ANCHORAGE — A shallow avalanche on Alaska’s Mount McKinley may not have killed four Japanese climbers, but the slide pushed them into a crevasse more than 100 feet deep, the National Park Service said Sunday.
Spokeswoman Kris Fister said Sunday that the search for the climbers was permanently suspended after a mountaineering ranger found the climbing rope in debris at the bottom of the crevasse.
“We believe this is their final resting place,” Fister said.
Yoshiaki Kato, 64, Masako Suda, 50, Michiko Suzuki 56, and 63-year-old Tamao Suzuki, 63, are missing and presumed dead.
The avalanche early Wednesday morning also pushed Hitoshi Ogi, 69, into the crevasse. Ogi climbed 60 feet out of the crevasse and reached a base camp Thursday.
Ogi had been attached to the other members of the team by climbing rope as they descended in an avalanche-prone section of the West Buttress Route. The rope broke in the avalanche and fall.
The group was on a section known as Motorcycle Hill at about 11,800 feet, which has a 35-degee slope. Climbers who take a required briefing on the mountain are warned of the avalanche danger there.
“This is the first time there have been fatalities,” Fister said.
The avalanche, likely caused by new snow falling on rock or hardened snow and ice, measured 200 feet wide and 800 feet top to bottom, Fisher said. It created a snow pile averaging only 3-4 feet deep.
A 10-person ground crew searched for the climbers Saturday. The patrol included a rescue dog and a handler. The crew probed the avalanche debris zone and found no sign of the missing climbers.
Park Service mountaineering ranger Tucker Chenoweth, however, found grim signs of the doomed climbing team in the crevasse below where Ogi had fallen.
He descended about 100 feet, and while probing through debris, found the other end of Ogi’s rope. He continued to dig but found compacted ice and snow debris.
The danger of falling ice made it too dangerous to continue an attempt to recover bodies, Fister said.
All the climbers were members of the Japanese alpine club Miyagi Workers Alpine Federation.
Ogi suffered a minor hand injury, according to the Park Service. He was flown off the mountain Thursday.
Comments (7)
Add commentPermits!
I said it before! I fully realize that when certain moneyed people get to a certain age, it seems necessary to do youthful and dangerous things. If there are no age restrictions on the permit, well, start a base camp for permanent usage for recoveries. Others will be put in danger by some who dare when they should have been denied the opportunity. The human body is not suited, at 60 plus years, to withstand this mountain. I am and will be sorry for any who die before their time, always! IMHO tho this was unnecessary!
sorry skat but avalanches
sorry skat but avalanches know no age. This was a very sad and tragic mishap that could have happened to anyone.
Permits!
Avalanches and all Mom Nature's furies are unrelenting and respect nobody's age. I know from experience! My comment was about age and the slight misjudging, "possibly", by the people who attempt youthful and dangerous programs and their own fitness capabilities. Am tremendously saddened by loss of life. More so if it's by overzealous seniors, who refuse age's mandates. As a senior who remembers the difficulty of jungle patrols and yet, how effortless they seemed at times, I don't for a minute, think I would attempt em again. Just sayin that maybe, if not already, an age restriction for protecting those that would place themselves in harms way, might be helpful!
Skat wrong
The more mature bodies process CO2 more efficiently than youthful climbers.
Wow!
Keep gettin shot down but, all is not lost! Never considered the O2 aspect of the climb. What concerns me is the way the body doesn't have the needed stamina and strength for a long journey of this magnitude. Maybe I'm older and my own body tells me these lies but, I just can't get past the age thing. As certain sports and treks are banned for the very young, the same is said for almost all, for the aged also. If a baseball player, at age 40 is said over-the-hill and can't compete, I don't see how climbing a world class mountain should be any less viewed as maybe a stretch for some in my own age group of 60 plus. But then again, I have 3 cancers (agent orange) and that pretty well says that just going to the store is kinda iffy at times :)
Um....except
That the only guy to live was the oldest of the crew. He was either lucky, more experienced, or had more stamina than the others, or a combination of all three.
These people know what they are getting into when they sign on.
The towel is tossed!
OK I give! Was only concerned that some people get in over their head, when ego and age do battle and need outside judgements! But, as it has been so eloquently pointed out......I'm in over my 'own' head! :) Be goin back to da bench now! Rats! But, I'll be signin up for the fishin boat again this year I guess...or maybe the whale song recording thing! Climb on u crazy diamonds!