06/02/2026
NEW FIELD REPORT: June 1, 2026 ~ (full report in our profile). The ranger team has been very busy with high altitude search and rescue operations this week, unfortunately some of them are quite serious. Since May 27, there have been 7 different incidents that have required an emergent response from the climbing rangers. Six successful evacuations have been completed following these incidents.
Our team is acclimatizing and moving into position so that when appropriate weather presents itself, we will be able to perform four recoveries from two separate incidents at higher elevations.
Performing any sort of recovery or evacuation at high altitude, particularly above 16,000’, requires near perfect visibility and wind conditions to occur safely. It is imperative that these operations are conducted with risk management being the primary factor. If our team suffers an accident in one of these missions, not only have we created a bigger incident, but we have also exhausted our already limited resources for high altitude operations. There are no other teams in the state who have the training or equipment to perform rescues at the altitudes on McKinley’s upper reaches.
The National Park Service is unable to release many details during ongoing operations. Please know that no news is good news. Notifying climbers’ loved ones is a priority in these situations, so if you have not heard from us, please assume that the people you care about are still safely enjoying their trip.
