A second reported death of the fourteener climbing season has occurred in Colorado, this one taking place on a non-standard section of one of the state’s most technical peaks.

According to Alamosa Volunteer Search and Rescue, their team was called to the West Ridge Indirect approach of Little Bear Peak on June 27 in response to a fallen climber. The climber reportedly took the fall when a large chunk of rock dislodged from the crux of the section, with the climber described to be left in critical condition due to multiple severe injuries. The initial report about the mission was published around 10:30 a.m.

Winds in the area of the 14,041-foot peak of the Sangre de Cristo range were problematic, at about 60 miles per hour. This made working with helicopters – which were needed to get the hiker out of the field as fast as possible – particularly difficult. That said, aerial resources were immediately requested, including a UH-60 Blackhawk from the Colorado Army National Guard with hoist capabilities, as well as a Canon Helitack and REACH71 out of Alamosa.

Two search and rescue technicians from Alamosa Volunteer Search and Rescue were dropped into the field at about 12,100 feet in Tobin Basin by the DFPC Canon Helitack, with these two personnel then hiking to reach the climber and his climbing party. Meanwhile, an Alamosa Volunteer Search and Rescue 4×4 started to make the technical ascent up the rugged Lake Como road with additional search and rescue technicians.

The Colorado Army National Guard UH-60 Blackhawk then arrived on the scene, lowering two additional rescue technicians into the area of the fallen climber via hoist around 2 p.m. Within about 10 minutes, the hiker was packaged into a stable flight bag and hoisted off the peak and to a helipad on Lake Como Road. At this point, a REACH71 helicopter with a nurse and flight medic were on scene and started to immediately conduct what were described as “intensive life saving efforts.” Tragically, those efforts were ultimately unsuccessful and the hiker succumbed to his injuries.

The man’s climbing party was then guided back down to Lake Como with search and rescue personnel out of the field by about 6 p.m.

Per 14ers.com, the West Ridge Indirect route to the Little Bear Peak summit is rated as class four with extreme exposure and considerable rockfall risk. The crux of the route is described as requiring a “move or two” of class four climbing, but with extreme exposure on both sides with the crux located at about 13,640 feet. The route is used by some climbers as an alternative to the infamous Hourglass section that comes with extreme rockfall risk, but as noted on the 14ers.com website, “this route trades the extreme rockfall danger of the Hourglass route for brief, but extreme exposure on the ridge.” Little Bear Peak is considered one of the most dangerous and technical fourteeners to climb statewide as no route exists to the summit that isn’t rated as at least class four.

“AVSAR would like to send our deepest condolences to all those affected by this tragedy,” wrote Alamosa Search and Rescue in a report that followed the response. “It was not the outcome that anyone had hoped for. Please keep the first responders, the family and the friends of this hiker in your thoughts and prayers.”

Sincere condolences go out to those impacted by this climber’s death.

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