In May 1932, five mountaineers arrived on Alaska’s Mt. McKinley as part of a worldwide effort to measure cosmic rays. The expedition’s leader, Allen Carpe, and fellow climber Theodore Koven were later killed at the head of the Muldrow Glacier in a crevasse fall. The tragic news garnered headlines across America, especially as Carpe was then the greatest mountaineer in the country.
The story of the 1932 Mt McKinley Cosmic Ray Expedition has now largely been forgotten but it shouldn’t be. I’m working on a book about this collision of religion, adventure, science and aviation. Check back for updates and sign up for my newsletter.
