Climber killed after falling 1,000 feet off mountain at Denali National Park identified

Authorities have identified the climber who died in Denali National Park last week after falling an estimated 1,000 feet while climbing a mountain in Alaska.

The National Park Service identified the climber as Robbi Mecus, 52, of Keene Valley, New York. Another climber, identified by the NPS as a 30-year-old woman from California, sustained serious injuries and was rescued by NPS mountaineering rangers Friday morning and flown to an Anchorage hospital, according to a news release from the park service.

According to NBC News, Mecus was a noted climbing enthusiast, forest ranger and an "outspoken advocate for expanding the presence of fellow transgender people in alpine climbing." The news outlet also reports she co-founded Queer Ice Fest in the Aldirondack Mountains in 2022.

The two-person rope team was participating in an ascending 5,000-foot route on Thursday from Mount Johnson. This route, known as "The Escalator," is "a steep and technical alpine climb on the peak's southeast face," according to the National Park Service. The NPS also says the challenging route has a mix of steep rock, ice and snow.

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Rangers worked to come to the aid of climbers following fall

At 10:45 p.m. local time other climbers witnessed the two climbers falling from the mountain. The Alaska Regional Communication Center was alerted, and medical responders headed to the scene. One of the climbers was confirmed dead upon the responder’s arrival. The other climber was taken to a makeshift snow cave where they were given medical attention throughout the night, the park service said.

On the morning of Friday, April 26, Denali's high altitude helicopter pilot and two mountaineering rangers rescued the injured climbing partner. She was evacuated to Talkeetna, then flown to an Anchorage hospital.

"Deteriorating weather conditions prevented the pilot and rangers from returning to the accident site on Friday," the NPS said in a news release. "On Saturday morning at 8:00 am, weather permitted the park’s helicopter pilot and mountaineering rangers to return to Mt. Johnson to recover the body of the climber who perished in the fall." 

"We are grateful for the rescue efforts of Denali mountaineering rangers and the two good Samaritans on Mt. Johnson who helped save a fellow climber’s life," said Denali National Park Superintendent Brooke Merrell in the news release.

"We extend our thoughts and condolences to the friends and family of Robbi Mecus," Merrell said in the news release.

Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at [email protected].