Denali Report for May 21st, 2021

This is the Denali Report for Friday, May 21^st, 2021.

As of Wednesday this week, there are just over 900 climbers registered to attempt Deanli, and more than 250 of them are currently on the mountain.  Eighteen climbs have been completed, and six people have made it to the summit, making them the first to do so since 2019.  There are twenty-nine climbers registered to attempt Mt. Foraker, with half those attempts currently underway.  No climbs of Mt. Foraker have been completed this year.

According to ranger reports filed in the Denali Dispatches blog, the first summits of Denali took place a week ago, today.  That report came via email from a patrol team at “Fourteen Camp,” so named because it’s around 14,000 feet in elevation.   That’s right, even halfway up North America’s highest mountain, you can get WiFi.  The team also reports that missing last year’s season means some extra logistical work for 2021.  Particularly, there is very little left of the “fixed lines,” an area where ropes are semi-permanently placed in a section of the ascent.  Typically, repairs are made each year, but this time a whole new set of lines will need to be installed.

In sad news from the Alaska Range, a second fatal accident has been reported, though this, like the first, did not take place on Denali, itself.  Last Thursday, a serac, a hanging block of glacier ice, dislodged a struck a two-person climbing team.  One member of the team was killed in the accident.  The surviving climber was able to get help via an inReach device and get clear of the area despite significant injuries.

If you know of a unique or interesting story related to climbing Denali in 2021, you can let us know at news@ktna.org.