A team of mountaineers are roped up while crossing the lower Kahiltna glacier on their way to 12.000 feet camp Mount McKinley in Alaska. The rope will prevent a climber from falling deep into a crevasse when a snow bridge suddenly collapses. The other team members can then use the rope to rescue the victim. On the sleds the alpinists carry part of their gear, tents and food. Mount McKinley or Denali is the highest mountain peak in North America, with a summit elevation of 20, 237 feet (6, 168 m) above sea level. At some 18, 000 feet (5, 500 m), the base-to-peak rise is considered the largest of any mountain situated entirely above sea level. Measured by topographic prominence, it is the third most prominent peak after Mount Everest and Aconcagua. Located in the Alaska Range in the interior of the U.S. state of Alaska, McKinley is the centerpiece of Denali National Park and Preserve.
