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Body Of Austrian Climber Spotted High On Denali

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By Compiled From N... - May 7th, 2022
Denali Pass, West Buttress/NPS

A 35-year-old Austrian, the first registered climber hoping to summit Denali this climbing season, died in his solo bid/NPS file


An Austrian who aimed to make a solo climb to the top of North America's tallest mountain died in the process, with his body being spotted by Denali National Park and Preserve rangers flying over the mountain.

Matthias Rimml, a 35-year-old professional mountain guide from Tirol, set out from the 7,200-elevation Kahiltna Basecamp on April 27 with plans to make the climb to the top of 20,310-foot Denali in five days. He last contacted a friend about his progress on April 30, and on May 3 that individual contacted park authorities. Rimml was not considered overdue, but rangers launched a search because of his radio silence.

When Rimml was last heard from, he indicated he was just below Denali Pass, which is located at 18,200 feet elevation on the West Buttress, a park release said.

On May 4, the NPS helicopter pilot and a mountaineering ranger, already intending to shuttle camp gear to the 14,200-foot basin, flew the route to look for signs of Rimml. Intermittent cloud cover prevented a thorough search of the route, nevertheless they did not see any signs of Rimml. Searchers did observe his tent site at 14,000 feet, however no signs of recent activity were visible. The helicopter was unable to land due to deteriorating weather and wind.

The aerial search continued Thursday, and favorable weather allowed the helicopter to land at the tent site. Rangers confirmed Rimml had not returned to his camp. Clouds on the upper mountain prevented the aerial search team from flying above 17,200 feet.

On Friday morning during another aerial search rangers spotted his body in the fall zone below Denali Pass.

"Rimml likely fell on the steep traverse between Denali Pass at 18,200 feet and the 17,200-foot plateau, a notoriously treacherous stretch of the West Buttress route," a park release said. "Thirteen climbers, including Rimml, have died in falls along this traverse, the majority occurring on the descent. Recovery efforts will not be attempted until an NPS ranger patrol is acclimated to high altitude and able to safely perform the recovery."

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