51-year-old climber James Nasti of Naperville, IL, collapsed, and died on the summit of Denali last Friday, according to this story from the Associated Press.
Nasti was climbing the mountain, which is also known as Mt. McKinley, as part of the Alpine Ascents team, and was reportedly doing well just before his collapse. This is reportedly the first instance of someone actually dying at the summit of the mountain, and Denali rangers have already noted that a recovery of the body is not likely to happen due to the dangers involved with that kind of operation at high altitude.
In total, about 100 climbers have perished on the mountain, thanks to a combination of cold weather, intense storms, and high altitude. Standing 20,320 feet in height, Denali is the tallest mountain in North America, and part of the Seven Summits. Due to the extreme north latitude of it’s location, the mountain is one of the colder climbs on the planet.
My condolences to Mr. Nasti’s friends and family.
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