An off-route hiker got injured on one of Colorado's fourteeners on July 26, prompting what would turn into an overnight rescue mission thanks to severe storms slowing down the rescue process.
According to Alamosa Volunteer Search and Rescue, the hiker took a fall during his descent from Ellingwood Point, which is a 14,042-foot peak near the San Luis Valley that's rated as a 'difficult class two' climb.
At the time the hiker fell, he knew he was off-route. Given his injury and the difficult of the terrain, he was unable to self-rescue. While the route to the summit of Ellingwood Point is fairly straightforward from its saddle with Blanca Peak, coming down the mountain provides plenty of opportunity for hikers to accidentally get off-route, with a lot of this off-route terrain consisting of steep and loose boulders.
As rescue teams were deploying, severe storms in the area of the Blanca massif prevented aerial assistance. As a result, crews were taken up the treacherous Lake Como Road for a ground insertion.
The rescue team was able to get within about three hundred vertical feet of the injured hiker but waning light made conditions unsafe to continue. Rescue crews were forced to hunker down for the night on the mountain, as was the injured climber. Unfortunately, the injured climber did not have adequate food and water for the night on the mountain, though options were limited given that crews could not safely access the hiker.
The rescue team planned to continue their mission at first light with a plan of using a technical hoist if an airlift request was unsuccessful.
At about 6:00 a.m. the following morning, the Colorado National Guard was able to hoist the climber off of the mountain and to Lake Como. At that point, a REACH29 helicopter took him to Salida for medical care.
Specifics about the injuries the climber sustained were not provided, but it was noted that he was later released from the hospital and is on his way to recovery.
This incident puts the importance of over-preparing in terms of food and water while hiking on a Colorado fourteener on display. While fewer supplies may be fine if nothing goes wrong, the chances of something going wrong always looms.
If you're interested in supporting Colorado's volunteer-powered search and rescue operation, one way to do so is through the purchase of a CORSAR card . It's cheap, at only $5 per year.
STAY INFORMED: Get free Colorado news with our daily newsletter (Click here)
Local Colorado State
Most Popular
Comments / 0