Denali Rescue, 1979: The Untold Full Story

In this episode, we have climbing legends Jamie Logan, Jack Tackle, and Ken Currens on the podcast to retell the story of an accident and rescue on Denali in 1979. Jack Tackle and Ken Currens were climbing partners with a number of big mountains and first ascents under their belt, and in 1979, it was their first trip to the Alaska Range. They had decided to attempt the unclimbed southeast face of Denali (also known as Mt. McKinley). In the middle of the climb, Ken, on lead, took a 250 ft fall when snow gave way beneath him. Once the rope came taught, he was hanging in mid air over a cliff, his femur badly broken. The rescue that followed is a story for the ages. We dive into the mechanics of the accident, what Jack Tackle had to do to get help, and how Jamie Logan and Mugs Stump—two of the most impressive alpinists of the time—were critical in helping save Ken. She and Mugs are especially known for the first ascent of the Emperor Face the year before, and though Mugs has passed, Jamie was able to fill us in on their experience of the rescue. In this episode, these legends put together the pieces of history that they all remember a tad bit differently—in real time, 47 years later.