The season has almost ended on Denali. It’s been a tough year, with the weather never quite breaking right for most climbers. Of 1,015 registered climbers, only 102 remain on the mountain.
A very low summit rate
This year, the weather has not cooperated. High winds and poor visibility have consistently ravaged the upper mountain. In our last update, the season’s summit percentage was just 32%, and we anticipated it would climb rapidly after the season’s peak. Instead, an extended period of good weather never appeared. Instead, the summit percentage decreased to 30%.
Climbers have registered 272 summits with the National Park Service (NPS) so far. The NPS reports that there is “still lots of snow up high,” so that summit figure might not climb much before the season ends in the next week or so.
A typical day on Denali this year. Photo: NPS Photo/Chelsea Bomba
Despite the weather, the last few weeks have been quiet on the search-and-rescue front. A couple of climbers suffered minor injuries (a dislocated shoulder and frostbite) but there has been no repeat of the drama from earlier in the season.
Mount Foraker
Mount Foraker is never particularly busy, especially compared to Denali, but the mountain did see a late-season bump in registered climbers and summits. An issue with the NPS database led to a handful of climbers not appearing in the statistics. The figures now show the correct final tally. Of 12 parties who attempted it, four summited.
