Friend calls for help after rock fall traps climber on Colorado mountain, cops say

A rock fall crashed onto a climber 13,500 feet up on a Colorado mountain, deputies said.

The climber and her friend were below the summit of Snowmass Mountain on Sunday, July 17, when a rock fall occurred, according to the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office. Snowmass Mountain is a 14,000-foot peak about 14 miles west of Aspen.

The climber’s friend called for help. She told rescuers that her friend, a 29-year-old from Denver, had two leg injuries after the rock fall.

“The two climbers were aided by a solo climber who happened upon them, an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), who was making a solo attempt to climb Snowmass Mountain,” deputies said in a news release.

The three climbers spoke with emergency officials, but their cell phone calls kept dropping, the sheriff’s office said. The injured climber wasn’t able to put her weight on her injured leg.

“Any further movement down the mountain would be slow and laborious,” the EMT told dispatchers.

A group of 23 rescuers rushed to help the injured climber. Teams moved up the mountain, and a medical transport helicopter headed to the area.

The helicopter found the group, and a rescuer was dropped on the mountain. The rescuer helped stabilize the injured climber, and the group moved up the slope to the helicopter.

The climber was loaded into the helicopter and taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, officials said. Deputies did not disclose the woman’s identity or condition at the time of rescue.

The sheriff’s office said the incident is a good reminder to climbers to prepare for any scenario when heading into backcountry.

“Conditions on high peaks are constantly changing, and the physical composition of each mountain can change drastically from step-to-step,” the sheriff’s office said. “Additionally, most of the backcountry areas in Pitkin County do not have cell phone coverage so don’t plan on being able to use a cell phone to call for help.”

This story was originally published July 20, 2022 at 12:33 PM with the headline "Friend calls for help after rock fall traps climber on Colorado mountain, cops say."