A hiker took a big fall on a popular Colorado trail, but thanks to landing on a ledge and the rescue mission that followed, she was able to hike out without much assistance.

According to Larimer County Search and Rescue, their team responded to the report of a fallen hiker in recent days. The hiker was on 7,616-foot Greyrock Mountain at the time of the incident, falling about 50 feet and landing on a ledge 200 feet up the rock face at about 5:30 p.m.

Larimer County Search and Rescue personnel responded to the scene, climbing up to her in the dark to treat her injuries before lowering her down a technical section of the mountain.

Despite her pain and nausea, the woman managed to hike out of the area.

“Huge credit to her grit and to the teamwork that made this possible,” read a report on the matter.

According to that report, all members were safely out of the field and back at home by 4 a.m.

This incident highlights how quickly things can go wrong when on the trail and how one wrong step can mean disaster. Thankfully, the hiker managed to land on a ledge and thankfully the injuries weren’t immobilizing – though it’s easy to see how the outcome could have been much worse. This incident also highlights how long search and rescue missions can take. While this hiker probably wasn’t planning to be outside after dark, the incident meant being outside into the early morning hours. This highlights how it’s important to always pack extra food and water, as well as extra layers to stay warm. It also highlights how it’s important to make sure you have a means of communicating when out in nature – cell phone reception isn’t always present, which is why satellite-based communication devices are recommended.

Anyone who wants to help support Colorado’s search and rescue effort can find more information on how to do so here.

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