Minus 148 Degrees: First Winter Ascent of Mount McKinley, Anniversary Edition (Legends and Lore)

Stop. Think. How many things do you know that would be frozen solid at -148 degrees? What you'll have trouble naming is anything that wouldn't be frozen solid at that temperature. The stark title leads one to the ebullience of the young men you attempted this winter climb of Mt. Denali. They're cheer, they're comradeship, their determination make the climb seem. from the beginning possible, do-able, there to be done but never is success a guaranteed thing.Art Davidson puts you on his back and hauls the reader up the mountain through the good and, mostly, grim. His description is both elegant and penetrating in a way that "adventure" books seldom are. You know him not only from the picture at the from but from his thoughts, conversations, desire to convey what is was like. (As we got higher and the temperature dropped, I slapped on heavy duty suntan lotion and sat outside to enjoy the heat.)This is not a book about a mission, it's a book about an idea that slowly, surely takes shape and then we find ourselves trying to spit into the wind, make camp where even a mountain goat would be leery, build the friendship beyond friendship when the reality of having to rely on others comes to pass. The damages they suffer are made to seem the price of admission, the forfeit for success. This is no book about auteurs who fail because all they had was a notion but backed by....nothing. This is a book about men who are transfixed by an idea and can do nothing but follow it up the mountain and to their personal perception of success.Mr. Davidson shares his life with us in plainly elegant words that convey what it was like, how it felt, the emotional hook that dragged him on. This is a brilliant book from a man I much admire.

In 1967, Art Davidson and seven others decided to try the first winter ascent of Mount McKinley (Denali), North America’s highest peak. Because Denali lies so far north, its elevation of 20,322 feet (6194 meters) gives it nasty conditions comparable to higher Himalayan peaks. In addition, there is less air at higher altitudes because of the effects of the Earth’s rotation, making high-altitude mountaineering more challenging. The peak is also famous for its storms, especially its wind. Remember, they’re trying this in winter.The team gets off to a bad start, in part because it’s not a team. Skill levels, fitness, acclimation to altitude, and climbing styles vary. Leadership is a problem. People, including the author, make some bad decisions. Then things get bad when three members of the team spend six days in a horrible storm, with temperatures below -40F/C, winds of 100-150 mph (150-200 kph). Did I mention that they have very little food? And no tent? And the storm blows some of their supplies off the mountain?Mountaineering stories often emphasize the heroism of the protagonists. There’s a little of that here, but more of the story focuses on the psychology of the climbers. Davidson is honest about himself, and honest about others. He blames himself for some decisions. He usually doesn’t blame others for their decisions, but the facts often make you wonder.The book is a compelling, fast read. If you like mountaineering or adventure stories, you should definitely read it - but it reaches beyond the genre and should be enjoyed by a wider audience.

I bought this book after meeting Dave Johnston skiing on the Iditarod Trail outside of Nome a few weeks back. The man's a legend and still pursuing adventures in his 70s. Incredible! Like many Alaskans, I was vaguely familiar with this story, but knew none of the details. Meeting Dave spurred me to buy and read the book and I was not disappointed. An amazing story, well-told. The author does not gloss over mistakes in judgement or character flaws, even his own, and he does not try to hide the personal conflicts that emerge on long expeditions. He aims for truth, and seemingly succeeds. That other members of the party let the author use their journals so that their perspectives could be included speaks volumes about the characters of all involved. Once I started reading I could not put it down, and I've recommended it to friends and family who share my interest in the outdoors. Deserves to be the classic that it is.

I was recommended this book by our tour guide when we recently visited Denali, in Alaska. While I kept a safe distance on a tour bus, a group of young men several decades ago decided to attempt the first climb to the summit of Denali/Mount McKindley in winter. This is their story, written in a straightforward and honest way that takes the reader along with them, if only in our imaginations. At first it meandered a bit and the group that they put together seemed a bit motley and unprepared. I didn't know the story so I wondered how many would die on the mountain. As the mountain asserted itself and the weather trapped them, again I wondered how many would survive, and found myself hoping against logic that they would make it down.I won't spoil the ending for those of you who don't know the outcome. I'm not a mountaineering fan and I still don't understand the motivation of climbers, but this is a good read and I highly recommend it.

I liked that the book conveyed the whole experience, emotional and physical, of climbing in the freezing cold! I felt like I was there.

An amazing telling of human endurance and the extremes a body can tolerate. Also an honest, brutal look at humanity. The author did not spare himself in this introspective assessment, making you see and feel his selfishness. Great book.

I read this book years ago. Recently my kids spilled water on it and I needed a new one. Warning. Only read it outside on a hot summer day. The description of the happenings may chill you as you read.

Having been on Denali in 1996 (in Summer I hasten to add) this book makes a gripping read. A true tale of survival.

Intriguing true-life story written by one of the climbers. Very interesting and well worth reading.

Another great book

Amazing adventure