Associated Press
A Minnesota climber is abandoning his attempt to reach the summit of Alaska’s Mount McKinley. Lonnie Dupre began his descent yesterday after brutal weather stranded him at about 17,000 feet on the highest mountain in North America. Dupre had hoped to gather strength at a lower elevation, but after spending a cold and “miserable” night at 14,200 feet, he decided to continue down the mountain. Dupre told his manager that spending days at an extreme altitude made him weaker than he expected. He is expected to make one more overnight camp before getting to 7,000 feet, where an airplane can pick him up. Dupre was trying to become the first person to climb Mount McKinley alone in January.
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