
Clouds and high winds hampered efforts by rangers on Thursday to reach two climbers who remained high up on North America's tallest peak two days after first sending a distress signal. Teams on the mountain and a high-altitude helicopter pilot were on standby waiting for conditions to improve, according to a statement from Denali Park and Preserve.
The two climbers, described as men ages 36 and 47, from Malaysia, have been in a snow cave at 19,600 feet (5,974 meters) on Denali since late Tuesday and have been dealing with exhaustion and hypothermia, the park said. A third man who was part of the climbing team was rescued Tuesday night after descending to a 17,200-foot (5,243-meter) high camp. The 48-year-old man, also from Malaysia, was in serious condition when he was rescued, the park said.