Overview

• Alex Chiu, 41, fell about 3,000 feet from Squirrel Point on Denali’s West Buttress route on June 2 while climbing unroped with two companions.
• High winds and heavy snow prevented ground and air teams from reaching the accident site until the morning of June 4.
• Mountaineering rangers conducted an aerial helicopter mission to locate and recover Chiu’s body, which was then transferred to the state medical examiner.
• Officials have opened an inquiry into the circumstances of the unroped fall to determine contributing factors.
• Denali sees roughly 500 climbers during its early May to early July season and has recorded over 120 deaths from falls since 1932.