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Second Climber Dies in Avalanche on Mount McKinley’s West Buttress Route

The incident highlights persistent avalanche hazards on North America’s tallest peak during this climbing season.

FILE - A view of one of the faces of North America's tallest peak, then-named Mount McKinley, in Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska, Aug. 27, 2014. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer, File)
Mount McKinley’s West Buttress is pictured. A 29-year-old’s body was recovered from the mountain after dying in an avalanche, officials said.
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Overview

  • Nicholas Vizzini, a 29-year-old skier from Washington state, died June 10 after triggering a soft slab avalanche near 16,600 feet on the West Buttress route.
  • Two mountaineering rangers responding within minutes located Vizzini by beacon but could not revive him and his body was sent to the state medical examiner.
  • Vizzini’s climbing partner sustained minor injuries and is scheduled to descend the mountain, park officials said.
  • The fatality is the second of the 2025 season following Seattle climber Alex Chiu’s 3,000-foot fall on June 2.
  • Denali National Park and Preserve reports about 500 climbers on the West Buttress from early May to early July when falls and avalanches remain leading risks.