According to officials at Rocky Mountain National Park, two climbers were rescued off of ‘The Diamond’ of the 14,259-foot Longs Peak on July 12.

The park noted that the climbers were unprepared for conditions on the peak and that they didn’t have the right equipment to self-rescue or spend an unplanned night on the cliff face.

The climbers started their ascent up the 5.10a-rated trad-style ‘Casual route’ on July 11. Despite being underprepared for a night on the wall, they were forced to stay on the side of the peak overnight before rescuers could safely enter the field at first light the following morning. They were in contact with search and rescue during this period.

Search and rescue helped to assist the climbers out of steep technical terrain. After reaching the summit, the climbers and a National Park Service team traveled down the North Face of the mountain together, making it back to the Longs Peak trailhead by Wednesday evening. Neither climber was injured.

While most of those summiting Longs Peak opt to travel the class three ‘Keyhole‘ route, the east-facing ‘Diamond’ is known far-and-wide for the technical rock climbing routes it offers. All above 13,000 feet of elevation, the full climb up the cliff means scaling more than 900 feet of rock.

Routes on The Diamond are notably difficult and mean using more technical trad or alpine climbing techniques. The easiest routes on The Diamond start around the upper-intermediate 5.9 to 5.10 level, ranging up to an extremely difficult 5.14-minus, per Mountain Project. Generally, those on The Diamond are very experienced in the sport of climbing.

Note that while summer is here, ice and snow can linger at high elevations, as well as frigid nighttime temperatures. This case serves as a good reminder to always make sure you’re always prepared for the worst, regardless of the adventure. Bring along extra layers, extra water and food, and a means of calling for help without having to rely on cell phone signal – the Garmin inReach product line is one great option.

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