An active rescue is underway to locate five missing climbers after an avalanche struck a Himalayan base camp in northeastern Nepal on November 3. The slide is thought to have killed at least seven people in the 15-person expedition.

was the first to report this story.

Unstable snow and fluctuating weather conditions brought on by Cyclone Monica are believed to have caused the avalanche. Five visitors and ten Nepali high-altitude guides set out roughly an hour before the slide occurred at 8:30 A.M. near the base camp of Yalung Ri Peak.

The group had reached the base camp at an elevation of 16,000 feet and was adjusting to the altitude before attempting to summit Dolma Khang peak, which stands at nearly 21,000 feet. Yalung Peak is considered a non-technical beginner mountain, great for those with no previous experience in climbing high elevations.

Officials said that rescuers initially delayed rescue services due to weather conditions.

“The avalanche buried everyone on the slope. We got the information late, and the difficult weather delayed immediate response,” Deputy Superintendent of Police, Gyan Kumar Mahato, told The Kathmandu Post. “As soon as we were informed, we coordinated with the Home Ministry and deployed the Army, Armed Police Force, and Nepal Police from Lamabagar. But due to heavy snowfall and clouds, helicopters couldn’t be flown, and reaching the site on foot was extremely difficult.”

Rescuers have since recovered two bodies and are searching for the remaining five, which are believed to be covered by snow. Eight others were saved and are receiving treatment in Kathmandu. The bodies of the other five deceased climbers “may be 10 to 15 feet below the snow,” Mingma Sherpa, chairman of Seven Summit Treks, told the . �����ԹϺ��� contacted the summit company for an update, but has not heard back at the time of publishing.

Reports vary regarding the nationality of the climbers, who are said to include two or three Italians, two Nepalis, a German, a French person, and potentially a Canadian. NBC News that in an interview on November 3, Mahato had initially stated that three Americans had been killed, but the reason for the discrepancy is not apparent.

�����ԹϺ��� also contacted the U.S. State Department for further information on whether any Americans were in the group, as well as the Nepal Government for an official count of victims. We will update this article if and when we receive a response.

In late October, heavy snowfall and rain from Cyclone Montha tore through the region, followed by sunnier weather on November 2. Officials speculate that this fluctuation in temperature, paired with heavy rainfall, steep slopes, and unstable snowpack, created prime conditions for an avalanche. It’s the same storm system that launched several rescue missions, including a helicopter that crashed while attempting to evacuate tourists.

Two other climbers were confirmed dead in a separate avalanche on Panbari Himal in the Manaslu region, reported��.

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For the first time, recently captured video footage shows the dramatic moments when a pod of orcas stun great white sharks, paralyzing their prey along the water’s surface.

Researchers believe it’s the first time this activity has been filmed and described, as reported in a new study��published in the peer-reviewed journal .

“This is the first time we are seeing orcas repeatedly target juvenile white sharks,” said study author Salvador Jorgensen of California State University. “Adult white sharks react quickly to hunting orcas, completely evacuating their seasonal gathering areas and not returning for months. But these juvenile white sharks may be naive to orcas. We just don’t know yet whether white shark anti-predator flight responses are instinctual or need to be learned.”

Known as Moctezuma’s pod, this group of orcas has developed a unique strategy for hunting juvenile white sharks in the Gulf of California. Here’s how they do it: The whales work together to push the shark to the surface, then maneuver the animal upside-down. This induces what’s known as a state of tonic immobility, where the shark loses awareness of its surroundings, essentially becoming paralyzed.

“This temporary state renders the shark defenseless, allowing the orcas to extract its nutrient-rich liver and likely consume other organs as well, before abandoning the rest of the carcass,” said marine biologist and lead study author, Erick Higuera Rivas, in a .

Then, the orcas target and eat the shark’s large, calorie-rich liver.

Video shows two separate hunts, one in 2020 and another in 2022, with multiple orcas pushing sharks to the surface and working together to turn them upside down. Eventually, the pod of sharks resurfaces with the shark’s liver.

They note that the whales’ collaborative effort shows a high level of intelligence, social learning, and coordinated strategy that may have been passed down from previous��generations.

