Mountain Reaches Its Limit

North America’s tallest mountain is getting crowded -- too crowded for safety.

Starting next year, the National Park Service will cap the number of climbers allowed on Alaska’s Mt. McKinley at 1,500 a year -- not too many more than the record 1,340 alpinists who attempted to scale the 20,320-foot mountain last year.

McKinley is required climbing for many of the world’s most serious mountaineers who attempt to reach the summit of the highest peak on each of the seven continents.

About half the climbers who attempt McKinley come from other countries, the park service said.

It’s too late to restrict this year’s crowd.

“Whatever shows up this year, we will have to deal with. We are not prepared to turn back anybody this year,” said Daryl Miller, a park ranger.

The goal is safety and protecting the mountain, said Kris Fister, spokeswoman for Denali National Park and Preserve. She said all but a handful of climbers were on the mountain during a brief two-month period in May and June, and about 95% choose the West Buttress route to reach the top.

“You’ve got a lot of people homing in on one area of the mountain for a short period of time,” Fister said.

Since 1903, McKinley has been attempted by 30,049 climbers, and more than half have reached the summit. Ninety-five climbers have died trying, including a record 11 in 1992. Two brothers from Ohio died last year.

The mountain is popular because it’s easy to get to compared to some others in the world -- just a two-hour car ride from Anchorage and a 45-minute flight from Talkeetna to base camp at 7,200 feet.

Climbers typically spend 14 to 18 days on the mountain, Miller said.