Mountaineering History

Though Mt. McKinley can be seen from Anchorage on a clear day it is tucked away deep in the Alaska Range. Early 1900 explorers used combinations of river boats, mules and dog sleds to gain access to the mountain's glaciers in order to establish base camps.

Beginning in 1932 plane access to climb Mt. McKinley began saving the mountaineers a few months travel time starting. That year, bush pilot Joe Crosson set the "Cosmic Ray" Party down at the 5,700 foot level of the Muldrow Glacier. Coincidentally, two members of this party became the mountain's first fatalities during the descent.

Twenty some years later, in 1954, pilot Don Sheldon flew the first commercial flight from Talkeetna to Kahiltna Glacier which has become the norm for most McKinley climbers beginning their expeditions.

Mountaineering Today

High winds, wide crevasses and a record low snowfall set the scene for the 1996 climbing season in the Alaska Range. Mount McKinley saw a slight decline (6%) in the number of climbers attempting routes this year. The season total of 1,148 climbers was a decrease from a two year average of 1,220 climbers. 489 climbers (43%), successfully reached the summit. Of the 235 guided climbers on Mount McKinley this season, 104 (44%) reached the summit. These lower than normal success rates are the result of severe wind storms that extended for several weeks during the height of the season.

Thirteen major mountaineering search and rescue missions were performed involving 17 climbers in the Alaska Range. Six fatalities occurred in the 1996 season.

Climbers on Mount McKinley and Mount Foraker are charged a special use fee of $150 per climber. This will offset costs related to rescues such as maintaining the high altitude ranger station, staff and helicopter. In addition to the special use fee, the 60 day pre-registration regulation enacted in 1996 has allowed mountaineering rangers to have direct contact with climbers before they arrive in Talkeetna. In doing so, rangers are able to suggest appropriate routes for different levels of expertise and offer first hand knowledge of conditions encountered in the Alaska Range.

A lenient transition was undertaken in the 1995 and 1996 to fully implement the $150 per climber special use fee and the 60 pre-registration regulation. The National Park Service wishes to notify climbers and mountaineers that they should expect that these regulations will be strictly enforced starting in the 1997 season. Climbers who are not pre-registered a minimum of 60 days in advance will be denied permission to climb Mount McKinley or Mount Foraker.

A new Mountaineering Center (pictured right) will be in operation in Talkeetna for the 1997 climbing season.

Information packets containing information about the new regulations and registration forms are available by contacting the Talkeetna Ranger Station at (907) 733-2231

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