Today we made the four hour trip through beautiful landscapes on the Alaska Railroad to Denali National Park. The trains run to schedule all summer but in the winter, it is the last remaining flagstop railway in the USA. People who live in remote areas can come to the line and flag down the train. The conductor will charge per mile and take them to their requested destination.

The train, McKinley Explorer, was a peaceful and relaxing way to travel. Some people had breakfast on board but we had already eaten in the hotel. After miles and miles of unspoilt wilderness (and one moose sighting), we caught a glimpse of the magnificent Mount Denali in the distance. We were very lucky as, apparently, it is only in view 20% of the time on this journey but we have a lovely clear blue sky.

Mount McKinley is commonly known as 'Denali' by Alaskans, which means 'The Great One' in the Dena'ina language. The First attempt to climb Mount McKinley was by Judge James Wickersham in 1903, via the Peters Glacier and the North Face, now known as the Wickersham Wall. This route has tremendous avalanche danger and was not conquered until 1963.

Mount McKinley or Denali in Alaska is the highest mountain peak in North America at a height of approximately 20,320 feet (6,194 meters). It is the centerpiece of Denali National Park.

Some of our co-travellers are taking a flightseeing trip, but at $515 per person, we decided it was probably big enough for us to see it from the ground!

As well as the glass-domed roof, there is also an outside viewing platform which is useful for taking photos without the glare of the glass windows.

The final 30 minutes or so of the journey is the most interesting as we follow the Tenana River into Denali.

On our arrival at the Denali National Park, our first stop is lunch. We then have a short time to ourselves and we decide to walk one of the shorter trails. It is described in the leaflet as an easy 30 minute loop. Trouble was, it only took us about 5 minutes so we decided to try again and added part of another trail onto the one we just completed. Apart from being eaten alive by Mosquitos, it was an amazing thing to be able to do. Our trail started to go downhill quite gently, while in the back of my mind I am thinking, 'what goes down.......' We heard the sound of rushing water and followed a little creek for a short while before we took a left turn to return to the start. That gentle descent was ascended more quickly and steeply and certainly got the old heart going!

Our coach then collected us to take us to our hotel, Grande Denali Lodge, perched high above the town on Sugarloaf Mountain. What an amazing view!

We have booked to go whitewater rafting shortly. I am a bit scared as we have to paddle. I will let you know how we get on.

What an amazing experience! We were collected from the hotel in a smelly, old yellow school bus and taken to the 'office' downtown. After we had signed our lives away, we were given a 'dry' suit, shoes, a helmet, a life jacket and of course, a paddle. Suitably dressed and looking like Michelin Man, we once again boarded the smelly bus for the short ride to Kingfisher Creek, or KFC as we affectionately like to call it. Why on earth did I think this would be a good idea, fun even? We meet on the shore for a safety talk. Now, if I was nervous before this, I was petrified by now. In fact, one of our fellow paddlers, threw in the towel at this stage and chickened out. Would I remember to keep my nose and toes out of the water if I fell in? Yes, it sounds logical that if you find yourself under the boat you should 'get out'. What if I grab the bag instead of the rope when I'm being rescued? I don't know if you know me well enough, but when I'm nervous, I tend to go very quiet, this was one of those times!

We are 8 to a raft with our guide, Schyler at the helm. Foolishly, I thought we would be sitting safely inside the raft, but no, he wants us to sit on the side! There is no elegant way to do this so I just have to go for it, legs akimbo! Ok, I'm sitting on the side, how will I stay inside the boat? I jam my feet so far under the inflated 'seats' that it stops the blood circulation. Schyler tells us he wants us to work hard and follow his instructions. 'What happens if we get tired?' I ask. 'You don't want to be called a Willy-dipper, do you?'. I had no idea what he meant but didn't think it mattered.

We had a few practice paddles. 'Forward one, back 3, ok we're ready for the first rapid.' Hang on a minute, maybe just a bit longer practicing? Before I know it, Schyler is yelling at us, I'm paddling like mad, trying to make sure I am in time with everyone else and supporting the team while the water is hitting me in the face. Let me tell you at this stage that this 'dry' suit is a misnomer! However, I am paddling and I am still in the boat. Wait a minute, I'm quite enjoying this!

We passed through another 8 rapids, some really quite rough but in between we float peacefully along the river, it's surreal. Everyone is quiet at the same time, taking in the wonder of our surroundings. We can see the railway above us that we travelled along earlier today taking photos of this very spot. Schyler is a funny guy who not only keeps us amused but also informed about how the river was formed and he points out the place where lava escaped through a breach in the rock and how to recognise the tectonic movement of the surrounding mountains. He is also very crafty and coolly overtakes the raft in front of us so we arrive first. No we're not racing but it did seem like a little victory at the time!

We travel 11 miles downstream where we are again met by the smelly bus. Somehow I feel as if I've earned my place in it this time though.

Divested of our attractive rafting outfits and looking like wrecks, Team Schyler head off to the local pizza restaurant to celebrate our survival.

The food and beer are amazing and the company great fun. Our celebrations last well past 11.30pm but it's hard to know when it's time to go home if it doesn't get dark. The problem was, the last shuttle bus up the hill to our hotel left at 10.45pm. We did consider attempting the walk without oxygen but a shuttle from one of the restaurants took pity on us and picked us up.