A local climber fell to his death on Denali this week. 

Several friends sent me this article from Boston.com.  I received the article via Blackberry and could only read the headline.  Until I could read the entire article, I simply saw the headline with “local climber” and “dies on McKinley” I was very concerned that it could be my friend Mike, or other friends that I know on the mountain right now.  Scary thoughts.

These deaths mark the 3rd and 4th of this season, which is rather high considering the season is still not over.  Also, these two climbers died in the Messner Coulior, the suspected site of another death on the mountain earlier this season.  Although the body of the previous climber was never found, he mentioned to me and several other people that he was going to “ski the Messner” the day before he was reported missing.  It is assumed that he fell while trying to locate the top of the  Messner.

I also wanted to note that the Newton doctor mentioned in the article was the receipient of the Denali Pro award in 2000.   This award is given out to climbers by the National Park Service, in an effort to honor “members of the climbing community for exhibiting high standards for safety, self-sufficiency, Leave No Trace ethics, and assisting fellow mountaineers.”

Typically when stories of lost mountaineers appear on mainstream newspapers websites, such as the Boston Globe, the public will respond with vitriol in the comments section.  Comments range from “these men terrible people for orphaning their children in pursuit of extreme thrills” to “these inexperienced crackpots deserved to die.”    I am pleased to see that the article mentioned they were Denali Pro recipients and therefore accomplished and experienced climbers.   Clearly an accident or objective hazard caused these men to perish, not inexperience or careless risk taking.  

Another terrible loss for the climbing community.