June, Alaska — Rescuers are trying to reach four climbers who fell on Alaska’s Mount McKinley, the highest peak in North America, the National Park Service said Thursday.
A statement from the agency said the conditions of the climbers were not immediately known after the fall, which Denali National Park and Preserve rangers were informed of overnight, and rangers were looking for a weather window to allow them to reach the area by helicopter. The four climbers were part of a team of seven people.
The three other climbers tended to those who had fallen, then returned to camp, the statement said. The fall occurred near Denali Pass, at an altitude of about 18,200 feet (5,547 metres). The statement said the climbers returned to an area known as High Camp at an altitude of about 17,000 feet (5,181 metres). McKinley’s elevation is approximately 20,310 feet (6,190 m).
Park service spokesman Scott Carr said park officials had been in contact with the three climbers. He added that additional information will be released “if and when it becomes appropriate.”
Over the years, numerous injuries and deaths have occurred while climbing on the route between High Camp and Denali Pass, mainly caused by unprotected falls, according to the park.
The park says park rangers and mountain guides install and maintain snow stakes — which are used to help build anchors to provide additional protection in areas like steep slopes — between the high camp and Denali Pass. Climbers are urged to have their own stakes in case they lose the protection provided by rangers and guides.
Weather conditions did not improve as 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 waiting for an opportunity to fly safely.
“Helicopter operations will begin when the weather window opens,” he added.
A typical climbing season for Mount McKinley begins in late April and continues through mid-July, according to the park. There were 516 climbers on the mountain as of Thursday, Carr said via email.
On Wednesday, two climbers in a separate incident were evacuated from the mountain by helicopter around 11 p.m., but the park service said it had no additional information to share.