Overview

• Alex Chiu, 41, fell about 3,000 feet from Squirrel Point on Denali’s West Buttress route on June 2 while unroped and en route to the Peters Glacier.
• High winds and snow grounded ground and air teams until two mountaineering rangers flew in on June 4 to locate and recover his body, which was transferred to the state medical examiner.
• Chiu’s two expedition companions witnessed the fall and descended to Camp 1 to summon help after they were unable to see or hear him.
• About 500 climbers are on Denali this season, which runs from early May through early July, and falls have been the leading cause of death in the park since records began in 1932.
• The West Buttress route’s upper section has claimed at least 14 lives since 1980, highlighting its exposed terrain and rapidly changing conditions.