“I believe that orcas that eat elasmobranchs—sharks and rays—could eat a great white shark, if they wanted to, anywhere they went looking for one,” said Rivas. “This behavior is a testament to orcas’ advanced intelligence, strategic thinking, and sophisticated social learning, as the hunting techniques are passed down through generations within their pods.”

Climate change events, such as El Niño, may have altered white shark nursery areas, resulting in more juvenile sharks being found in the Gulf of California. Each new generation of young sharks brings more hunting opportunities for the whales.

But the researchers note that their video is just observational. Next, the team plans to survey the pod’s diet to determine how often they hunt and what percentage of their diet consists of white sharks.

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A hiker was evacuated by air on October 29 from the rugged and remote Kalalau Trail in Hawaii after he was “unable to hike out due to a rapidly worsening infection from an apparent spider bite,” wrote the Kauai Fire Department (KFD) in a .

The hiker, a 57-year-old local from Kauai, survived the ordeal.

The is a challenging 22-mile round-trip trek from Ke’e Beach to Kalalau Beach, offering the only access to the rugged coastline of the renowned Napali Coast. Characterized by emerald-hued cliffs, towering waterfalls, and dramatically lush valleys, this region is difficult ot access and even more testing to hike through.

KFD said the department received a text-to-911 message from the hiker, who reported that an infection from a spider bite had spread. He was experiencing fever and weakness, and couldn’t be safely evacuated.

Līhu‘e Fire Station responded just after the text came in at 9:45 A.M. Rescuers evacuated the hiker from Kalalau trail, which is located on the northern side of the island, to a softball field located in Waimea, on the southern half of the island. First responders, who arrived at Kalalau Beach, said the hiker could walk but was “in visible distress.”

After a medical assessment, the hiker was transported to a local hospital for further medical care.

Meghan Wright, public information officer for the Office of the Mayor, told �����ԹϺ��� that the Kaua’i Fire Department conducted the rescue and initial medical aid before transferring the patient to American Medical Response for further care. The patient’s condition is currently unknown.

Although there are many types of spiders in the Hawaiian Islands, there are two species that can be particularly dangerous to humans: the brown widow and southern black widow, according to the .

“Though rare, spider bites do occur. Your risk of being bitten increases if you live in areas where there is clutter and debris or if their habitat has been disturbed. Widow spiders prefer warm climates and dark, dry places,” writes the department on its website.

When bitten by the southern black widow, the spider’s venom attacks the nerve endings in muscles that can cause severe pain and muscle cramps at the source of the bite, which can then spread throughout the body. However, only females can bite—males are too small, writes the .

Named for their coloring, the less-aggressive brown widow spiders are considered by the in California to be minor compared to the black widow. It’s theorized this is because the brown widow isn’t able to inject as much venom as its larger relative.

Brown widow and bold jumping spiders, which measure only a half-inch in size, also have painful bites that can produce redness, swelling and blistering.

If bitten by a spider, the Hawaii Department of Health advises hikers to remain calm and identify the spider, if possible. Bites should be cleaned with soap and water, and cool compresses can help to reduce swelling. If an infection appears to persist, contact your healthcare provider.

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Yosemite Search and Rescue saved a climber who had fallen off , a 3,000-foot vertical rock formation known for its sheer face and challenging climbing routes. Rescuers deployed a specialized technique to save the injured climber on October 20.

Neither the climber’s name nor their condition has been released.

Responders used what’s known as the toss-across rescue technique, a precision, high-angle rescue maneuver designed by Yosemite rescue personnel in the early 2000s, specifically to help climbers stranded on rock faces.

A video posted by the rescue team shows a California Highway Patrol (CHP) helicopter used to insert a National Park Service rescuer on El Capitan.

CHP flight officer and responding paramedic Noe Gonzales told that the technique is specific to Yosemite, and it’s unknown if it’s conducted anywhere else.

This is how it works: A helicopter is used to insert a rescue ranger on the cliff face above the stranded climber. A weighted beanbag, which helps in high-wind situations, is then attached to a line that’s tossed to the injured climber. The climber can use this line as a lead that can attach to and pull a stronger rope to them that can then be connected to their rescue equipment.��

High winds initially delayed the operation, requiring the helicopter to make multiple trips to the wall until it was deemed safe to continue.

