A hiker died last week after a large chunk of rock broke loose on an exposed section of a 14,041-foot peak in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, causing the person to fall a significant distance, search and rescue teams said Wednesday.
The hiker fell June 27 while climbing on the West Ridge Indirect approach up Little Bear Peak, a peak notorious for its rockfall, and when reached by rescuers, was in critical condition with severe injuries, according to Alamosa Volunteer Search and Rescue.
Rescuers battled sustained 60 mph winds on Little Bear Peak, conditions that complicated efforts to evacuate the climber by helicopter, according to the rescue group’s incident report.
“The team knew we needed all hands on deck to be able to get this hiker out as soon as possible,” the group wrote in a social media post detailing the rescue.
Two rescuers were flown by helicopter into Tobin Basin at about 12,100 feet and began climbing toward the injured hiker, while another team traveled up Lake Como Road in a four-wheel drive vehicle before continuing on foot.
A Colorado National Guard Black Hawk helicopter arrived at about 2 p.m. Rescue technicians secured the hiker in a flight bag and the helicopter flew them to a search-and-rescue helipad on Lake Como Road.
A flight nurse and flight medic, and volunteer rescuers immediately began life saving efforts, but the hiker died of their injuries, the rescue group said.
“This is not the outcome anyone had hoped for. But there was still work to do,” the rescue group said.
The rescuers who had been inserted into Tobin Basin then guided the rest of the climbing party back to Lake Como where three Alamosa Volunteer SAR four-wheel drive vehicles transported them to the incident command post. All teams were out of the field at about 6 p.m.
Little Bear Peak is notorious for its rockfall danger, particularly in the mountain’s infamous “Hourglass” section, the standard route to the summit. The West Ridge Indirect approach, where the hiker fell, has grown in popularity as an alternative because it avoids the Hourglass, but it is still a steep, highly exposed route.
Details on the hiker, including their name and age, have not been publicly released.
The fatal rescue comes less than a year after another serious accident on the mountain. Last July, a climber was critically injured after he was struck by a “microwave-sized” boulder in the hourglass section. He fell roughly 30 feet and was found unresponsive with severe injuries. He was not wearing a helmet.
Last month, a solo trail runner from Montrose died on Mount Sneffels, a 14,155-foot peak in the San Juan Mountains. Rescuers found his body after hikers reported seeing him not far from the summit via the peak’s standard route called the Lavender Col.