Three climbers from a Latvian team died after slipping on an exposed section of Mount McKinley, the National Park Service said Friday, and a fourth was rescued in a helicopter operation that required a long-line because the terrain was too dangerous for landing. The accident occurred Wednesday during a traverse of a route that has been the site of many earlier injuries and fatalities, the park service said.
The Latvian mountaineering group that organized the expedition announced the deaths on Friday, the Associated Press reported. Search and rescue personnel from Denali National Park and Preserve reached the survivor at about 17,200 feet on Thursday afternoon and airlifted him to a hospital. The mountain, also known as Denali, rises to 20,310 feet (6,190 meters) and is North America’s tallest peak. The route the seven-person team was on is known for its exposed sections, where many climbers have been injured or killed over the years, the park service said.
The incident underscores the persistent dangers of high-altitude mountaineering on McKinley, where rescue operations are frequently complicated by steep terrain, thin air, and weather that prevents helicopters from landing. The park service said a long-line was used to extract the surviving climber because the conditions left no alternative.