Mount McKinley - the hard-to-reach top of North America

Mount McKinley is third in the list of the highest peaks in the world. Only Everest, which the inhabitants of Tibet still call Jomolungma, is ahead of it, and also Aconcagua is an 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 double-headed summit belonged to Russia, it was called the Great Mountain, paying tribute to its majestic dimensions.

The first mention of the grief was made by George Vancouver at the end of the XVIII century, as evidenced by the record in his diary about Alaska. Significant contribution was made by Wrangel, who in 1839 mapped out the outlines of the Alaskan mountain range, where McKinley can also be identified. In the middle of the XIX century, Lavrenti Zagoskin went to study this piece of land and was amazed by the wildness of these places. After McKinley's mountain received the coordinates, the daredevils from all over the world tried to climb to its top, but it was not so easy to do it.

The rock is very steep, and the inaccessibility of places complicates the way climbers. In addition, it is very cold here, at a height 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 rarefied. Mount McKinley, on the map is clearly visible, has two peaks - the South and North. The first is the highest, so climbers are paving the way for it, but if you go from the north side, you'll 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 declared that the summit was resigned to him. For three years the brave man was lifted to the skies, and no one dared to doubt the veracity of his words. In 1909, Cook sent a telegram that on April 21, 1908, he conquered the North Pole, just a few days later Robert Peary announced that he also visited there, only in April 1909. The influence of the latter was that Cook was dubbed a liar and denied his achievements.

Mount McKinley played in this loud revelation is not the last role. There were members of the expeditions of Cook, who changed their testimony, announcing that the explorer was not on top. The study of the doctor's diary showed that he did not lie and was really the first person to have visited both the North Pole and the North American mountain. Today, the official conqueror of the summit is Hudson Stuck. Mount McKinley obeyed him in 1913, and the first person to set foot on the peak was the expedition member Walter Harper, a native of the peninsula.

Whatever it was, but to this day the peak in North America is considered to be one of the most difficult climbers. Mount McKinley is surprised by 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. Also there are about four dozen species of mammals, among which the grizzly bears and baribals deserve special attention. The cleanliness and beauty of local landscapes attract thousands of tourists who come to these places every year.