First Denali summits of climbing season logged

The 2018 climbing season on Denali is underway.

According to a statement by Denali National Park Spokeswoman Maureen Gualtieri, the first group to attempt North America’s highest peak has returned. Of the four members who made the attempt, two made it to the summit. Jonathon Gupta of Wales and Steven Plain of Australia were the first people to stand on the highest point on the continent this year.

Gualtieri says rangers are expecting a similar or slightly higher number of climbers compared to last year. The first large influx of climbers is expected the first week in May. The first National Park Service ranger patrol will leave for the Alaska Range later this month.

Climbing is happening elsewhere in the range as well, and the Park Service has already conducted its first rescue of the season. According to Gualtieri, rangers were notified on Saturday of a climber broke a leg on West Kahiltna Peak after falling nearly fifty feet. The call came in during training season for rangers, and a team was dispatched by helicopter to rescue the climber. The injured climber was lowered to a glacier for evaluation before being returned to Talkeetna.

Once preseason training is complete, rangers will gather gear and supplies they will use on Denali throughout climbing season.