Climber killed in avalanche identified

The National Park Service was able to release the name of the man killed in an ice fall avalanche in Denali National Park on Thursday.  Chris Lackey, age 39, from Houston, Texas was with one of two guided climbing parties that were camped overnight on the Root Canal landing area to the south of the infamous Moose’s Tooth.  A large serac collapsed and sent a violent jumble of ice down the mountain.  Both camps were buried in debris and everyone was thrown from their tents.  The 4 uninjured climbers tended to Lackey until evacuation by helicopter was possible.  While being transported, rangers determined Lackey had died from his injuries.  The NPS helicopter flew him to Talkeetna and returned to evacuate the surviving climbers, who had all lost their gear, tents and extra clothing.  For more on this story, see the other related headlines on our website.

Ice fall near Ruth Glacier kills climber. (4/29)

Climber dies in Alaska Range avalanche. (4/28)