Arctic explorer Lonnie Dupre is gearing up for his third attempt at a January solo summit of North America's highest mountain Denali, also known as Mt. McKinley.
Only nine expeditions have ever reached the summit of Denali in winter. Only one team has ever made the summit in January. Of the original nine expeditions, four were solo, but none of the solos were in January, the darkest and coldest time on the mountain.
Dupre's first two attempts at a solo January summit were cut short due to weather conditions. In 2011 the climb was aborted just 3,120 feet from the summit. In January 2012 Dupre was forced to abandon the climb 4,920 feet short of the goal.
This year's climb is not only an attempt to set a new record, but also part of a documentary that Dupre's team is producing. The documentary, "Cold Love" is an attempt to bring attention to Alaska's vanishing glaciers and the importance of the arctic climate.
Dupre set up camp Saturday and will begin his ascent January 2nd.
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