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The Ascent of Denali: A Narrative of the First Complete Ascent of the Highest Peak in North America
Hudson Stuck was the Episcopalian Archdeacon of the Yukon. With three companions he made the first ascent of Mt. McKinley-the 20,320 foot tall sount summit of Denali. They statrted in March, arrived at the approaches in April, and by May they were at their base camp, where a late storm kept them in their tents for three weeks readig Shakespeare, history, theology, philisophy, and science. They reached the summit near mid-day on June 7, 1913.
123 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1977
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 7, 2025
When I first went to visit Alaska on a cruise ship as a passenger, I hated everything about the experience, and it was because the company that was with me had ruined the entire experience. Years later, I went back to Alaska for the second time as a crew member, and slowly I grew to love everything about Alaska over the years. This book includes 34 photographs and illustrations of an adventurous individual—Hudson Stuck, who recounts his successful expedition to climb Denali (officially Mount McKinley) for the first time.
December 11, 2010
It is embarrassing to say that I did not know who first climbed Denali before reading this book. Now I do, and it's complicated. During the 1910's, there was a lot of interest in climbing this mountain. The Ascent of Denali tells about at least two of the other expeditions in the previous two years, one of which missed the summit by merely a few hundred feet, and the other one which did summit the lower North Peak, but, because of the actions of one of their members, had not been believed.
The people on the expedition were the author, Hudson Stuck, Harry Karstens, Walter Harper, and Robert Tatum, the last two both 21. There were also two 14 or 15 year-old native boys who helped establish and maintain the base camp, but did not climb the mountain. All but Tatum had been living and traveling in Alaska, and were used to the extreme cold.
This expedition was well-planned and still hellishly difficult. The first problem was the break-down of the boat they planned to use to take their supplies into the Denali area. (Back then, people climbing Denali apparently didn't take helicopters from Talketna.) Then half the climbing supplies ordered from the east coast (in February for a trip in March of the following year) never showed up, and the ice axes were little toy ice axes. New York did not have crampons at all. So they had to have ice axes, crampons, and silk tents made in Fairbanks. They had a fire on their way up that destroyed a significant part of their supplies, including their silk tents. Worst of all was their discovery that an earthquake that occurred immediately after one of the previous expeditions had turned back had ruined several miles of the ridge they were to climb by taking large chunks out of it and leaving some of the ice balanced as large ice blocks. Hudson said they pushed one of these the size of a two-story house off the ridge two thousand feet onto the glacier below. It took them three weeks to get up this ridge by the slow dangerous process of cutting steps that would make it passable.
Other than unexpected problems and the expected, but still terrible cold, I found it interesting that they used dog sleds until they had crossed the first glacier on the mountain, that they used their dogs to haul firewood in stages to their camps, that they made the entire climb in moccasins that they tied crampons to, and that they prepared their pemmican themselves at their base camp from game they shot. Not at all the kind of climbing that you hear about now.
The people on the expedition were the author, Hudson Stuck, Harry Karstens, Walter Harper, and Robert Tatum, the last two both 21. There were also two 14 or 15 year-old native boys who helped establish and maintain the base camp, but did not climb the mountain. All but Tatum had been living and traveling in Alaska, and were used to the extreme cold.
This expedition was well-planned and still hellishly difficult. The first problem was the break-down of the boat they planned to use to take their supplies into the Denali area. (Back then, people climbing Denali apparently didn't take helicopters from Talketna.) Then half the climbing supplies ordered from the east coast (in February for a trip in March of the following year) never showed up, and the ice axes were little toy ice axes. New York did not have crampons at all. So they had to have ice axes, crampons, and silk tents made in Fairbanks. They had a fire on their way up that destroyed a significant part of their supplies, including their silk tents. Worst of all was their discovery that an earthquake that occurred immediately after one of the previous expeditions had turned back had ruined several miles of the ridge they were to climb by taking large chunks out of it and leaving some of the ice balanced as large ice blocks. Hudson said they pushed one of these the size of a two-story house off the ridge two thousand feet onto the glacier below. It took them three weeks to get up this ridge by the slow dangerous process of cutting steps that would make it passable.
Other than unexpected problems and the expected, but still terrible cold, I found it interesting that they used dog sleds until they had crossed the first glacier on the mountain, that they used their dogs to haul firewood in stages to their camps, that they made the entire climb in moccasins that they tied crampons to, and that they prepared their pemmican themselves at their base camp from game they shot. Not at all the kind of climbing that you hear about now.
April 29, 2016
Articulately written, humble, and wonderfully even in tone: Stuck's account of the first true ascent of Denali is a minor classic.
It's a quick and very readable book but for those looking for a dramatic climb with interpersonal friction this isn't your book. In the grand tradition of Edwardian explorer literature Stuck, a minister by trade, has nothing but good things to say about his climbing comrades, the native Alaskans near by, and he deals with setbacks with wry humor, understatement and patient, resourceful stoicism.
Lovely book.
It's a quick and very readable book but for those looking for a dramatic climb with interpersonal friction this isn't your book. In the grand tradition of Edwardian explorer literature Stuck, a minister by trade, has nothing but good things to say about his climbing comrades, the native Alaskans near by, and he deals with setbacks with wry humor, understatement and patient, resourceful stoicism.
Lovely book.
December 14, 2022
A must-read for those interested in Denali and Alaskan history. Would also recommend reading some other authors work who reference Stuck's (and others) journals from the ascent. Stuck's official telling is very succinct and focused on the climb (with a few minor deviations into matters of personal interest), while I find the story of the men who climbed it and the personal and collective challenges they faced, equally as interesting.
July 5, 2022
A very interesting account of the ascent of Denali. I appreciated the relatively positive view this early 1900s explorer had for the Indigenous people of the area, though there are still moments that reflect the racism of the time. The author has an engaging storytelling voice. Overall, a good primary account and worth the read
March 22, 2011
The story of the ascent itself was quite engaging and told in an elegant manner with admirable modesty. The last quarter of the book, where he describes the calculation of the height of the peak, the previous attempts at the summit, and the naming of various features, can be skipped.
December 29, 2022
A superb book and a superb climb. Quite a character and full of respect for the indigenous people. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
June 1, 2021
Superbly written and an incredible story of pure adventure. The likes of which are likely lost to the world forever.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews