Seasonal Park Ranger Dies in Crevasse Fall on Mount McKinley

A seasonal park ranger has died after falling into a crevasse on Mount McKinley, North America's tallest mountain, the National Park Service announced. Robin Pendery, from Enumclaw, Washington, was a mountaineering ranger assigned to Denali National Park and Preserve. She fell on Thursday while on climbing patrol, and despite immediate rescue efforts, she did not survive. The incident is currently under investigation and comes just a week after a separate tragedy on the same peak. Three climbers from a Latvian expedition died after falling near a treacherous pass on McKinley, with a fourth climber rescued. They were part of a seven-person team traversing a route known for its exposed sections, which has claimed many lives and caused numerous injuries over the years. Pendery's fall occurred near the 14,000-foot camp on Mount McKinley, which stands at approximately 20,310 feet. Denali Superintendent Brooke Merrell released a statement on Friday, expressing the park's grief, "Our mountaineering rangers dedicate themselves to serving visitors and helping others in one of the most challenging environments in the world. Today, we mourn the loss of a valued colleague, friend and teammate." Robin has worked as a mountain guide, ski patroller, and avalanche forecaster in the Pacific Northwest since 2015, according to her Alpine Ascents International bio. She was a full-time emergency department nurse in Seattle, in addition to being a mountain guide. Denali, federally designated as Mount McKinley, is the highest mountain peak in North America, with a summit elevation of 20,310 feet above sea level. It is the tallest mountain in the world from base to peak on land, measuring 18,000 ft. In 1980, the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act changed the park’s name to Denali National Park and Preserve. The official name of the mountain remained Mount McKinley until 2015, when President Barack Obama and Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell restored the name Denali to the mountain, according to the National Park Service. In 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order to change the name of the mountain back to Mount McKinley. The name of the park remains Denali National Park and Preserve, according to the NPS.