A search effort is underway for the first climber on Denali. According to the National Park Service, two aerial searches have been conducted as of Thursday for 35-year-old Austrian mountaineer Matthias Rimml.
The Park Service describes Rimml as an experienced professional mountain guide. He is reported to have begun his ascent of Denali on April 27th from Kahiltna base camp. Rimml’s plan was to make a rapid ascent of Denali, climbing and descending over the course of five days.
A friend of Rimml’s was in regular satellite phone contact with him until Saturday, when Rimml reported that he was in Denali Pass at about 18,800 feet of elevation. After receiving no further satellite phone contact, the friend contacted mountaineering rangers on Tuesday.
The National Park Service already had a helicopter and ranger prepared to fly gear to the camp at 14,000 feet Tuesday afternoon, and flew along Rimml’s planned route, but cloud cover prevented a thorough search. On Thursday, with better weather, a helicopter with two rangers landed at Fourteen Camp, located Rimml’s tent, and confirmed that he had not returned, yet. Clouds prevented the helicopter from searching higher on the mountain.
Rimml left base camp before the first ranger patrol, and the National Park Service says he is alone on the upper mountain, where high temperatures have been as low as thirty-degrees-below-zero. Rimml is not yet technically overdue. While he planned for a five-day ascent and descent, he reported having supplies for ten days.
The National Park Service says aerial search efforts will continue as weather allows.
