Body of ice climber who died in southwestern Colorado recovered by Ouray Mountain Rescue Team

The body of a climber who died sometime on Saturday was recovered in southwestern Colorado on Sunday, search and rescue officials said.

The Ouray Mountain Rescue Team said the body was recovered from the Precipice Peak area of the West Fork of the Cimarron River.

"Our deepest condolences go out to the climber's family, friends, climbing partners, and the climbing community as a whole," the team said in a statement on Monday.

The effort to recover the climber's body included sheriff's deputies, coroners, and search and rescue personnel from Ouray and Hinsdale Counties, the Colorado Department of Fire Prevention and Control, and the Colorado Search and Rescue Association.

Photos posted by Ouray Mountain Rescue Team show crews traversing steep ice faces to get to the climber's body and back down.

Officials did not say how the climber died. They'll be identified, and their cause of death will be determined by the Ouray County Coroner's Office after an autopsy.

Ice climbing is a popular activity in and around the town of about 1,000 people. Nicknamed "Switzerland of America," between 10,000 and 15,000 visitors come to Ouray each winter to climb ice sheets, usually at Ice Fest.

Precipice Peak is about 60 miles northeast of Telluride and 270 miles southeast of Denver.