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Rescuers Seek Weather Window to Reach Four Climbers After Fall on Mount McKinley
Four climbers fell near Denali Pass on Alaska's Mount McKinley. The National Park Service said rescuers are awaiting conditions suitable for helicopter operations.
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Rescuers are attempting to reach four climbers who fell on Alaska's Mount McKinley, the National Park Service said Thursday. The climbers' conditions were not immediately known after the fall, which was reported overnight to Denali National Park and Preserve rangers.
The four climbers were part of a seven-person team. The three other members attended to those who fell and then returned to camp, the agency stated. The fall occurred near Denali Pass at about 18,200 feet.
The remaining climbers returned to high camp at approximately 17,000 feet. Rangers are seeking a weather window that would allow helicopter access to the area, according to the National Park Service statement. Park rangers and mountain guides maintain snow pickets between high camp and Denali Pass to provide anchor points on steep terrain.
Climbers are advised to carry their own pickets in case installed protection is missing or buried.
McKinley rises to about 20,310 feet.
The National Park Service said weather conditions on the mountain were improving and would soon permit helicopter operations. A typical climbing season on the peak runs from late April through mid-July. , though the agency said it had no further details to release.
