From a faked summit photo to an ascent in less than half a day, these are the most interesting facts about Denali
I was planning and preparing for my climb of Denali for over 18 months. Between training sessions, I spent swathes of time pouring over maps of the route and reading reports on previous expeditions, all in an attempt to absorb as much information about the mountain as I could.
On Denali itself, my expedition was led by three expert climbers who, between them, were a fountain of knowledge. All shared stories and anecdotes collected from years of guiding on this infamous mountain. Between my own research and all that I gleaned from my guides, I’ve picked a fair few facts about Denali.
Interesting facts about Denali
Rising from the American Cordillera in the heart of the Alaska Range is Denali, one of Earth’s most extraordinary mountains. From summit records to misleading names, we examine the most interesting facts about Denali.
1. Denali is the highest mountain in North America
At 6,190m (20,310ft), Denali, in the state of Alaska, is the highest peak in the USA as well as North America.
(Source: Britannica)
2. Denali is one of the seven summits
As the highest peak in North America, Denali is a member of the seven summits, the highest mountains on every continent. It is the third highest of the seven mountains after Everest in Asia and Aconcagua in South America. The other four are Kilimanjaro in Africa, Elbrus in Europe, Vinson in Antarctica and Puncak Jaya in Oceania. Don’t get me started on Kosciuszko in Australia!
(Source: Britannica)
| Mountain | Country | Continent | Altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| Everest | Nepal/China | Asia | 8,848m (29,029ft) |
| Aconcagua | Argentina | South America | 6,961m (22,838ft) |
| Denali | USA | North America | 6,194m (20,322ft) |
| Kilimanjaro | Tanzania | Africa | 5,895m (19,341ft) |
| Elbrus | Russia | Europe | 5,642m (18,510ft) |
| Mount Vinson | Antarctica | Antarctica | 4,892m (16,050ft) |
| Puncak Jaya | Indonesia | Oceania | 4,884m (16,024ft) |
3. Denali means ‘the tall one’
The name Denali comes from Koyukon, a traditional Native Alaskan language, and means ‘the tall one’.
(Source: National Park Service)
4. Denali is actually ‘taller’ than Everest
When measured from its absolute base, Denali is 1,606m (5,270ft) taller than Mt Everest – the world’s highest mountain. Denali’s base sits at about 609m (2,000ft) above sea level and rises around 5,500m (18,000ft) to its summit while Everest…
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