Chasing Denali: The Sourdoughs, Cheechakos, and Frauds Behind the Most Unbelievable Feat in Mountaineering

The book explores the legendary 1910 expedition of four gold miners, known as Sourdoughs, who claimed to have summited Denali, North America's highest peak, using makeshift equipment like sheet metal crampons and coal shovels. Their daring ascent involved overcoming 8,000 feet of perilous snow and ice in a single day, accompanied by a 25-pound flagpole to mark their achievement. Jon Waterman delves into the ambiguity surrounding their claim, raising questions about whether their feat was a genuine success or an elaborate hoax.