On his sixth attempt he will us a similar approach as in previous attempts, Kuriaki says. He plans to approach the mountain by the West Ridge, which is the least difficult rout to the summit, but is a long and technical climb nonetheless, with many miles of corniced ridges, exposed faces and avalanche dangers. As an expedition of one, Kuriaki will be making several trips between each camp as he ferries supplies up the mountain with him. Kuriaki says he anticipates as many as ten trips between the Kahiltna Glacier and base camp. After his previous experiences where he spent nearly two days chopping out an ice cave for his high camp at eleven-thousand feet, Kuriaki says he plans on establishing his high camp in a different location. This time around, he says he will push a little further into an area that is more likely to have softer snow to build snow caves.

While only the third tallest mountain in the Alaska range, the fourteen-thousand, five-hundred, seventy-three foot peak offers technical challenges such as sheer walls of ice and cornices that require special discipline and good judgement. Mountaineering Ranger Roger Robinson says that even in summer it demands the most from climbers seeking the summit. Robinson says that some seasons no one makes it to the top of Mt. Hunter at all.

Kuriaki says his goal is not to attain the summit, but to make the summit and return to base camp in one piece. It is this commitment to safety that has seen him turn back during his five previous attempts on the summit.

The Environmental Assessment, or EA, is an attempt by the Park Service to address an item in the 2006 Backcountry Management Plan that limits guided permits to 25 percent of all permitted climbs on the mountain, or 375 guided permits out of the total 1500 permits available each season. This limit has guide companies worried about their ability to sustain their businesses, and see the Park as imposing a choke on commercial activity.

Mountain Ranger John Leonard says the backcountry plan as it stands now doesn’t guarantee any commercial use. He says the intent of the EA is to guarantee some commercial use and allow it to grow at a reasonable rate, so long as independent climbers aren’t being arbitrarily displaced.

Both the Park Service and guide companies recognize that climbing Mount McKinley is a venture that, for many people, is ideally suited for a guided experience. The EA states that “current public interest may not be met by limiting the number of guided trips per season.” The document also says the most favored of the three options outlined in its pages would allow for more guided climbing permits and by Park Service calculations, the option would increase the number of guided permits issued each year based on recent user trends.

Colby Coombs, co-owner of Alaska Mountaineering School, says any of the options presented in the EA would make it much more difficult for his company to offer their guided programs. He says if they don’t know how many permits remain in a season, they couldn’t book trips for clients in advance with full confidence they would be able to make it onto the mountain.

Public comment is being accepted on three options, and the park service has extended the comment period until October 31^st. The Environmental Assessment can be read on the Park website, parkplanning dot nps dot gov and look under climbing allocation for Mount McKinley.

KTNA will have more on this story in the coming weeks.

between commercial guided climbing operators and independent, non-guided

climbers on Mount McKinley is now available for public review and comment,

announced Superintendent Paul R. Anderson.

The 2006 Backcountry Management Plan allocated 25% of the permits for

commercially guided groups.  The National Park Service (NPS) is considering

an  adjustment to the number of permits allocated to guided climbing

operators. Concessioner guided climbs are a longstanding tradition in the

park, and there is an increasing demand for guided climbs. The NPS must

determine if this demand can be accommodated, while assuring that

independent climbers are not displaced, and that wilderness resource

values, visitor experience, and other park resources are protected.

The Backcountry Management Plan also established a seasonal (April 1 to

August 1) limit of 1500 permitted climbers for Mount McKinley. The limit of

1500 permits is not being reviewed in this planning effort.

The NPS has developed a range of alternatives to be considered:

·  Alternative 1 is a no action alternative which would enforce the annual

limit of 25% (375) of 1500 climbers for commercially guided climbing set

by the Backcountry Management Plan.

·  Alternative 2 guarantees commercially guided climbing of 25% (375) of

1500 climbers , and also allows commercially guided  climbing to utilize

any remaining unused permits up to 50% (750) of 1500 climbers, providing

no independent climbers are displaced.

·  Alternative 3 guarantees commercially guided climbing of 25% (375)

of1500 climbers, and  also allows commercially guided climbing to

utilize any remaining unused permits providing no independent climbers

are displaced.

The NPS has published an EA for this issue entitled “Climbing Allocation

for Mount McKinley.” It is available at the NPS planning website at

http://parkplanning.nps.gov.

The EA analyzes the impacts of the proposed alternatives  and the no action

alternative. It was completed in accordance with the National Environmental

Policy Act of 1969 and the regulations of the Council on Environmental

Quality (40 CFR 1508.9).

