With an elevation of 20,310 feet, Mt. McKinley (formerly known as Denali) is the highest peak in North America, and it’s a formidable objective. Over 130 people have lost their lives on the mountain, and it’s currently the site of an ongoing rescue attempt.
Search-and-rescue (SAR) personnel are trying to reach four stranded climbers who became injured after a fall on May 28. The rescue is the second SAR incident on McKinley in less than 24 hours.
What Happened
Mt. McKinley in Denali National Park is no stranger to accidents or rescue operations. According to a National Park Service (NPS) press release, at approximately 11 p.m. on May 28, a SAR team evacuated two climbers from the mountain by helicopter. NPS did not release any additional details about that incident.
Then, around midnight, the park received a second report.
“Four climbers from a seven-member climbing team fell in the vicinity of Denali Pass at 18,200 feet during their climb. Three members of the climbing team returned to High Camp at 17,000 feet after attending to their fallen climbing partners,” the NPS said.
Initially, poor weather prevented helicopters from reaching the four injured climbers.
As of this writing, the NPS is still actively addressing the incident. Weather conditions are improving, and staff should soon be able to use helicopters. At this time, the climbers’ condition and the extent of their injuries are unknown.
A Dangerous History
Since 1903, over 130 people have died on Mt. McKinley. A scientific analysis of the 96 fatalities from 1903 to 2006 revealed that falls were the most common cause, responsible for 45% of all deaths. A majority (61%) occurred during descent.
The deadliest incident took place in 1967, when an unexpected, extreme blizzard took the lives of seven climbers.
The West Buttress route of the mountain has proved particularly dangerous. Last June, a climber died on the route after falling 3,000 feet, and a solo climber also died there in 2024. Since 1980, 15 people have perished on the West Buttress route alone.
GearJunkie reached out to NPS for comment, but did not receive a response. This story is still developing. We will update this article with more details as they become available.
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