Injured Climber Crawls 500 Feet to Safety After Fall on Mount Shasta
A San Jose man sustained significant injuries after a fall on a steep, snow-covered route and was later found by rescuers in a remote cabin.
A California climber who fell approximately 500 feet down Mount Shasta sustained significant injuries and spent the night crawling to a remote cabin before rescue crews found him, officials said Friday.
The incident occurred Thursday night when the San Jose man, whose identity has not been released, lost control while attempting to glissade down Avalanche Gulch, a steep, snow-and-ice-covered route in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.
"The climber told rescuers that he had attempted to glissade down the mountain, lost control, and slid approximately 500 feet. During his fall, he sustained several significant lacerations and injuries to his feet," forest service officials stated. His cellphone had died shortly after he reached the summit, preventing him from calling for help.
Due to painful swelling after the fall, the climber removed his boots and crawled through the night to Horse Camp Cabin. His friends reported him missing to the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office the following day after being unable to contact him.
By 2 p.m. Friday, multiple agencies, including Mount Shasta Climbing Rangers, Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue, and a California Highway Patrol helicopter crew, had mobilized to search the Avalanche Gulch area. Two hours later, they were alerted that the climber was in Horse Camp Cabin.
Officials praised the climber for his self-rescue efforts and for notifying friends of his plans before his climb. "The climber did his best to self-rescue despite significant injuries, and knew his route well enough without a map, to find his way back to the Horse Camp Cabin," officials said. They also emphasized the importance of notifying someone of one's itinerary and having robust navigation skills, as solely relying on GPS or phones can be risky.
The route via Avalanche Gulch is described as steep and rigorous, requiring proper equipment and snow-travel skills. This incident follows other recent rescues in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, including three novice hikers stranded overnight in September and a climber who fell 1,500 feet in late June.