Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 6
Park Ranger Robin Pendery, 33, Dies in Mount McKinley Crevasse Fall
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 6

Park Ranger Robin Pendery, 33, Dies in Mount McKinley Crevasse Fall

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 6

Summary

  • Robin Pendery, a 33-year-old National Park Service ranger on climbing patrol, died Thursday after falling into a crevasse near the 14,000-foot camp on Mount McKinley.
  • Park Service workers responded immediately, but Pendery did not survive; officials released no further details about the accident.
  • Pendery joined Denali's mountaineering staff in 2024 and had nearly a decade of seasonal guiding experience, including climbs on Rainier, Baker, Hood and McKinley.
  • Her death came just over a week after three Latvian climbers were killed and a fourth critically injured in an accident around 18,000 feet on the same mountain.
  • The latest fatality adds to an unusually deadly climbing season on the 20,310-foot peak, where more than 130 people have died since record-keeping began.

Insights

With five deaths this season, are Mount McKinley's dangers outpacing current safety measures for elite climbers?
She was a seasoned professional guide on the mountain. What caused her fatal fall into a familiar hazard?