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On June 7, 1913, Walter Harper, Harry Karstens, Hudson Stuck and Robert Tatum made history as the first men to reach Denali’s south summit. For three months, they struggled across rivers, plunged through tundra and climbed glaciers and ridges.
At 8,000 feet, they lost their tent and many belongings in a fire but cobbled together a shelter from old sled tarpaulins and continued. Stuck was failing physically, hobbled by headaches, shortness of breath and blackouts. By sheer will he left for the summit at 3 a.m. and -21 degrees, later reaching the peak with his team and collapsed unconscious.
– Eve Lederman, The 100 Companies