Deceased climber recovered from difficult terrain in Colorado's Maroon Bells
On Tuesday, rescue crews recovered a deceased climber who was discovered in very difficult terrain on Colorado's Maroon Peak.
On Sept. 2, the Pitkin County Sheriff's Office was notified that a climber believed to be in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness was overdue. The climber's route and itinerary were unknown, Mountain Rescue Aspen says.
An investigation uncovered information on the climber's rental vehicle, which helped rescue teams focus their search efforts in the Maroon Bells area.
Maroon Peak is a difficult climb, rated as a technical class 3 route with extreme exposure and a high risk of rockfall. The summit sits at 14,163 feet, and the route contains loose rock.
MRA says on Sept. 3, it coordinated with CareFlight of the Rockies to search the area. The search team located the climber's body in steep, unstable terrain at about 13,200 feet on the east face of Maroon Peak. The area where the climber was found is very technical and difficult to access, MRA added.
Rescue teams extracted them on Sept. 8, and the U.S. Forest Service closed Maroon Peak while rescue crews conducted the operation.
MRA says they began the mission shortly after midnight as ground and technical teams worked to reach and secure the area. At first light, they say Flight for Life Colorado inserted three of their technical climbers on the ridge south of Maroon Peak, who made their way to a point 1,000 feet above the deceased climber. The technical team then rappelled to the Y Couloir to reach them.
An aircraft capable of a hoist or long line extraction wasn't available in Colorado at the time, so the Utah Department of Public Safety Aviation Unit sent one from Salt Lake City to help. It flew the deceased climber to T Lazy 7 Ranch, where the Pitkin County Coroner was waiting. The aircraft then returned to extract the MRA climbers.
MRA Rescue Leader Coordinator Jeff Edelson says the climber is a man from out of state who apparently fell a significant distance from the standard route. The Pitkin County Coroner's Office will conduct the final identification of the climber.
The sheriff's office and MRA encouraged anyone traveling in the backcountry to leave a detailed itinerary with a trusted person before leaving. That should include the intended route, expected return time and contingency plans. They also advised climbers to carry appropriate equipment, be prepared for rapidly changing conditions and carry a two-way satellite device in areas without cellular service.