“Ranger McGahey provided emergency medical care and coordinated the helicopter evacuation from the wall. Thanks to the team’s swift response and expertise in high-angle rescue, the injured climber received urgent surgical care and is now recovering well,” wrote the rescue team on .“Yosemite Search and Rescue’s skill and innovation in mountain rescue save lives every year.”

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Just a short walk from the Grand Canyon’s South Rim sits a nondescript building with a ponderosa pine bench out front. Inside the building, shelves sit stocked with bread, fresh vegetables, canned goods, and yogurt. Three days a week, locals queue up in front of the building, sometimes waiting over an hour, to receive free groceries.

Called the , the charity food bank serves people living in nearby Grand Canyon Village, a small town located within the boundaries of the famed National Park.

In recent weeks, an increasing number of the pantry’s customers have been National Park Service workers who have been furloughed amid the federal shutdown.

Heather Lapre, who manages the Grand Canyon Food Pantry, told�������ԹϺ�����that the number of people arriving at the food bank has swelled since October 14, which is when NPS paychecks were last delivered to many workers.��

Lapre first noticed the uptick in clients shortly after the government officially shut down on October 1. In the weeks afterward, she’s seen that number steadily rise as more NPS workers have gone without paychecks.

“This whole year has been just full of terrible surprises, from people getting furloughed to the hiring freeze,” Lapre told �����ԹϺ���. “We have all these vacant positions and no way to fill them. Every department is just squeaking by.”

The uptick in customers has had a major impact on the food bank. With more demand and longer lines, Lepre has had to implement a registration process to get “folks through the door fairly quickly.” People can apply using a paper application while they wait, which Lapre later enters into a computer.

It’s a labor of love that Lapre puts into keeping her community healthy. She’s lived in Grand Canyon Village, located along the South Rim, for 16 years. Her kids have grown up in the canyon. But the small town has taken a big hit with the government shutdown. Her husband was also furloughed, and October 28 marked the first skipped payday for him and many other Service employees.

She’s not alone. In other small towns near NPS sites, organizations and individuals are stepping in to support Park Service workers with necessities, such as meals and other forms of assistance.

Organizations Step Up to Feed NPS Workers

Approximately 3,000 people reside in Grand Canyon Village, situated approximately 90 minutes north of Flagstaff, Arizona. According to Lapre, about 500 of the full-time residents are also NPS employees.

“It’s kind of funny, our resource here being the Grand Canyon,” she said. “I can go about my daily life and almost forget that there’s this phenomenal, famous resource a ten-minute walk from my house.”

Communities like Grand Canyon Village are not just a service to National Parks; they’re entire communities complete with schools, medical clinics, clubs, and dances. People who live and work in these places are intrinsically connected to the land on which they work. NPS employees who are furloughed can’t simply find a job nearby—their livelihoods are tied to the park, and the throngs of visitors who come to see it.

There are other similar groups also stepping in to fill the void left by the government shutdown. The , the park’s nonprofit partner, has organized with local restaurants and organizations near the park’s Springdale, Utah, entrance. The charity provides meals, gas vouchers, and pet care to furloughed park employees.

Similarly, a unique coalition of local groups at Great Smoky Mountains National Park stepped in to fund the park, ensuring that it stayed ready to welcome visitors during its busiest season. Earlier this month, the group raised over $2 million to cover operational costs, enabling the park’s 275 employees to remain fully paid and supporting the local tourism industry.

But for those like Lapre, these services aren’t just supplementary. They’re a lifeline to many who live the unique life of park service employees.

A Business Started to Help the NPS

NPS ranger Michael Scott and Matt Vandzura launched the Grand Canyon Food Pantry during the 2018 federal shutdown to provide food to those affected by the funding lapse. That year, the federal shutdown lasted 35 days, the longest in U.S. history.

During the shutdown, the food pantry distributed 29,000 pounds of food to residents and workers.

“It was the shutdown at the end of 2018 and the role we played then that helped our park see how crucial it was to have some kind of social service or safety net,” said Lapre.

Lapre took over the food pantry in 2024, when Scott, who had started it as a “retirement passion project,” decided to retire.

