Climber missing after fall from Denali, rangers say

Bad weather has halted a search for a 41-year-old mountaineer who remains missing after falling Monday off the West Buttress of Denali.

National Park Service spokesperson Amber Smigiel said a ground search was called off Tuesday after heavy winds and snow set in on the mountain, recently renamed Mount McKinley by President Trump. She said rangers are monitoring conditions every hour in hopes the weather will break so they can restart the search.

“It’s windy and snowing in the area, so we have not been able to send out either ground or aerial crews,” Smigiel said. “So everyone’s on standby, waiting for the weather to clear.”

Smigiel said three ski mountaineers set out on an expedition Monday to ascend the peak. She said when they reached the 12,000-foot level later in the afternoon