Comments on the EA may be submitted through October 15, 2011, preferably

via the website at http://parkplanning.nps.gov. Comments may also be faxed

to (907) 683-9612, or mailed to the address below:

Superintendent

Denali National Park and Preserve

ATTN:  Climbing Allocation EA

P.O. Box 9

Denali Park, AK  99755

For questions about the EA, or if you need a hard copy, please contact

Paula Homan, Project Planning Lead, at (907) 683-6223 or

paula_homan [at] nps [dot] gov or Martha Armington, Project Lead, at (907) 683-9529 or

martha_armington [at] nps [dot] gov.

- NPS -

Experience Your America

The National Park Service cares for special places saved by the American

people so that all may experience our heritage.

___________________________________________

engagement process regarding a proposed increase to the Special Use Fee

that directly supports management of climbing activities on Mt. McKinley

and Mt. Foraker. After a lengthy examination of current program costs,

analysis of public comment, and collaboration with national climbing

organizations, Denali National Park and Preserve will increase its

Mountaineering Use Fee from $200 to $250 for youth ages 24 and under, and

$350 for all other Mt. McKinley and Mt. Foraker climbers. The fee increase

will go into effect for the 2012 mountaineering season. In future years,

fees will be adjusted periodically based on actual costs, not to exceed

changes in the cumulative consumer price index.

Denali National Park’s mountaineering special use fee was established in

1995 when the National Park Service (NPS) was charged with developing a

program to reduce the accident rate and loss of human life on Mt. McKinley

and Mt. Foraker. At that time, an NPS regulatory notice announced that a

$150 fee per climber would be used to “help offset mountaineering

administrative costs associated with prepositioning and maintaining the

high-altitude ranger camp at 14,200-feet on the West Buttress route,

mountaineering patrol salaries, education materials aimed at reducing the

number of accidents, transportation of supplies.” Over the years, the fee

has also enabled the park to start and sustain effective human waste and

garbage management programs on Mt. McKinley.

Despite a 2005 increase in the fee from $150 to $200, fee revenue covered

only 17% of the cost of this specialized program in 2010, whereas the fee

initially covered approximately 30% of the cost. Climber numbers over the

past decade have remained essentially flat, as has NPS staffing. Excluding

costs of the high altitude helicopter portion of the program, operational

expenses have gone up significantly, due mainly to inflation.

In an effort to find a more sustainable funding model, park management

began informal discussions in 2006 with leadership from the American Alpine

Club, the Access Fund, and the American Mountain Guides Association, as

well as park concessioners and other stakeholders in the climbing

community. In October 2010, the park formally initiated a proposal to

increase the fee.

The public was invited to comment on the proposal last year during a formal

public comment period. During that period, five public open houses were

held in Alaska, Washington, and Colorado as a forum for park staff to

present information on the program and answer questions. Almost 500 public

comments were submitted, the majority of which indicated they would support

some aspect of a climbing fee increase, as long as the increase was

reasonable and equitable. Other comments submitted called for the

elimination of the use fee altogether, while at the opposite end of the

spectrum, several comments suggested full cost recovery including a fee

increase up to $1,500 per climber.

According to Park Superintendent Paul Anderson, “Mountain climbing

represents a longstanding tradition at Denali National Park dating back to

the first ascent of Mt. McKinley in 1913. Climbing fulfills one of our

park’s fundamental purposes. As such, we are committed to sharing in the

cost of the program and continuing to allocate appropriate levels of the

park’s base funding to the climbing program.”

Based on input collected during the public process, the National Park

Service has determined to implement a basic fee increase from $200 to $350,

as well as a discounted fee of $250 for all climbers age 24 and younger.

This recommendation supports both NPS and Department of the Interior youth

initiatives and responds to public concerns about the potential impact of

fee increases on young and less affluent climbers, students, and families.

In a statement by Phil Powers, Executive Director of the American Alpine

Club said, “This is an example of the kind of considered process that

results in policy we can support. I want to applaud Paul Anderson and the

National Park Service for opening up their process and listening to the

concerns of the climbing community.”

Superintendent Anderson indicated the park’s mountaineering program will

strive to institute many of the suggestions for operational efficiencies

gathered during the public process. “We are grateful to the various

climbing organizations for investing significant time and resources into

learning more about Denali’s climbing program, and for helping to inform

the general public.”

