Denali presents the greatest vertical gain—from just above sea level to 20,320 feet—of any mountain on the planet. Sited …

Denali presents the greatest vertical gain—from just above sea level to 20,320 feet—of any mountain on the planet. Sited 2,400 miles north of Everest, it is notorious for 100-mile-per-hour winds and temperatures of 60 to 100 degrees below zero. Denali's thin air and 21 hours of sun per summer day create a near-Himalayan climbing environment.

Then there's the specter of death on the mountain. Since a group of miners (the Sourdough Expedition) defied all odds and reach the North Peak in 1910, Denali has claimed the lives of nearly 100 climbers. These extreme conditions and storied history are woven throughout Brill's account of his own attempt to scale Denali. Trained by expert guides, the 45-year-old fledgling mountaineer mastered the skills to propel him from sofa to summit. His account overflows with vivid personalities and events: As Brill and his rope-mates cross glaciers and crevasses, claw their way up walls of ice, and wait out a killer storm, the author probes the motivation of his guides and fellow climbers—including two women whose quest for the summit ends in a flesh-freezing bathroom break.