Denali: A New Success
Dr. Musilova trained for over a year and a half to prepare for her expedition to Denali, the tallest mountain in North America - it is 6,190 m (20,310 ft) high. Her training involved rigorous strength, cardiovascular and breathing exercises, which were similar, but more intense than those she did in preparation for her expedition to Aconcagua. This is because Denali is considered to be the most challenging mountain to climb of the Seven Summits, due to its remote location in Alaska, very cold temperatures and long trekking days in difficult conditions. Dr. Musilova’s additional training for Denali involved regular hiking trips with a 37 kg (81 lbs) heavy backpack and taking a Denali specific training course on Mount Rainier in Washington State, USA.
In May 2024, Dr. Musilova performed the Denali expedition alone, since the Astro Seven Summits team was only able to fundraise enough money to cover the costs of one team member to carry out the expedition. She was able to complete all her planned work for the expedition, though she did not reach the summit of Denali for medical reasons. Dr. Musilova worked with several US-based and local teams in Alaska to perform her research and educational projects. These organizations had strong ethical and leave-no-trace policies, which is why it was a great experience to work with them.
Nevertheless, the environment in Alaska was polluted in many places. While Denali National Park was kept in great shape in that regard, just outside the park, the nature was often filled with human waste. These are some of the issues Dr. Musilova is trying to address in the documentary she filmed during her expedition (it will likely be released in late 2025 or in 2026). The documentary will also feature interviews with people living in Alaska to share how they perceive their environment and the changes that are happening to it.
Throughout the Denali expedition, Dr. Musilova continued her previous scientific work for the Astro Seven Summits project, which included her astrobiology and environmental research collaborations. She also continued collecting data using sensors designed for school children to allow them to experience performing STEM research and get exposure to international projects. Dr. Musilova is now preparing more educational and outreach presentations to give to the public and schools about this expedition worldwide, as well as more social media content and interviews for the media.
