Seattle climber falls 3,000 feet to his death on Denali as partners watch helplessly
He wasn’t roped in. He slipped. And his partners could only watch. A Seattle climber fell 3,000 feet off Denali this week. It took two days in brutal weather to recover his body.
(Image credit: Denali National Park & Preserve in Alaska)
A ski mountaineer from Seattle died Monday after falling approximately 3,000 feet from a steep section of Denali, North America’s tallest peak, according to the National Park Service.
Park officials confirmed the death of 41-year-old Alex Chiu, whose body was recovered Wednesday morning following a multi-day recovery effort hindered by severe weather.
The accident occurred at a high-risk area known as Squirrel Point on the West Buttress route. Chiu, who was not roped in, reportedly slipped and fell down the steep, rocky face toward Peters Glacier.
The two other members of his team witnessed the fall and attempted to locate him, lowering as far as they could before retreating to Camp 1 to seek help. Weather conditions, including high winds and snow, grounded aircraft for nearly two days.
When conditions cleared early Wednesday, two mountaineering rangers launched a helicopter from Talkeetna and located Chiu’s body during an aerial search. His remains were later flown to park headquarters and transferred to the state medical examiner.
In 2010, an un-roped French mountaineer fell to his death near this same location towards the Peters Glacier. His body was never recovered.
Climbing season on Denali begins in early May and ends in early July.. Around 500 climbers are on the mountain this week.
Reporting by TMX
Report a Typo
