Seattle nurse, mountaineering guide dies on Denali climbing patrol

A National Park Service employee with Washington roots died last week in Alaska while on a climbing patrol on the highest peak in North America.

Robin Pendery, who was from Enumclaw, worked as a seasonal mountaineering ranger at Alaska's Denali National Park and Preserve, according to the National Park Service. She joined the park's mountaineering staff in 2024 to work on emergency response, climber safety and mountaineering operations at Mount McKinley, a peak also known as Denali.

Pendery died around 2 p.m. Thursday, June 4, when she fell into a crevasse near the mountain's 14,000-foot-elevation camp, according to the agency.

We are heartbroken by the loss of a member of our Denali family," said the national park's Superintendent Brooke Merrell in a news release Friday. "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. Our thoughts are with Robin's family and loved ones."

The incident remains under investigation. With a peak of 20,310 feet, it takes an average of 16 days for a guided group to do the climb, according to the National Park Service. Last year, 943 people made the attempt. Fewer than 50% of mountaineers reach the summit.

Pendery also worked as an emergency room nurse at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, according to Alpine Ascents International, where she also worked as a mountain guide for about 12 years. Jonathon Spitzer of Alpine Ascents International described her as "a very caring person, friendly, no ego, no attitude."

Spitzer is director of operations at the company, an authorized guide service for both Mount Rainier National Park and Denali National Park and Preserve.

Pendery started at Alpine Ascents International working in the gear department, and gradually became a mountain guide.

In the years since, "She guided climbs across the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, taught avalanche education courses, led treks in India, and shared her passion for the mountains with thousands of clients and fellow guides," according to a news release from the company.

A member of Pendery's family didn't immediately respond to an inquiry.

Pendery was an "incredibly calculated climber who wasn't known to take risks, Spitzer said.

"That's why it's kind of a shock to all of us," he added. "It was devastating."

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