain. a feat
that has been accomplished only
once-in 1913. If the present climb
ers find the task as arduous as the
1913 party did, they will not reach
their goal until late May or early
June.
physical form and its Far North
latitude are the two major factors
that rank Mount Mckinley among
the most difficult Of the earth's
mountains to SCALE" says bulletin
from the National Geographic so
ciety. 1.-THE mountains huge bulk
rises abruptly above plateaus only
5000 feet in altitude on the north
and west sides, SO that the crest is
more than 1900 feet above the
base. All of the other mountain gi-
ants Of the world rise from high
plateaus, so that the portion to be
climbed from a base camp is much
higher in the case Of Mckinley.
Difficult Climbing.
"The snow line on such peaks as
Mount Everest and Kinchinjunga In
the Himalayas, and Aconcagua and
ChimbOrazO in the Andes is very
high; but because Of its near-pOlar
position, Mount McKinley's upper
two-thirds is sheathed in snow and
ice the year round Above six or
seven thousand feet climbers must
trudge through snow or laboriOuSly
cut footholds in steep ice slopes. The
contrast between mountain climb
iRg in Alaska and the Tropics is so
great that one mountaineer who
made an unsuccessful attempt on
Mount Mckinley and later scaled
20,0OO-foOt peak in the Andes, de-
clared that the latter feat re-
quired less exertion than reaching
the 4,500foot level on Mount Nc
Kinley.
Piercing the moist skies of
Alaska to such an extreme height,
Mount Mckinley catches tremen-
idous quantities Of snow. AS a re
suit 1t gives rise to numerous gla-
ciers which feed the Susitna river
and some Of the headwaters Of the
Kuskoquim. The largest of the gla-
ciers, Muldrow, IS 50 miles long,
more than twice the length Of the
most extensive glacier in the Alps.
II is up the face Of Muldrow glacier
that the only feasible route to the
summit Of Mount Mckinley has
been found.
This huge mountain Of central
Alaska was a famous landmark 10
the Indians. 1t was known to them
as 'Denali,' which has been inter
preted both as Mount High and
Home Of the Sun The Indians
reverenced Denali as the natives
near Mount Everest reverence that
great peak.
Apex Reached Only Once.
Little was known of Mount Nc
.Kinley by the outside world until
1898 when the United States geo
logical survey began a series OF ex-
plorations following the gold rush
TO the Klondike. Efforts to climb
the mountain from the south side
were made at intervals from 1903
20 1910, all Of them unsuccessful.
The successful climb to the south
peak, highest point on Mount Nc
Kinley, was made by Hudson Stuck,
Episcopal archdeacon Of the Yu-
kon. and three companions, on June
z, 1913. This point has never been
reached since, but in 1919 a party
Of four prOspectors climbed to the
slightly lower north peak.
'Mount Mckinley lies 34S miles
north Of Seward on the coast, and
123 miles southeast Of Fairbanks,
Alaska's most important inland
town. The mountain is surrounded
by the Mount Mckinley National
park, 2,645 square miles in extent,
which was created by congress in
1917 and enlarged in 1922. The
park extends for 100 miles artride
the Alaska range, and includes nu-
merOus peaks and glaciers, forests,
meadows, streams, waterfalls, and
lakes. The reservation abounds
with big game, including moose,
caribou, big-horn mountain sheep,
and brown bears. On the hills and
mountain slopes is a multitude Of
birds. The fish that throng the park
streams in summer, migrate to large
rivers before winter, for the small
streams freeze almost solid. Ice dis
appears about mid-April, and during
the height Of the summer the region
is bathed in sunlight for IS hours
or more each day.
'1The federal-owned Alaskan rail-
way skirts the east end Of the park.
From Mckinley Park station a grav-
eled automobile highway penetrates
into the park for 40 miles. This road
is to be extended 35 miles during
1892. From the end Of the high