Denali Massif

Denali stands at 6,190 meters (20,310 feet) above sea level, making it the highest peak in North America. The mountain's base-to-summit rise of approximately 5,500 meters is among the greatest of any mountain in the world, greater than Mount Everest's from base to peak. The summit was first reached in 1913 by a team led by Hudson Stuck.

Yes, the mountain was officially named Mount McKinley from 1917 until 2015, when the U.S. Department of the Interior restored the traditional Koyukon Athabascan name Denali under the Obama administration. The name 'McKinley' was originally applied in 1896 by a gold prospector honoring then-presidential candidate William McKinley. The State of Alaska had used 'Denali' at the state level since 1975.

The Denali Massif is located in the Alaska Range in south-central Alaska, within Denali National Park and Preserve. The park covers over 6 million acres and was originally established as Mount McKinley National Park in 1917 before being expanded and renamed in 1980. The massif includes several significant peaks in addition to Denali itself.

The West Buttress Route, pioneered by Bradford Washburn in 1951, is the most popular route to the summit of Denali, used by the majority of climbers. Despite being considered the least technical route, it still involves serious hazards including extreme cold, high altitude, and severe weather. Climbing Denali typically takes two to four weeks due to the need for acclimatization and weather delays.