The Climb on Mount Denali that Claimed Seven Lives

by Atisse Robbins, age 14

Mount Denali, also known as “The Great One,” is a mountain located in Alaska. It is 20,320 ft tall. The first group reached the summit in 1913.

In 1967, a group of men decided to climb the mountain. A group from Colorado consisting of four members was planning to make the trip; however, before they even made it to the mountain, one of the members got into a car accident, so the group was reduced to only three people. There was another group that planned to climb Mount Denali on the same day as the Colorado group; their group name was the Wilcox expedition. This group consisted of eight members, Joe Wilcox being the leader.

To climb the mountain, you need at least four people. Since the Colorado group had lost a member, park rangers decided that both groups should merge and make the trip up the mountain together. They all agreed, took a picture, grabbed all their gear, and began to climb. With the strenuous climb, some members of the group developed altitude sickness. As a result, some people decided to wait and rest for the day and continue to reach the summit the following day.

Joe Wilcox, Schlichter, Snyder, and a couple of other people went to reach the summit point while the sick and tired members stayed back and rested. They made it to the summit that day at 20,320 ft. They stayed at the summit for a couple of hours, taking pictures and admiring the view.

Two hours after leaving for the summit, they arrived at their camp at about 17,900 ft, where they passed the other group of men who originally stayed to rest. They exchanged greetings and made their way down the mountain. The other group of people made their way up.

By the time the first group was at base five, the members who tried to make it were most likely dead already. While the group was at base five, a huge storm kicked in. Schlichter and Snyder radioed park rangers, but the park rangers claimed they never got it. Park rangers soon noticed there was a storm and headed up the mountain to assist them. They brought heaters and hot chocolate to warm them up, and they headed down the mountain. A couple of other park rangers started up the mountain to find the other members of their group, but that soon led to tragedy.

One of the park rangers found a body, and some looked more painful than others. Some of the bodies were not found, though there were rumors that they froze to death due to the weather. After this tragedy, Joe Wilcox got a lot of backlash for the event that took place. People said he should have never left them due to the fact that he was more experienced and most of the group had never been past 15,000 ft. Joe Wilcox even blamed himself for what happened. 12 members went up the mountain, and only five came out alive. This story has been told for many years, and this tragedy is the most devastating thing to happen on Mount Denali. This has been stated to be the deadliest mountain in Alaska.

The tragedy on Mount Denali prompted significant changes to mountaineering protocols and serves as a reminder of the dangers of climbing these mountains. As climbers continue to be drawn to these extreme heights, the lessons from the past remain as critical guides for safety and responsibility during these expeditions.

[Source: Daily Mail]