Rescuers are attempting to reach four climbers who fell on Alaska’s Mount McKinley, North America’s tallest peak, the National Park Service confirmed Thursday.
The climbers’ conditions remain unknown following the incident, which was reported to Denali National Park and Preserve rangers overnight.
Rangers are currently awaiting a suitable weather window to allow a helicopter to access the area. The four individuals were part of a seven-person team. The three other climbers attended to those who fell before returning to a high camp at approximately 17,000 feet (5,181 meters).
The fall occurred near Denali Pass, at an elevation of about 18,200 feet (5,547 meters). Mount McKinley stands at about 20,310 feet (6,190 meters).
Park officials have established contact with the three climbers who returned to camp, according to Scott Carr, a park service spokesperson. He stated that additional information would be released “if and when it becomes appropriate.”
Over the years, many climbing injuries and deaths have occurred on the traverse between the high camp and Denali Pass, mainly resulting from unprotected falls, according to the park.
Park rangers and mountain guides install and maintain snow pickets — which are used to help build anchors for extra protection on areas like steep slopes — between the high camp and Denali Pass, the park says. Climbers are urged to have their own pickets in case the protection placed by rangers and guides is missing.
Weather conditions didn’t improve the way rescuers had hoped. Carr said late Thursday that conditions throughout the day had been variable, with low cloud ceilings and limited visibility, and that authorities were still awaiting an opportunity to safely fly.
“Helicopter operations will start when a weather window opens up,” he said.
A typical climbing season for Mount McKinley begins in late April and continues into mid-July, according to the park. There were 516 climbers on the mountain as of Thursday, Carr said by email.
On Wednesday, two climbers as part of a separate incident were evacuated from the mountain by helicopter around 11 p.m., but the park service said it did not have additional information to share.
