Submitted by Lopez Island Library

Join the Lopez Library Wednesday, May 3, 7 p.m., at Woodmen Hall as we host the final program in the Beyond Limits adventure series: “A Winter Ascent of Denali.”

In the winter of 1967, climber and local Lopez resident Gregg Blomberg lead the first expedition to complete the daunting task of ascending, in winter, the highest mountain in North America, 20,320-foot Denali. Denali was known officially as Mount McKinley until 2015 and is a monumental feat for any climber, but Blomberg’s expedition succeeded at climbing the peak in the cold and dark of winter.

The expedition’s summit was successful but over a period of 42 days, the group battled terrifying winds, massive snowfall and brutal temperatures to reach the summit via the mountain’s West Buttress. Three of seven climbers managed to reach the summit but nearly died on the descent in a storm that left them holed up in an ice cave at 18,200 feet. With little food, fuel running out, and extreme temperatures the three struggled with advancing frostbite and hunger. Wind-chill temperatures were calculated at minus 148 degrees.

Blomberg with other members of his team also struggled to survive the storm at 17,200 feet. His leadership on the expedition, a story of bravery and survival has for 50 years held a significant place in Alaska’s history and in the climbing community as a whole.

Join the library for the incredible story of those 42 days as told by our own community member, Gregg Blomberg. The program will also include images from the expedition. This program and the series are free to all, generously sponsored by Friends of Lopez Library and the Ramsey Shirk Fund.