Formerly known as Mt. McKinley, Denali (great one) is the highest mountain in North America is 20,320 feet (6,194 m) and the crown of the 600 mile long Alaska Range. Denali has a larger bulk and rise than Mount Everest, although the summit of Everest is higher measured from sea level 29,028 feet (8,800 m). Everest's base sits on the Tibetan Plateau at about 17,000 feet (5,200 m), giving it a real vertical rise of a little more than 12,000 feet (3,700 m). The base of Mount McKinley is roughly a 2,000-foot (610 meter) elevation, giving it an actual rise of 18,000 feet (5,500 m). The mountain is also characterized by extremely cold weather.