Climbing
Climbing season on North America’s tallest mountain, Denali is now over. According to the National Park Service, there are no more mountaineering or ranger teams on the 20,310-foot peak.
Out of just over 1,100 climbers, forty-five percent reached the summit of Denali (also known as Mount McKinley, its former official name) this season. The summit rate could see some adjustment as National Park Service staff verifies the counts. Of 7 climbs on Mt. Foraker, nobody summited this season.
While that number is slightly below average, one statistic thankfully stayed at zero this year. According to National Park spokeswoman Maureen Gualtieri, there have been no fatalities in the Alaska Range this year. She says this is the first time in fifteen years that there has not been either a medical or climbing related death on Denali.
While the season is done on Denali, climbing in the Alaska Range will continue in various forms. The annual climbing summary includes statistics on search and rescue operations and a medical summary as well as sections on new climbing routes and interesting climbs.
The 2018 report will be completed and released in the coming months.
