Colorado rescue personnel conducted “simultaneous high altitude, high acuity, rescues” across the Centennial State on October 18 when a hiker fell 100 feet from the Citadel, a dramatic 13,000-foot peak located on the Continental Divide. Alpine Rescue Team responded to the call and deployed six rescue flights, as well as additional ground teams from the Herman Gulch Trailhead, about an hour from Denver.
The rescue occurred in technical Class 4 terrain, further complicated by high winds, making landing zones near the summit unsuitable, the responding group, Alpine Search and Rescue, said in a Facebook post. Rescue technicians hoisted the patient despite these conditions. Further details about the individual or their injuries are unknown.
The Citadel is a technical 13er—a classification of mountains that exceed 13,000 feet—and is considered to have a standard Class 3 approach with 3,005 feet of elevation gain. Also known as scrambling, a Class 3 route is a moderate level of mountaineering over exposed, steep terrain. A fall can also result in serious injury or death. The summit is nicknamed “Snoopy” because it resembles the classic Peanuts character.
Photos shared by the team show a sunset rescue, a helicopter, and rescuers climbing up the steep, rocky face.
The same day, rescuers also responded to a person who had injured their lower leg near the summit of Mount Bierstadt, a Rocky Mountain Front 14er, and conducted two searches in nearby Jefferson County.
“Due to the complexity of the Citadel rescue and the number of resources required, we requested assistance from Summit County Rescue, Park County Search and Rescue, and Arapahoe Rescue for the call on Mt Bierstadt. Teams performed a carry out and finished late last night,” wrote the Alpine Rescue Team on Facebook.
The post Amid High Winds and Rough Terrain, Rescuers Saved a Person 100 Feet Off a 13,000-Foot Peak in Colorado appeared first on Outside Online.
