Solo Climber Dies in Fall on Denali

A solo climber on the West Buttress route on Denali likely fell and died on Thursday, May 16. A family member of T. Hagiwara (hah-GEE-wah-rah), notified rangers that they had not heard from the climber in several days. 

Rangers located the climber’s empty tent at the top of the 16,200-foot ridge. Another climbing team confirmed they saw the solo climber traversing to Denali Pass on Wednesday, May 15. Mountaineering rangers were able to locate the deceased climber on Monday, May 20 at about 17,000 feet. 

Rangers at the Walter Harper Talkeetna Ranger Station noted that the InReach data showed the climber had not moved since Thursday, May 16. It also showed the climber’s probable location, suggesting a fall from the Denali Pass traverse that day.

The National Park Service mountaineering patrol located the climber using a spotting scope and then went to the site. The team confirmed the climber was deceased, but could not recover Hagiwara at that time.

On Monday, while deploying to recover Hagiwara’s body, the rangers were notified that a three-member rope team had fallen from Zebra Rocks. One climber suffered a leg injury and was transported to basecamp. The team recovered Hagiwara later on Monday while conditions allowed. The remains were sent to the State Medical Examiner.

Since 1980, at least fourteen climbers have died in falls along this treacherous section of the West Buttress route, including the solo climber. There are currently 352 climbers on Denali’s West Buttress Route, the majority of whom are much lower on the mountain this early in the climbing season. The climbing season typically begins in early May and ends in early July.