Online Junior Ranger: Camp 1

You climbed to Camp 1! Well done! Find this camp on your mountain and complete your first three activities.

The High One

Rising 20,310 feet (6,190 meters) above sea level, Mount McKinley is the tallest mountain in North America. In Alaska Native languages, the mountain is called Denali, which means the high one. Mount McKinley, The High One, towers above other peaks in the Alaska Range, a long arc of mountains created by movement of Earth's tectonic plates.

The Pacific plate is slowly moving northwest, crashing into and subducting beneath the North American plate. This causes the upper plate to buckle like the hood of a car during a collision. As the slow-motion crash continues, earthquakes sometimes shake beneath our feet, and the Alaska Range grows a little taller every year.

Meanwhile, glaciers, rivers, rain, and wind erode the mountains. These geologic forces work over long periods of time to shape every landform on Earth's surface, from mountains and plains to lakes and oceans. Geologic forces are shaping landforms near you, too!

How tall is The High One?

It may be difficult to imagine the height of a mountain as tall as Mount McKinley. Math can help us put things into perspective. How tall are you in feet or meters? How many of you would it take to equal the height of the mountain?

In feet: 20,310 feet ÷ __(your height in feet)__ ⇒ Mount McKinley is as tall as ____ of me!

In meters: 6,190 meters ÷ __(your height in meters)__ ⇒ Mount McKinley is as tall as ____ of me!

1) Write "Mount McKinley is as tall as ____ of me!" and fill in the blank next to Camp 1 on your mountain.

How hard is climbing Mount McKinley?

North America's tallest peak inspires scientists, artists, explorers, and of course, climbers from around the world. The average attempt to climb the mountain takes three whole weeks! Climbing safely and successfully requires lots of planning, training, and overcoming challenges along the route.

One challenge of climbing in Denali is weather. Many consider Mount McKinley the coldest mountain on Earth due to its high elevation, subarctic location, and powerful winds. Mountaineers wear special gear to protect themselves from dangers of the extreme cold.

Another challenge is altitude sickness. Air is less dense at high elevations, which limits available oxygen. Not breathing enough oxygen can cause headache, nausea, and shortness of breath, especially during hard exercise like climbing. Mountaineers plan rest days carefully so their bodies can acclimate.

Press your finger over one nostril and run or dance in place. Breathing is a lot harder with half as much air! This is what mountaineering at high elevations feels like.

2) Write one word to describe how you feel after your "mountaineering" experience next to Camp 1.

Yet another challenge is trusting teammates. Can you think of a time when you were part of a team? Perhaps you played a team sport or completed a group project at school. Every member of your team shared a common goal.

Mountaineering teams also share a common goal, but with more serious risks involved. Teammates rope together in case someone falls down a steep slope or into a crevasse. If a teammate falls, the others use their bodyweight and ropes to stop their fall.

3) Who would you trust on your mountaineering team? Write the names of two people next to Camp 1.

Bonus challenge! Tell one of your trusted teammates about what it would be like to climb the tallest mountain in North America.

Learn More, Climb Higher

(Optional) To take a detour and learn more about geology and mountaineering in Denali, please visit:

• Geology of Denali
• Mountaineering in Denali

Ready to climb onward? Click on Camp 2 using the interactive mountain map! ⇒

Return home or proceed to next camp.