A 66-year-old mountain climber has died after taking a fall on Colorado's notorious 14,196-foot Crestone Needle on August 22.
According to Custer County Search and Rescue, the climber was tackling a difficult route that travels up Crestone Peak and across a 'class five' traverse to Crestone Needle last Thursday when the incident occurred. The climber made it through the most technical stretch of the route and reached the summit of Crestone Needle, but took an apparent fall after getting off-route during his descent of the peak.
Rescuers received an overdue climber report at about 9:18 p.m. on Thursday night after family members who had been watching a real time location mapping from the climber's Garmin device became aware that his position had not changed for several hours. Search and rescue teams then found a vehicle with Nebraska plates that belonged to the man at the trailhead, launching teams into the field by 3:30 a.m. on Friday morning.
Bad weather that included 40-plus mile-per-hour winds, dense fog, and heavy rain plagued the search effort throughout the day on Friday, but by 2 p.m., the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control's Cañon Helitack helicopter was able to conduct an aerial search during which crews were able to visually confirm the fallen climber's location. He was located at about 13,371 feet of elevation, in close proximity to a rescue site of a 2021 mission.
Two technical climbers from a field team of eight were able to access the climber's position on the mountain. The Cañon Helitack aerial team was then able to utilize a longline to assist in delivering equipment to the scene and in recovering the body of the climber. A Colorado Army National Guard helicopter was then used to hoist the two crew members from the technical terrain, with other crew members able to hike out of the field on-foot. All teams were out of the field by 10:30 p.m.
This tragic incident highlights the treacherous nature of some mountainous routes in the Crestone Group of the Sangre de Cristos, with route-finding difficulties and big exposure making Crestone Needle one of the more difficult fourteener peaks to summit in the Centennial State. When climbed by itself, the standard route up the Crestone Needle is a technical class four climb , which can be made even more difficult to follow when its part of the Crestones Traverse Combo loop route , as hikers making the loop haven't encountered the South Face of Crestone Needle until they're attempting to make their descent. Time and time again, this descent has proven to be confusing, with many climbers ending up off-route at some point of their trip. Sometimes, it's possible to get back to the established route, but loose rock and steep slopes can also result in an off-route climber getting stuck or worse.
The descent from the Crestone Needle summit is perhaps best described as 'many options that look roughly the same but only one option that's right,' thus it can be easy to pick a wrong option, even when looking at guiding images and maps.
Of 49 rescue and recovery missions that Custer County Search and Rescue conducted in the area of the Crestone Group between 2015 and 2021 (which includes five fourteeners – Crestone Peak, Crestone Needle, Kit Carson Mountain, Humboldt Peak, and Challenger Point), 24 (48.9 percent) of those missions took place on Crestone Needle – 16 of which were related to the descent, with 12 of those involving a climber off-route on the South Face.
While many find the full loop that includes the exhilarating class five traverse to be appealing, Custer County Search and Rescue recommends descending on the same route that is used for the ascent. This makes it easier to keep track of guiding rocks and landmarks, but even that strategy isn't foolproof.
Utilizing a route-tracking tool, such as a Garmin inReach device, can make it easier to stay on-route if making a return trip down the mountain on the same path. For those traveling Crestone Peak and Crestone Needle in a loop, downloading trail maps to a handheld device from a reputable source can be beneficial, too. That said, it's ultimately still up to the climber to be confident in their abilities to safely navigate back to the trailhead without the use of technology.
Those seeking to climb Colorado's fourteeners should be highly aware of what type of route they'll be traveling, making sure their skills match the mission. Avoid summiting peaks alone, always heed the weather forecast, and make sure someone not on the trail knows where you're headed and when you'll be back. Hikers should also be sure to carry gear that can protect them from the elements should they get stuck, injured, or stranded – don't forget the ' 10 essentials .'
Condolences go out to those impacted by this death. The man's official cause-of-death and identity have not been formally released.
Rescue groups involved in this mission included Custer County Search and Rescue, Flight for Life Colorado, Colorado Search and Rescue Association, Chaffee County Search and Rescue – South, Saguache County Search and Rescue, Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control, Cañon Helitack, Colorado Army National Guard, and the Custer County Sheriff's Office.
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.
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