An Israeli climber recounts a 16-day expedition on Denali, also known as Mount McKinley, in Alaska, where he says the mountain defeated him just 50 meters from the top. Denali rises 6,190 meters, is the highest peak in North America, and is considered by many climbers harder than Everest because everything must be carried by the team, from a 24-kilogram backpack to a 30-kilogram sled, in brutal weather and thin air.
He spent six months training specifically for the trip, building endurance and practicing with heavy loads, including repeated climbs of the 70 floors of the Moshe Aviv Tower in Ramat Gan with 23 kilograms on his back. The expedition began in Talkeetna, then a small plane landed the five-member team on the Kahiltna Glacier, where they were joined by three AMS guides. The group included Claudia from Poland, Austin from New York, Rick from the Philippines, Gimal, an Israeli former naval commando, and the narrator.
Life on the mountain meant constant labor, melting snow for water, carrying waste in sealed buckets, and sleeping in tents despite temperatures dropping to minus 25 degrees Celsius. The climb followed a “carry high, sleep low” system and included severe sections such as Motorcycle Hill and Windy Corner at 4,050 meters, where winds reached 60 miles per hour. The article says the season was deadly, with five deaths in one week, including three climbers who fell into a crevasse, one climber who suffered cardiac arrest, and a ski patrol woman who died in a fall.
The narrator says the hardest moment came on the route from Camp 3 to Camp 4, a 1.2-kilometer ascent with the last 300 meters on a 50-degree slope and fixed rope. About 50 meters from the end, his body shut down, his legs stopped responding, and he told guide Med, “I’m turning back.” He descended with regret but also acceptance, while Gimal continued and reached the summit. At 62, he says he still sees the summit as the goal, but also values the journey, and ends with Med’s words: “The mountain will always be there. Come back.”
