MOUNTAINEERING INFORMATION ARTICLES

McKinley - Climate and Flora/Fauna

Climate

The weather in Alaska is infamous for changing dramatically quickly. Stable months to Climb are from May to June, while late July and August usually provide poor weather for climbers. It is especially difficult to Climb on late July because it is when the snow starts to melt which increases the risk of avalanches. Most of the successful Climbs are done on June, so it is advisable to schedule your Climbs on that month. But since very tall mountains are notorious for having its own weather, one should be prepared for sudden changes in weather. Temperatures can plummet to -30 degrees Celsius and below with the wind-chill factor.

Flora and Fauna

At the higher peaks of the McKinley, flora and fauna are almost non-existent. Up until 2000m, ravens, finches and some lichen or mosses on rocks can be encountered. The birds are a nuisance if they find food remains. So try to keep your food hidden from animals as much as possible. Above 2000m, it is a virtually sterile kingdom of snow, ice, and rock.

The surrounding arctic tundra consists of lowland vegetation dominated by forests, peat-bogs and montane moorlands, which in summer offers a feast for the eyes with luxurious bloom of flowers. Wildlife such as moose, reindeer, bear, and wolf abound, so as the very annoying mosquitoes. So it is advisable to bring an insect repellant with you during the trip.

We hope that this section gave you an idea of what to you could expect to see when you Climb Mount McKinley, otherwise known as Denali. Knowing what to expect during a trip can make it easier for you to know what to bring. It will save you a lot of time packing up and a lot of excess load which could have been otherwise useless during your trip.

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