When Lapre and I talked, our phone call dropped multiple times as she wove through the desert on the hour-and-a-half trek from Grand Canyon Village to Flagstaff, phone on speaker. It’s a typical commute for her as she works to keep the small community fed.

Lapre travels to Flagstaff to pick up groceries from the Flagstaff Family Food Center and St. Mary’s Food Bank in Phoenix, charities that receive donated food and government commodities, which, in turn, supply the Grand Canyon Food Pantry. And with higher demand, Lapre says she needs to get more food from her sources.

“What that looks like is a little store, people are assigned a bag to shop,” said Lapre. With their assigned bag, people do their shopping once a week. Their allotment of food is based on the size of their household. Shelves are stocked with grab-and-go items, such as sandwiches and burritos, as well as nonperishable goods like canned goods and locally grown produce.

“We try to be sensitive to just keeping people’s needs met quickly and easily,” said Lapre. “I do make a lot of effort to have a lot of fresh food as well, which I’m really proud of.”

She stores her food in a historic boat house donated by the Park Service until the pantry is open.

A Shutdown with No End in Sight

After 45 minutes of our call, Lapre told me that she needed to rest. She describes herself as an “introverted extrovert” and said that long days spent talking to people leave her feeling exhausted.

“We’ll serve whoever shows up, non discriminately,” said Lapre.

How long Lapre will have to keep feeding furloughed NPS workers is undetermined. With no end in sight, the 2025 federal shutdown is likely to keep organizations like hers busy. The government shutdown has furloughed more than 9,000 national park staff, according to the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA).

“That’s roughly two-thirds of all National Park Service employees,” NPCA’s Caitlyn Burford told �����ԹϺ���.

At the Grand Canyon, Lapre tells me she feels grateful for her work—it’s allowed her to meet people who are resilient and determined, she says.

“Working in the Grand Canyon attracts people at many different phases of their lives. Some come looking for adventure; for others, it’s a job or a place to start over,” she said. “I’ve met so many wonderful people who display resilience and determination. We look for joy in the day-to-day—we speak of the beauty surrounding us here in Northern Arizona, being grateful for rain, and observing the wildlife. The patterns of life here. Our collective experience, the noticing and conversation, brings meaning to all of us.”

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American ski mountaineer Jim Morrison made history earlier this month when he became the first person to drop into a harrowing ski descent of the Hornbein Couloir, an infamously steep, narrow chute on Mount Everest, via the Super Direct route. Now, the first footage of the 50-year-old’s novel attempt has been released.

After five years of logistical��planning and three expedition attempts, National Geographic described in a press release the 9,000-foot vertical line descent from Everest’s summit as representing “the most significant achievement in ski mountaineering history.” Morrison can be seen as he jump-turns down the steep, rocky terrain. His entire ski line is considered a no-fall zone—skiing’s equivalent of free soloing—where one mistake or slip can result in an uncontrolled fall and certain death.

The video, courtesy of National Geographic Documentary Films’ “Everest North,” shows Morrison ascending, summiting, and making history as he descends the most challenging route on the biggest face of the tallest mountain in the world. Long coveted by elite skiers, the route is a notoriously dangerous, technically challenging line with a climb that begins at 20,000 feet and ends at 29,032 feet. Anything over 26,000 feet is considered the “Death Zone” in mountaineering because of the low levels of atmospheric oxygen.

“Surviving in this zone is extremely difficult, with climbers typically recommended to spend no more than 16 to 20 hours there due to severe physical deterioration, impaired cognitive function, and increased risks of stroke, edema, and heart failure,” writes National Geographic in a statement sent to �����ԹϺ���.

Morrison’s descent wasn’t just to achieve a world first, either. He was also there to say a final goodbye to his late partner, Hilaree Nelson, the famed ski mountaineer who died on Mount Manaslu in 2022. Atop the highest mountain in the world, Morrison spread her ashes, then fastened on his skis.

Skiing the Hornbein wasn’t the only record-setting that took place during the 2025 expedition. Only five other climbers had completed the route Morrison followed on the ascent, the Super Direct, the last of which was made in 1991. Certain points of the climb are completely vertical.

Morrison was joined by 11 other climbers, including Jimmy Chin and Erich Roepke.

