Denali's Howl

"To my father, who knew that putting more people at risk would not save those who were already gone"

Andy Hall

Denali's Howl

Living in a mountain town, and participating in risky activities, there is a definite draw towards stories with tragic endings. I think that the population as a whole, is generally drawn to these stories, stories like Into Thin Air, and Into the Wild. I think it largely stems from human beings love of control, it is a survival instinct that serves us well. But because of this, there is something very mythical about things that we have no control of: big mountains, raging rivers, the decisions of others, and the weather. These things take on a spiritual feel, the feel of being separate. The deaths caused by them almost feel other worldly, though to those close to the victim the pain is all too real.

I am one of these people who is very interested by these stories. I am also interested in playing in places that these stories have the potential to take place. But as Blaine Smith said, "there is no reward without the risk." These are not risks that we take lightly, and with the proper training and experience these risks, for the most part, can be mitigated. But accidents do happen, and some risks cannot be accounted for ahead of time.

Denali's Howl, by Andy Hall, is such a story. In 1967, twelve young men attempted to climb Mount McKinley, the tallest peak in North America. Known to the locals as Denali, it rises to 20,320 feet and is arguably the biggest mountain on the planet, covering 144-square miles and spanning 18,000 vertical feet from base to summit. Mount Everest, while rising to 29,029 feet, gets a boost from the Tibetan Plateau and only rises 12,000 feet from base to summit. Before their climb, Denali was thought to be merely challenging, but the tragedy caused by an unprecedented blizzard above 20,000 feet changed the view. Only five of the team survived.

Andy Hall did his research for this book, and his personal relation to the story added a wonderful layer to the story telling. The son of the park superintendent, he remembers the event through a five year old mind. This story was wonderfully told, and heart breaking. It examined the grief felt by the parents after the loss of their sons, and it dealt with the deaths of the young men in an extremely respectful way, with prose that was touching and heart rendering. 

The author began the book asking the questions that most people, especially people separated from the outdoor community, ask when a tragedy occurs: why did these young men have to die? Why would they be allowed to attempt something as dangerous as they did. Towards the end of the book he asks, what I think is a much more important question: would it have been right to try and stop them?

Everyone, I suppose, will come to their own conclusion regarding the answer to that question, but it is one that needs to be examined as the answer effects us greatly in our day-to-day lives, Andy Hall did an amazing job with this book, and I highly recommend it.