An avalanche on Saturday left two veteran mountaineers stranded at 12,000 feet on Mount Shasta, according to the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO).
SCSO coordinated the rescue of two experienced climbers in difficult conditions. The climbers were stranded at 12,000 feet on Mount Shasta after an avalanche, and one suffered a fractured femur, SCSO announced. Said In a statement. The incident began at 12:21 p.m., when one of the climbers contacted dispatchers on the mountain to report their situation after being swept away by the avalanche. They were climbing a mountain with the goal of snowboarding down the Avalanche Gulch route when they triggered a wind slab avalanche at 13,000 feet.
They managed to avoid being swept down the slope, but one of the climbers suffered a serious knee injury in the avalanche. Due to high winds and poor visibility, California Highway Patrol air operations units faced difficulty reaching the climbers, the release states. Although rescuers were unable to land near the accident site, they were able to lower additional rescuers near the tree line, 3,500 vertical feet below the stranded climber.
A team of SCSO search and rescue teams, U.S. Forest Service mountaineering rangers, and volunteer professional mountain guides conducted the rescue effort on foot. SCSO said a brief break in the weather allowed rescuers to gain access to the injured climber. By 6:20 p.m., the team reached the climber and immediately provided medical treatment. The climber, who suffered a fractured femur, also showed signs of frostbite and hypothermia, necessitating a technically complex emergency evacuation. (Related: Ski resort plans to erect a large statue of the Virgin Mary above the slopes, but many people are not happy about it)
“It is noteworthy that the two climbers caught in the April 27 avalanche were highly skilled climbers with extensive experience on Mount Shasta,” SCSO said. 1,000 feet of that is below Avalanche Gulch. Their ordeal and the 11-hour rescue process that followed serve as a reminder that no amount of experience can shield you from the dangers you will encounter on Mount Shasta. ”
