Three climbers from Latvia are dead following a fall on Mount McKinley. The accident occurred on ‘the Autobahn,’ a treacherous section of the West Buttress route.
Mount McKinley in Denali National Park (Photo: M. Highsmith/Buyenlarge/Getty Images)
Published May 29, 2026 04:41PM
Three climbers from Latvia are dead in Denali National Park and Preserve following an accident on North America’s highest peak, Mount McKinley, that occurred on Thursday, May 28.
The fatalities were announced on Friday, May 29, by the Latvian Mountaineering Association (LAS). According to a news release from the LAS, a fourth climber was injured in the accident, but was rescued and sent to a hospital.
“Three of our friends, talented and experienced climbers, have lost their lives on the icy slopes of this mountain,” the LAS said.
“This is an unspeakably painful, irreparable loss for the entire family of Latvian mountain climbers.”
The LAS identified the deceased climbers as Inese Pučeka, Vija Olte, and Renārs Kunigs-Salaks. The climber who survived the accident was identified as Mārtiņš Bilzēns. They were part of a seven-member team that was ascending the peak.
The Latvians were following the traditional West Buttress route that ascends to the top of the 20,310-foot peak, which is commonly called Denali in the climbing community. In 2025, President Donald Trump officially changed the name of the peak to Mount McKinley.
The West Buttress route passes several exposed, steep sections, including a sheer slope of ice and snow just below Denali Pass at 18,200 feet. This section, which climbers ascend after staying in a high camp at 17,200 feet, is known by Denali guides as “The Autobahn.”
The LAS said the fatal accident on May 28 occurred at 18,000 feet—which suggests the Latvian climbers fell on The Autobahn.
Over the years, the Autobahn has been the site of numerous falls, rescues, and deaths. According to the NPS, it has been the site of more fatalities on Mount McKinley than any other section of the West Buttress route.
“Conditions on the ‘Autobahn’, which is the snow and ice slope leading from High Camp at 17,200 feet to Denali Pass at 18,200 feet, can vary from deep snow (avalanche danger) to hard ice,” the NPS wrote on its website. “Climbers should be prepared to place their own protection as needed on the upper mountain.”
NPS rangers often place fixed ice screws or “pitons” into the ice along the Autobahn to help climbers descend using fixed ropes.
The LAS said the three other members of the team tried to help the fallen climbers before returning to high camp. The NPS, which oversees operations on Mount McKinley, said that officials evacuated Bilzēns from 17,200 using a long-line hoisted by a helicopter.
“The climber was transported to the Kahiltna Base Camp and then transferred to a LifeMed air ambulance for transport to a hospital. NPS does not have additional information about the status of the survivor,” the NPS said in a release.
The climbing season on Denali typically runs from mid-April until July. Each year, several hundred climbers flock to the peak to try and summit it. Some climbers hire guides, but others climb alone. Unlike Mount Everest, which requires climbers to ascend with a guide, Mount McKinley can be climbed solo.
CBS News reported that 516 climbers are on Denali this spring hoping to reach the summit. The average expedition lasts between 17 and 21 days, the NPS said.
