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From Desert to Denali
January 11 @ 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
From Desert to Denali – Saturday, January 11 at 3 p.m. in the Coso Room of the Maturango Museum
A few minutes before dawn, on a mid-July day with the temperature hanging tens of degrees below zero, nine mountaineers from China Lake commenced a day of adventure that set an American climbing
record lasting for years. Jim Nichols narrates the journey of nine local mountaineers who reached the summit of Denali in 1967.
This presentation discusses the physical preparation required, practice hikes in the Sierras, and the challenging ascent to Denali’s peak at 20,320 feet. It covers the team’s equipment, physical preparation, testing and practice in the Sierras, and the final spectacular grind to the summit of Denali. Join surviving team members Bob Westbrook and Jim Nichols at the Maturango Museum for the presentation, The show will feature photos, videos, and displays of expeditionary mountaineering trappings from that era.
Slide shows Frank Buffum, Jim Nichols, and Bob Westbrook at the Denali summit.