On the afternoon of June 16, a 28-year-old male triggered and was subsequently caught in an avalanche while skiing the Rescue Gully, below 17,200-foot camp on the West Buttress Route. During a tumbling fall of approximately 200 feet, the skier came to a rest atop the avalanche debris. However, he had lost his skis, various pieces of mountaineering equipment, and his prescription eyewear during the avalanche. The skier’s team was able to evacuate him to 14,200-foot camp, where he was assessed and treated by NPS personnel. The skier was evacuated on June 17 in the NPS helicopter.

ANALYSIS

This zone is somewhat difficult to evaluate for avalanche hazard because skiers and climbers often will enter the gully from an adjacent ridge rather than climbing it from below. Moreover, the angle steepens and the couloir widens significantly once people exit the access chute and enter the main Rescue Gully. (Source: Denali Mountaineering Rangers.)