Final Preparations Underway to Repatriate Latvian Climbers Killed on Denali

The Latvian Foreign Ministry's press secretary Diāna Eglīte has announced that final preparations are underway to repatriate the three Latvian climbers who perished on Denali in Alaska as soon as possible. The Latvian embassy is involved in and monitoring the repatriation process, but administrative procedures and document preparation by Alaskan authorities are expected to take several weeks.

The injured climber Mārtiņš Bilzēns remains in a hospital in Alaska, though his condition has improved. The embassy is in regular contact with the hospital and Bilzēns' relatives, providing support as they prepare for his return to Latvia. Bilzēns' family has called for donations to cover transportation costs, and as of now, 112,000 euros have been raised on the portal "Ziedot.lv" since June 11.

As previously reported, at the end of May, three Latvian climbers—Inese Pučeka, Vija Olte, and Renārs Kunigs-Salaks—died after falling from a steep slope on Denali. Another expedition member, Bilzēns, was airlifted to a hospital in Anchorage in serious condition. The other three members—Purins, Edgars Madzulis, and Guntis Svarins—were evacuated from the mountain with the help of rescuers; two of them suffered frostbite.

According to information from the Latvian embassy in the US, all three bodies were brought down from Denali on the night of June 4, Latvian time. The accident occurred on the climb between the mountain's High Camp and Denali Pass at an altitude of approximately 5,545 meters. The US National Park Service reported that during the first incident, two climbers were evacuated separately, and then four of the seven-member team fell in the Denali Pass area; three of them returned to High Camp after helping their fallen teammates.

The expedition was planned from May 10 to June 11, aiming to reach the highest peak in North America—6,190-meter Denali. Denali is the closest such high peak to the Arctic Circle, with the main challenge being extreme cold rather than altitude, with temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius, storms, and living in a tent for over three weeks while carrying heavy loads. Several team members had prior high-altitude experience, including expeditions in the Pamir Mountains and other peaks.