For additional information on the mountaineering program or cost recovery

special use fee visit the park website at www.nps.gov/dena/. Contact South

District Ranger John Leonard for questions about the fee at (907) 733-9105

or john_leonard [at] nps [dot] gov.

____________________________________________

Kris Fister

Public Affairs Officer

Denali National Park and Preserve

P.O. Box 9

Denali Park, AK 99755

(907) 683-9583

Kris_Fister [at] nps [dot] gov

Download audio file (20110721EndSeason.mp3)

Download audio file (20110617GalenAnniversary.mp3)

The four person team that fell from Denali Pass were led by Alpine Ascents International.  Their lead guide, 34 year old Suzanne Allen and client Peter Bullard, age 45, of China (an English national), died in the fall.

No one witnessed the fall, but members of a National Park Service ranger patrol at the seventeen-thousand-two hundred foot High Camp spotted the four person roped team below the trail from Denali Pass a little after 11 pm.  They heard a shout for help and quickly organized a rescue team.

They confirmed the deaths of two climbers.  The two injured climbers, James Mohr of California and Gary Burke of Texas were placed in rescue litters and lowered to the high camp for emergency medical treatment. Medics worked through the night to help Mohr stay alive.

Shortly after 4 AM on Thursday, the rescue helicopter was able to fly in and evacuate both patients to the Kahiltna basecamp where two LifeMed air ambulances were waiting.  Both were flown to area hospitals.  Burke has a broken leg and suffered a head injury but is in stable condition.  According to Alpine Ascents, there is improvement in Mohr’s condition.

Alpine Ascents employees are meeting with family members and assisting with hospital and other needs.  Other guides say Suzanne Allen was a highly respected guide and loved doing what she did.  She was a guide on Aconcagua and Everest basecamp as well as Denali.

These are the second and third deaths at Denali Pass this season.

Download audio file (20110526Denali2Dead.mp3)

Download audio file (20110524ClimbWall.mp3)

Denali National Park mountaineering rangers located the remains of 33 year old Jiro Kurihara  of Canada and Junya Shiraishi, age 28, of Japan in avalanche debris on Mt. Frances, a technical peak just north of the Kahiltna basecamp on Denali.

The two men were last seen at basecamp on May 21^st and were attempting a new route on the technical peak when the avalanche hit.

NPS rangers started a search after the two men did not return to their campsite on May 23^rd.  An aerial search of the area provided a glimpse of the aftermath of the avalanche.

Rangers were able to locate and recover the bodies of both men using the rescue helicopter via shorthaul technique this morning  and bring them back to basecamp.

The 2 climbers flew into Denali’s basecamp on April 27^th with intentions of climbing the Cassin Ridge , another technically challenging route.  They climbed the West Buttress route to acclimatize and then headed to Mt. Frances.

Acccording to records, it is the first two fatalities on Mount Frances.

Download audio file (20110519HeliRescue.mp3)

Climbing rangers responded to the fallen climber and confirmed that 67 year old Luciano Colombo of Italy died of traumatic injuries sustained in the one thousand foot fall.  Columbo was un-roped, traveling ahead of his two teammates at the time of the fall.

Weather at the time of the accident was clear with relatively calm winds.  Colombo was traversing a 45 degree slope of hard, windblown snowpack when he fell.

His body has been transported back to the high camp where it will be transported back to Talkeetna.

On Thursday May 12^th, a Swiss climber was found dead at eighteen thousand feet.  The cause of his death remains unknown, but it does not appear to be trauma-related.

Over one thousand people are currently registered to climb Denali this season.

Two remaining injured climbers were evacuated from Denali’s  high camp the afternoon of Friday, May 13.  Mountain Trip guide Dave Staeheli, age 56, of Wasilla and his client Lawrence Cutler, age 45, of New York, suffered from frostbite to the hands and feet after a night spent at high elevation in cold temperatures and gusty winds.  Staeheli also sustained a broken rib.  On Friday afternoon it was determined that the two men could not safely descend the mountain on foot, so a helicopter evacuation was initiated.  Both men were individually shorthauled from high camp to the 14,200-foot camp by climbing ranger John Loomis and helicopter pilot Andy Hermansky.  From there, the helicopter flew them down to the Kahiltna Basecamp for a fixed wing flight back to Talkeetna.

On the previous night, fellow teammate Jeremiah O’Sullivan, age 40, of Ireland, was rescued from 19,500-feet with a broken leg and severe frostbite to the legs, hands, and face.

Niederer died of unknown causes near 18,000 ft.  His body was recovered late Thursday.

