WA mountaineer dies after 3,000-foot fall on Mt. McKinley mountain route
Jun 5, 2025, 10:47 AM
Photo of the area on the Mt. McKinley West Buttress Route where the fall took place on June 2, 2025. (Photo courtesy of National Park Service)
(Photo courtesy of National Park Service)
A Seattle man has died after a fall along a popular mountain route in Mount McKinley National Park (briefly renamed Denali in 2015), the National Park Service (NPS) confirmed.
The body of Alex Chiu, a 41-year-old mountaineer, was recovered Wednesday morning, as a result of a 3,000-foot fall from the Mt. McKinley West Buttress climbing route onto the Peters Glacier.
Recovery efforts for the Seattle mountaineer 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, allegedly falling towards Peter’s Glacier, which is described as a rocky 3,000-foot face covered by glacial ice, according to the release.
Two members of Chiu’s party reported the fall and gave the NPS rangers Chiu’s approximate location.
“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 June 3 release stated. “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.”
High winds and snow delayed ground and air search from accessing the accident site until the early hours of June 4, according to NPS.
“Clearing weather on the north side of the Alaska Range provided the opportunity for two mountaineering rangers to depart Talkeetna for an aerial helicopter search to locate and recover the body,” NPS said in the release.
NPS noted there are currently 500 climbers on Mt. McKinley
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