In recent days, a rescue took place on Summit County, Colorado’s 14,272-foot Quandary Peak.

According to the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, a man and his dog set out to summit the mountain, but after reaching the summit, the duo ran into issues during their descent. With storms on the horizon, the man started to experience significant leg cramping while their water started to run low, as well.

Initially, a call for assistance came from the man’s out-of-state wife, who was concerned and made the call for help after talking with him. Soon after that call was received, the man requested assistance, too.

A rescue team was assembled but amid bad weather conditions, the team ultimately turned around near treeline. It was decided that an aerial rescue would be a better option and the man and his dog were transported off of the mountain and back to the trailhead via a helicopter.

Once back to the trailhead, the man refused medical treatment and reported no injuries to him or his dog.

While Quandary Peak is generally considered to be one of the easier 14,000 mountains to climb in Colorado, this rescue can serve as a reminder that even a ‘beginner’ fourteener climb still means extreme physical exertion. It’s worth noting that advice gleaned from that reality goes for those of all levels of experience, too, as dire situations can always arise unexpectedly – a seasoned climber tearing a ligament, for example.

It’s also worth noting that this incident goes to show how dangerous high-elevation storms can be – dangerous enough to turn a rescue team around in this scenario. Paying close watch to the forecast is absolutely crucial with Mountain-Forecast.com being a great resource for many of the state’s peaks.

Always remember to bring the ‘10 essentials‘ along for any hike and never forget to let someone know where you’re going and when you’ll be back.

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