By

Seattle Times staff reporter

One person has been killed and three injured on Mount Rainier’s most popular summit route.

Six climbers in two separate parties were caught in a rockfall at 11,600 feet on the Disappointment Cleaver climbing route, around 3:30 a.m. Sunday, according to a Mount Rainier National Park spokesperson. One climber was seriously injured and taken by helicopter to a hospital, and two others had minor injuries.

Daihong Chen, 44, of Bellevue, died from multiple blunt-force injuries, according to the Pierce County medical examiner’s office.

The remaining climbers, who had been part of groups without a guide, were helped back to Camp Muir and flown to the park’s helibase for medical care, according to the national park’s spokesperson.

The Disappointment Cleaver route is among the most popular routes for guided climbs in North America, according to the National Park Service. Thousands attempt the route each year; about half reach the summit. In August 2022, a Canadian man died after he fell while descending the Disappointment Cleaver route.

Three people have died on Mount Rainier this year. In January, Jiri Richter, 51, and Ben Watson, 35, died while climbing in the Wilson Glacier area of the mountain.