A 31-year-old woman is recovering after miraculously surviving a 1,500-foot fall on Mount Shasta over the weekend. The climber, who is described as a novice, was ascending the Left of Heart variation on Avalanche Gulch with two other inexperienced climbers on Sunday when she fell from approximately 13,000 feet to 11,500 feet.
The Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue coordinator notified Lead Climbing Ranger Nick Myers about the incident around noon. Three US Forest Service climbing rangers and members of the California Highway Patrol responded to the scene.
Low cloud cover initially prevented a California Highway Patrol helicopter from reaching the injured climber directly. The climbing rangers landed nearby and proceeded on foot, eventually reaching the woman with assistance from a member of her climbing party who descended with rescue equipment. Another climber in the vicinity also stopped to aid in the rescue efforts.
Authorities reported that the woman was conscious, alert, and in good spirits despite sustaining a suspected broken ankle and other injuries. She received initial treatment on the mountainside.
Climbing rangers and members of the woman's party then collaborated to carefully lower her to Lake Helen. From there, a California Highway Patrol helicopter hoisted the injured climber around 5:30 p.m. and transported her to Mercy Medical Center for further evaluation and treatment.
Following the incident, the US Forest Service emphasized that Mount Shasta is a high-altitude mountaineering environment, distinct from hiking. They noted that even experienced climbers can face rapidly changing weather, steep snow and ice, rockfall, and hazardous conditions.
The agency advised individuals planning to climb the summit to carry appropriate mountaineering equipment, check weather and route conditions beforehand, climb with experienced partners, and have a clear emergency plan in place.
