Mountaineer Falls 3,000 Feet to Death on Alaska’s Mount McKinley; Body Recovered

Alaska's Mount McKinley, also known as Denali.

A 41-year-old climber, Alex Chiu, died after falling approximately 3,000 feet from Mount McKinley, also known as Denali, the highest peak in North America. His body was recovered Wednesday after a two-day delay caused by hazardous weather conditions.

Chiu was climbing along the West Buttress route of the 20,310-foot mountain when the accident occurred on Monday. According to the National Park Service, he was untethered when he fell from Squirrel Point, located at around 12,000 feet above sea level, while en route to the Peters Glacier. The fall sent him plummeting down a steep, rocky cliff face spanning nearly half a mile.

Another member of Chiu’s expedition witnessed the fall and attempted to descend the slope in an effort to locate him. Despite lowering himself over the edge, the climber was unable to see or hear Chiu. Due to high winds and snowfall, aerial recovery efforts were postponed until early Wednesday, when a helicopter team finally retrieved Chiu’s body. He was later transferred to the state medical examiner.

Mount McKinley, widely referred to by its Indigenous name Denali—meaning “the tall one” in the Athabascan language—is a popular but perilous destination for mountaineers. Approximately 500 climbers are currently on the mountain, according to the National Park Service.

Tragedies are not uncommon on Denali’s West Buttress route. In May 2023, a Japanese climber died along the same path, and in 2010, a French climber also fell to his death near the same location while unroped.

The mountain, known officially as Denali since 2015 under the Obama administration, was briefly reverted to its former name McKinley in early 2025 by order of President Donald Trump. Despite the name change for the peak itself, the surrounding Denali National Park and Preserve retains its current designation.