Denali ranger dies after fall into Mount McKinley crevasse

A seasonal mountaineering ranger died after falling into a crevasse on Mount McKinley while on climbing patrol near Denali’s 14,000-foot camp, the National Park Service said.

Robin Pendery of Enumclaw, Washington, was assigned to Denali National Park and Preserve and fell Thursday on North America’s tallest peak. The agency said rescue efforts began immediately, but she did not survive.

“Despite rescue efforts, the employee did not survive,” the National Park Service said.

The agency has not released Pendery’s age. Her death is under investigation.

Pendery had worked on Denali’s mountaineering staff since 2024, supporting climber safety, emergency response and mountaineering operations, the park service said. In a field update published Monday, the agency described Pendery as one of two people “in charge” of the mountain’s 14,000 Foot Camp, an area accessible by helicopter.

The park service also said Pendery had worked as a nurse and helped provide medical response on the mountain. Seattle-based Alpine Ascents International previously employed her as a Washington and Alaska guide with certification in multiple facets of climbing, NBC News reported.

Gordon Janow, Alpine Ascents’ director of programs, said Pendery’s death is “devastating for us.”

“She was the consummate professional, compassionate, thorough, with an infectious love for the mountains,” Janow said by email, according to NBC News.

Denali Superintendent Brooke Merrell said the park’s staff was grieving the loss.

“Our mountaineering rangers dedicate themselves to serving visitors and helping others in one of the most challenging environments in the world,” Merrell said in a statement Friday. “Today, we mourn the loss of a valued colleague, friend and teammate.”

Mount McKinley, also known as Denali, rises about 20,310 feet and is the highest peak in North America. Denali National Park and Preserve draws roughly 600,000 visitors each year, mostly from late May through early September, according to the park service.

Conditions on the mountain Thursday included cloudy skies, winds of 5 mph and temperatures around 67 degrees, according to National Weather Service data cited by NBC News. The park service reported Monday that the ground had ample snow cover, including 2 feet of snow that had fallen the previous weekend at the 11,200-foot level.

Pendery’s death came one week after three climbers from a Latvian mountaineering expedition died after falling near a treacherous pass on McKinley. A fourth climber was rescued. They were part of a seven-person team traversing a route known for exposed sections where many climbers have died or been injured over the years.

In June 2025, another climber died after falling 3,000 feet while ascending the West Buttress climbing route on the mountain, the park service has said.