Download audio file (20110429RuthFatal.mp3)

Two climbing parties were camped overnight on the ‘Root Canal’,  a glacier near the Moose’s Tooth.  A large column of ice collapsed around 1 oclock Thursday morning, shedding ice and snow into the 2 camps  below.

Both camps were demolished.  The four surviving climbers attended to the one injured climber, who was found unconscious and barely breathing immediately after the ice fall.  One climber called 911 via a satellite phone and rescue operations went into affect just after daybreak when the rescue helicopter was able to safely launch.

During the flight on the National Park Service helicopter it was determined that the climber had died from his severe injuries.  An AeroMed air ambulance was staged at milepost 133 of the Parks Highway in order to transport the climber quickly to Anchorage.  They confirmed the death when the two helicopters met at the rendez-vous point.

The name of the climber is being withheld until the family is notified.

The Ruth Glacier is a popular climbing area at this time of year.  There are about 30 climbers currently attempting various peaks in this popular backcountry area of the Alaska Range.

The area isn’t a route on Mt. McKinley, even though it IS in the Alaska Range.

There are currently over sixty climbers on Denali with almost one thousand registered so far this climbing season.

This is a breaking story – check back later for more information.

Kahiltna Basecamp Put In – B company’s 52nd Aviation Regiment’s “Sugar Bears” assist with Denali’s operations each spring.

The sights and sounds of spring in Talkeetna not only include birds returning to their summer home, dripping water and children playing, but Army Chinooks and Blackhawks.  The military aircraft from Fairbanks, along with 15 or more troops, show up in Talkeetna each spring for training. The annual event is one of the most unusual peace-time missions in Army helicopter airlift operations history. However, this year is different.

Download audio file (20110420ChinooksGone.mp3)

Richard Parks is attempting to raise money for an organization called Marie Curie Cancer Care, by climbing the seven summits – each of the world’s continents highest peaks – as well as trekking to the South Pole and North Pole.

Parks is currently in Indonesia.  Next he will head to the North Pole, then to Mt. Everest and back north to Alaska to climb Denali this summer.  His last planned summit is Mt. Elbrus.

He started his quest in December and needs to finish by the end of June in order to fulfill his goal.  If he is successful, he’ll be the first person to complete all seven summits AND the North and South Pole within a seven month time span.

The couple has been holed up at about 14-thousand-three hundred feet on Denali for the last week.  According to their online updates, Wednesday they tried moving up and then descended all the way back to below 14-thousand feet to a snow cave due to strong winds and blowing snow.

Paul Roderick of Talkeetna Air Taxi spoke with the couple on Wednesday.  He said another storm system is moving through and the 2 climbers may decide within the next 2 days what their next move may be – either descending and flying home or trying to move back up the mountain when the weather clears.

Feret is trying to become the first woman to summit Denali in winter.

They flew up to Kahiltna Basecamp with Talkeetna Air Taxi on February 4^th

Download audio file (20110127-Denaliclimb.mp3)

According to a post on Dupre’s blog, his expedition manager Tom Suprenant writes that he couldn’t come out of the trench due to extremely high winds and cold temperatures. Suprenant writes that Dupre’s strength and stamina is beginning to deteriorate. He’s hoping for a break in the weather to climb down to 14,200 feet and to regroup.

Dupre is attempting to become the first person to summit Mt. McKinley in January.

Tom Suprenant joined Loudon Wilson in the KTNA production studio to record the following update on Lonnie’s expedition.

Download audio file (Tom-S.-with-Lonnie-D.-update.mp3)

Seth Klein and Tom Surprenant:

Download audio file (11-tom-and-seth-chat-about-Lonnie.mp3)

Download audio file (20110116ClimberFees.mp3)

Download audio file (20110118-valleyjamClimberupdate.mp3)

The average age of climbers in 2010 was 38 years old, and 150 climbers were women.

While Denali usually gets all the attention, one team reached the summit of Mount Foraker via a new route. The international duo of Colin Haley and Bjorn-Eivind Artun climbed a previously unclimbed line. The climb involved 10,400 feet of elevation gain on the southeast face of Mt. Foraker. Haley and Artun spent a total of 37 days in the Alaska Range on this expedition.

Only one other team – of two that tried -  managed to reach Foraker’s summit via the Sultana route.

Most climbers from the US came from Alaska, trailed by climbers from Washington, Colorado and California.

The five nations most represented on McKinley were the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Poland and Russia.

The National Park Service released the 2010 climbing statistics last Friday.