Hiker First Ever to Summit Tallest North American Peak in Winter
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lowthian/iStock/Thinkstock(MINNEAPOLIS) — A Minnesota man is thawing out and celebrating after becoming the first climber to summit Mount McKinley in the winter months.
Lonnie Dupre spent 29 days trekking through snow and ice and braving winds speeds of 100 mph, to make it to the top of McKinley, also called Denali.
Video of his achievement shows the climber being brought to tears by the stunning view.
“Glad to be there, also glad to have it behind me and just overjoyed with the view you can obtain from the summit,” he told ABC News.
Dupre had tried to reach the peak twice before, but bad weather kept pushing him back. He said he was never sure he could actually make it until he took those final steps to the mountain peak.
“Because I was trying so hard for four years I kind of broke down a little,” he said.
To celebrate his victory, Dupre enjoyed a salad, macaroons and some local Denali beer on the plane home, according to his website.
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