As the ill-fated "April 24 Team" from the Mountain Trip guiding company moved toward the 20,320-foot summit of Mount McKinley early this week, there was the normal grousing about the frigid weather, but everyone seemed in good spirits. The reports posted on the company website detail the normal interactions between a group of guided climbers working their way successfully up the McKinley glaciers.
Everyone is happy when the food is good. There are struggles when the winds get too bad and appreciation for rest days as the body-draining affects of increasing altitude and daily gear hauls begin to take its toll. There are no hints of the disaster forthcoming. Everything changed for the April 24 Team late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning, however, when three climbers and a guide fell while descending the summit ridge.
According to Mountain Trip, the team was hit by high winds on its way up and decided in the conditions to forgo the summit attempt in favor of turning back for high camp at 17,200 feet. They were descending toward safety when someone fell, or was blown off the ridge line, taking with the three companions on the climbing rope.
It appears the lead guide involved in the fall was Dave Staeheli from Palmer in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley. Mountain Trip reported his assistant, Henry Munter of Girdwood, had turned back earlier in the day with a tired client.
Staeheli is the most experienced guide still working on McKinley. He made his reputation in the Alaska climbing community when he soloed the West Rib in the winter of 1989. It was only the second winter solo, and the West Rib is a much more difficult climbing route than the West Buttress, which Vern Tejas trudged up in the winter of 1988.
The April 24 Team was climbing McKinley's West Buttress, a challenging route that is not considered particularly difficult. Still it is hazardous. A slip that isn't stopped quickly with someone proficient in the use of an ice ax can lead to a bone-breaking or deadly fall on the steep, often icy, slopes. And the winds blow strong enough to knock people off their feet. It was reported to be gusting 60 to 70 mph on the mountain late Wednesday or early Thursday when the initial accident happened.
How or why is unknown, but the team recovered and regrouped after the accident. Staeheli tended to the climber with a broken leg. The two other climbers went on down the mountain toward high camp at 17,200 feet. It is unknown whether they set out on their own or were ordered by Staeheli to do so. The Mountain Trip website says Staeheli "apparently advised" the clients to do so, but those who know Staeheli doubt that scenario.
As with most guides in an unraveling situation like this, he would be giving directions, not advice, and it would be made clear. But, other guides added, there is always the possibility clients will ignore directions. And, with winds blowing 60 to 70 mph on McKinley, and with everyone fatigued from climbing and the altitude, it can be hard to communicate. Words can be blown away by the wind. People can simply not hear what they are told. It is possible the clients could have decided the smart thing to do was to head for the safety of camp while Staelheli was tending to the injured man.
Whatever happened, one of those two climbers never made it. He died near 18,000 feet on the mountain. What caused his death is unknown. The National Park Service has yet to release his name.
The second climber was spotted near the head of "The Autobahn," a down-mountain chute that got its name for how quickly a climber can fall down it. Others in camp at 17,200 feet spotted him there and went to his aid. Staelheli subsequently arrived back in high camp and begin helping to organize a rescue. The climber with the broken leg was saved late Thursday and the body of the other recovered.
The Mountain Trip website posted an account of what was going on at the time. That report is posted here in full:
Contact Craig Medred at craig(at)alaskadispatch.com