A novice climber survived a 1,500-foot fall down Mount Shasta in California on Sunday, leaving rescuers astonished by her condition after the significant tumble.
The 31-year-old woman was climbing the Avalanche Gulch route with two companions when she fell from an estimated 13,000 feet to 11,500 feet. The U.S. Forest Service confirmed the incident.
Lead Climbing Ranger Nick Meyers was notified by the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue coordinator. Three U.S. Forest Service climbing rangers, with assistance from the California Highway Patrol, responded to the scene.
Rescue efforts were complicated by low cloud cover, which prevented a CHP helicopter from reaching the climber directly. Rescuers had to land nearby and proceed on foot.
One member of the woman’s climbing party descended with rescue equipment to aid the rangers, and another climber in the vicinity stopped to assist, remaining with the group throughout the rescue operation.
Despite the severe fall, rescuers found the woman conscious and alert. She sustained what was believed to be a broken right ankle and other injuries.
After providing initial treatment on the mountainside, the climbing rangers and members of her party carefully lowered her to Lake Helen in a rescue litter. By approximately 5:30 p.m., a CHP helicopter airlifted the injured climber from Lake Helen to Mercy Medical Center Mount Shasta.
The U.S. Forest Service emphasized that conditions on Mount Shasta can change rapidly. They advise anyone attempting to summit to carry appropriate mountaineering equipment, check weather and route conditions, climb with experienced partners, and have a plan for emergencies.