This is the Denali Report for Friday, June 4, 2021. As of this week there are 968 climbers registered to attempt Denali. Of those, just under 500 are currently on the mountain. One hundred, sixty-five attempts have been completed with just under 40% of those making it to the summit. Over on Mount Foraker, thirteen of the registered twenty-nine climbs have been completed, with three people making it to the top of the Alaska ranges second highest peak.
Last week we looked at a post on the Denali Dispatches blog titled “Troubling Trends.” In that post, National Park Service Rangers and staff urged caution, adequate preparation, using safe climbing practices, and pointed out some trends over the last few years that put climbers and rescuers at additional risk. Soon we’ll have a follow up on that with people directly involved with helping when things go wrong on the mountain.
In the meantime, this week’s Denali dispatch describes another busy week for the patrols, especially at Fourteen Camp and above. Teams were activated for a climber illness frostbite and one false alarm from a GPS communication device. In addition, pickets and fixed lines that needed some extra attention after a year without a climbing season are now in place. If you want to keep up with more detail of what’s happening on Denali through the week, there is a link to the Denali Dispatches blog at KTNA.org.
