Avalanche Fatality Reported on Denali’s West Buttress

Photo: World Atlas

A tragic avalanche on Denali’s West Buttress route has claimed the life of 29-year-old Nicholas Vizzini from Washington. The incident occurred on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, marking the second fatality on the mountain this climbing season.

Vizzini and his climbing partner were caught in a soft slab avalanche below Rescue Gully, high above Camp 14. The slide path was significant, originating at approximately 16,600 feet and running down to 15,000 feet.

Photo: AOL

According to a statement from Denali National Park, rangers were alerted to the slide after spotting Vizzini's partner partially buried on the surface of the debris. Tragically, Vizzini was found mostly buried. After forty minutes of CPR and life-saving efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

This marks the first avalanche-related death on Denali for the season, but the second overall. Last week, 41-year-old mountaineer Alex Chiu died after a 3,000-foot fall on the West Buttress route. According to Denali National Park records, there have been 130 total fatalities on the mountain, with 13 of those being avalanche-related.

This incident serves as a stark reminder of the inherent risks of mountain travel.