4 climbers stranded on Mount McKinley after falling on upper slopes

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU/Gray News) - Rescue efforts are underway after four climbers fell on the upper slopes of North America’s tallest peak late Wednesday night.

The four climbers are part of a seven-member crew on Mount McKinley and were last seen around 18,200 feet near Denali Pass, according to officials with Denali National Park and Preserve.

The mountain’s peak is 20,310 feet.

Park rangers received a report around midnight Wednesday into Thursday, park officials said.

Three members of the crew returned to High Camp, the last stop before summiting the mountain, at 17,000 feet in the hours after their teammates fell. Park officials said they came back after “attending to their fallen climbing partners.”

The park said helicopter operations will be under way once conditions on the mountain improve. Low cloud ceilings and limited visibility prevented rescuers from flying safely.

The climbers’ conditions are unknown at this time, according to park officials.

Mount McKinley’s typical climbing season begins in late April and continues through mid-July. A park official told The Associated Press that 516 climbers were on the mountain Thursday.

Many climbing injuries and deaths have occurred in the traverse between High Camp and Denali Pass, mainly the result of unexpected falls, according to The Associated Press.

Snow pickets, which are used to build anchors for extra protection, are installed and maintained by park rangers and mountain guides. Climbers are also encouraged to carry their own pickets in case the protection placed by rangers and guides is missing.