Mount McKinley

North America, United States, Alaska
Climb Year: 1969. Publication Year: 1970.

North America’s highest peak was climbed by a number of different expeditions. Most of them ascended the mountain via the West Buttress and visited only the main (south) summit. Those that reached the top successfully by this route were as follows: Michel Darbellay and Dino Piazza, members of a nine-man Swiss-Italian group, on May 28; Gilbert Blinn, Stanley Engle, Larry Heggerness, Paul Haertel, Ronald Beck, John Dalle-Molle and James Henriot on May 29; Robert Watkins, Henry Noldan, Arthur Agatsuma and Walter Vennum on June 17 (One member of this six-man group died from pulmonary edema.); Clarence Serfoss, Robert Taylor, John Lawrence and Brian Bartlett, members of Institute of Arctic Biology project, all climbed the main summit and all but Bartlett the north summit from June 23 to 30; David Troe, Bradley Snyder, Dorene and Thomas Frost, Joan and Edward Nester on June 28, and Tom Frost and Snyder accompanied John Waterman to the top on July 2; Rex Post, Thomas Cagwin, Allen Patten, Arvo Koppel, Jeb Schenk, Una Kratz and Raymond Genet on July 11; Gentaro Sakae, Yasushi Nishimaki, Hidenobu Tezuka and Takashi Nakajima, Japanese, on July 12; Reed and Penny Markley, Frank Zahar, Julius Bede and Donald Wallace on July 15.