Climbing
Three climbers have died and a fourth was rescued after a fall near Denali Pass on Alaska’s Denali, North America’s highest peak. The climbers were part of a seven-member Latvian mountaineering expedition ascending the mountain’s popular West Buttress route when four members of the team fell Wednesday near Denali Pass at approximately 18,200 feet (5,550 meters), according to Denali National Park and Preserve.
The three climbers who did not fall initially returned to High Camp at 17,000 feet after attending to their partners and assisting with rescue efforts. One injured climber was successfully rescued Thursday evening. Due to the steep terrain and conditions at the site, a high-altitude helicopter was unable to land and instead conducted a long-line extraction. The climber was transported to Kahiltna Base Camp before being transferred to a LifeMed air ambulance and flown to a hospital. The National Park Service has not released information about the survivor’s condition.
On Friday, the Latvian mountaineering group announced that the other three climbers involved in the fall had died. Recovery operations for the three victims remain ongoing. The National Park Service said weather, terrain, and mountain conditions continue to influence access to the site and operational planning.
One of Denali’s Most Dangerous Sections
The accident occurred on the stretch between High Camp and Denali Pass, an area known as the “Autobahn.” The slope is a steep snow and ice traverse that can vary from deep snow with avalanche danger to hard, exposed ice.
According to Denali National Park, numerous injuries and fatalities have occurred along this section over the years, most resulting from unprotected falls. Many of the deaths have occurred during descents from the summit. Park rangers and mountain guides maintain snow pickets along portions of the route to provide protection on exposed terrain, though climbers frequently place additional protection as conditions require.
The West Buttress route is the standard path up Denali and is climbed by the majority of mountaineers attempting the peak. Despite being considered the mountain’s easiest route, it remains a serious alpine undertaking featuring crevasses, steep snow slopes, extreme weather, and high altitude. “Intense glaciation, rapid weather changes, altitude and the sheer scale of the peak make climbing Denali a huge undertaking,” climber Clint Helander told the Associated Press. “It’s immensely easy for something to happen and turn an otherwise straightforward trip into an epic.”
Three Additional Climbers Evacuated
After assisting with rescue efforts at high altitude, the three surviving members of the Latvian expedition began experiencing declining physical conditions and also required evacuation from the mountain. On Friday, National Park Service aviation crews conducted three separate long-line extractions, transporting each climber by rescue basket to the 14,200-foot camp before flying them to Kahiltna Base Camp for medical evaluation. The climbers were later transferred by air taxi for further transportation.
In a separate and unrelated incident, two additional climbers were evacuated from Denali by helicopter late Thursday night. The National Park Service has not released further details about that incident.
A Mountain With a Long History of Accidents
Standing 20,310 feet (6,190 meters) above sea level, Denali — also known as Mount McKinley — is the highest mountain in North America and one of the world’s most challenging non-technical high-altitude climbs. Only about 1,000 to 1,200 climbers attempt the summit each year, primarily during May and June. Expeditions typically take around 17 days, and less than half of climbers reached the summit last year, according to National Park Service statistics.
More than 130 people have died on Denali since record keeping began. Two climbers died on the mountain in 2025, while four Japanese climbers were killed in 2012 after an avalanche swept them into a crevasse. According to a study, the most likely group to die on Denali are Asian climbers.
