Alamosa Volunteer Search and Rescue responded to a call for help involving a 15-year-old hiker who was injured after sliding 200 feet down a snowfield during a three-day backpacking trip.

According to a report on the matter, the incident unfolded in the Outward Bound Couloir, which is located between 14,167-foot Kit Carson Peak and 13,986-foot Columbia Point. This couloir is recommended as a snow route only, climbable in spring and early summer most years. The initial report received by search and rescue indicated that a hiker had fallen, sustained significant abrasions, and was unable to walk.

Alamosa Volunteer Search and Rescue (AVSR) entered the field in response as Saguache County Search and Rescue resources were already stretched thin, with AVSR also initiating a request for a potential hoist from a Colorado Army National Guard helicopter in the event that the teen rescue subject’s condition got worse. Additionally, a Guardian 1 helicopter out of Alamosa was requested, which dropped search and rescue personal into the Willow Lake Basin so that they could hike up to the subject’s location.

Per GPS coordinates, the teen was located about halfway down the couloir. While cellular service was a bit lacking, there was enough connection present for the teen to maintain regular contact with emergency dispatch, providing updates on his condition every 30 minutes.

Once search and rescue personnel reached the subject, it was determined that a hoist was not needed and a rope system was used to lower the teen down the additional 200 feet of the couloir. Once out of the couloir, the teen was able to walk to the Guardian 1 landing zone under his own power.

After an injury assessment, it was determined that additional medical care would be needed and the teen was transported by air to the San Luis Valley Regional Medical Center where his family met him.

According to the teen, the big slide took place after he dropped his backpack and ultimately ended up sliding down a snowfield in the couloir while attempting to retrieve it. The deep lacerations he sustained were on his hands and legs.

Following the incident, it was learned that the teen had planned his three-day backpacking trip via Google Maps, resulting in him being unaware that the Outward Bound Couloir was typically traveled as a winter mountaineering route. Following his summits of Challenger Point and Kit Carson Peak, the 15-year-old intended to continue to the area of South Colony Lakes to attempt summits of Crestone Peak and Crestone Needle the next day.

This incident serves as a good reminder to utilize more than just Google Maps when researching a route. As is the case with the Outward Bound Couloir, for example, this is noted as a snow climb on the 14ers.com website. It also sounds like the teen may have been hiking alone, as no other person was mentioned in the rescue report. Whether the teen was alone or not, it’s important to remember that solo hiking in dangerous terrain can often mean a serious uptick in risk.

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