Relive in pictures our ascent of Mount Denali (6,190 m) in Alaska

The highest peak in North America, Mount Denali at 6,190 m is a mountain with few equals in terms of challenge and scenic beauty, halfway between the very high attitude and the polar, reserved for experienced mountaineers. Its completely autonomous climbing conditions and extreme weather make it one of the most difficult of the Seven Summits. Once past camp 4, the effort is rewarded by grandiose panoramas of the peaks that make up the Alaska Range, in particular the Foraker (5,304 m) and Hunter (4,442 m) mountains. This year, on 31 May 2022, an Expeditions Unlimited group of four participants reached its summit during an expedition lasting more than three weeks. Eric Bonnem, founder of Secret Planet and a participant in the expedition, took some footage of this wonderful adventure, and we've put together a short two-minute film for you.

Find out more about the Seven Summits challenge climbs.

Mount Denali: first expedition

Located 210 kilometres north of Anchorage, in Alaska's Denali National Park, what was once known as Mount Mac Kinley is fascinating. But unlike most of the great peaks, the first men to set foot on its summit were not skilled mountaineers, but humble prospectors, led by a priest animated by a mystical faith. Walter Harper, a half-breed with Indian blood, Roger Tatum, Harry Karstens and the priest Hudson Stuck did not hesitate, despite their lack of mountain experience, to take on the giant of North America. Read more about the conquest of the ‘roof of North America’ in our blog article here. Although its conquest has been claimed many times by mountaineers who have claimed to have reached the summit, it was not until 1913 that it was officially climbed for the first time, during an expedition led by Hudson Stuck, a priest with no real knowledge of the mountain. It was a tumultuous expedition, but in the end its four participants went down in history. 

Our expedition in May 2022

This year, on 31 May 2022, an Expeditions Unlimited group of four participants reached the summit of Denali after an expedition lasting more than three weeks and benefiting from exceptional weather conditions. It was a difficult, beautiful and wild adventure, which we now bring to life in a short 2-minute film shot by Eric Bonnem, founder of Secret Planet and a participant in the expedition.

‘I dedicate this fantastic expedition to Pascal Pompei, who so inspired me to set off when we shared our tent at altitude in Manaslu, to Jérôme Brisebourg, the second Frenchman to complete the Grand Slam (Seven Summits, North and South Poles), who helped me so much in our preparation, and of course to my great team-mates who gave meaning to this incredible shared adventure: Clément, Michel and Pascal’.

Climb Mount Denali at 6190 meters in Alaska, highest peak of North America.

Watch our animation of the ascent of Mount Denali: