WA mountaineer missing after 3,000 foot fall on Mt. McKinley mountain route
Jun 4, 2025, 12:32 PM | Updated: 2:41 pm
A view of Denali, formerly known as Mt. McKinley, in Denali National Park, Alaska. (Photo: Lance King, Getty Images)
(Photo: Lance King, Getty Images)
A 41-year-old Washington man is missing after a fall along a popular mountain route in Mount McKinley National Park (briefly renamed Denali in 2015), the National Park Service confirmed.
In a press release from the National Park Service, the department stated that ongoing search operations are in progress throughout Mt. McKinley’s West Buttress on June 3.
Washington climber missing on Mt. McKinley
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The missing man, an unroped ski mountaineer, fell on June 2 at a location known as Squirrel Point and fell towards Peter’s Glacier, described as a rocky 3,000-foot face covered by glacial ice, according to the release.
“After witnessing the fall, the reporting party lowered over the edge as far as possible but was unable to see or hear the ski mountaineer,” the release said. “They then descended the West Buttress route for additional help and have now safely descended to Camp 1, where they are currently being taken care of by a ranger team.”
Search efforts have been halted due to bad weather, keeping rescue crews grounded.
This is a developing story, check back for updates
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