The post Watch Jim Morrison as He Skis Mount Everest’s Hardest Route appeared first on �����ԹϺ��� Online.

Cowboy boots and ski pants go together about as well as Gore-Tex bibs with a fur coat. It’s an unlikely combo—that is, unless you plan to go skijoring. (And trust me, you’re going to want to ride this trend.)

Skijoring is a high-adrenaline, low-temperature sport that involves a horse and its rider pulling a skier through a snow-packed obstacle course at full speed. For most Rocky Mountain towns, skijoring is a familiar winter activity typically accompanied by hot apple cider, slushy walkways, and crisp breaths. But in a post-Beyoncé cowboy core world, it should come as no surprise that wild western winter sport has joined the mainstream crowds.

I’ve spent many a cold Montana winter day bundled from head to toe in my backcountry kit, accessorized with my otherwise out-of-place Western round hat and bedazzled pink-lens sunglasses. Watching a similarly kitted-out skier as they full-send jumps, glide through gates, and reach for rings is an exhilarating experience deeply rooted in western mountain culture. Typically, ranching and front-country skiing represent two separate, yet equally important, economic sectors. Skijoring marries the two, bringing together people of different backgrounds and professional paths whose wintertime hobbies may vary dramatically.

Now, the once-niche sport is taking the national stage with the debut of , North America’s first professional skijoring series. Although PRO Skijor will be the first to bring the sport to a national stage, the sport has a long history in the United States and beyond. The North American Ski Joring Association (), for one, is a national alliance that promotes individual events through its extensive network and represents the riders, skiers, horses, and organizers.

Individual, small-town communities like those in����and�� today host skijoring competitions to promote local tourism and provide a stage for competitors.��But the sport itself has been around for centuries, according to the . In Scandinavia, people traveled during the harsh winter months by being towed behind a reindeer on long wooden skis. At the second Olympic Winter Games in 1928, held in St. Moritz, Switzerland, competitors demonstrated skijoring. It wasn’t until the late 1940s that skijoring as a sport was conceived, and the first competitive skijoring event in the U.S. was held in Leadville, Colorado, in 1949. There is also an ongoing push to include it in a future Winter Games, such as the 2030 or 2034 Olympics in Salt Lake City.

Now, skijoring’s latest evolution involves a much more expansive national audience.

“Generations of families and friends come together in a festival atmosphere to make memories around real athletes and beautiful horses,” PRO Skijor co-founder Brian Gardner tells �����ԹϺ���. “And if they want to join the race and click into a pair of skis or saddle up to try out the course themselves, all are welcome. Skijoring is for everyone.”

The 2026 PRO Skijor Frontier Tour, a six-city professional league, will visit cities across the western U.S., including Bozeman, Montana, and Boise, Idaho. League representatives tell �����ԹϺ��� that each stop on the circuit will deliver an all-day celebration of snow, speed, and Western spirit, complete with live music, local food trucks, and family-friendly fun. Next year’s season is slated to wrap up in Salt Lake City with the 2026 Championship Weekend, where the best riders, skiers, and horses in the country will compete for the title and a serious cash purse.

“It’s rodeo energy meets ski-town attitude,” says PRO Skijoring co-founder Joe Loveridge. “Every run is different, every crowd’s louder than the last, and we can’t wait to bring that rush to fans across the Mountain West.”

Loveridge says skijoring needs to be Utah’s sport, but I’d have to disagree. Heck, maybe I’ll even strap on my skis and hop in the obstacle course to prove that skijoring is, indeed, for Montanans. (Stay tuned on that one.)

The post ‘Horsepower, Gravity and Grit’: Why We’re Obsessed With the Wild West Sport of Skijoring appeared first on �����ԹϺ��� Online.

A 29-year-old snowboarder was rescued on October 26 from Cinder Cone, a steep summit near Mount Bachelor in Oregon, after he fell and hit a rock. Officials on social media that 15 search-and-rescue volunteers responded to the injured snowboarder, whose name and condition have not been released.

It’s the latest in a string of snow-related rescue scenarios that have occurred in October, prompting the question: Is all the winter weather appearing earlier than normal, or were these people just poorly prepared?

, executive director of the , says that this uptick in rescues is typical during the fall transition to winter, and is due to a combination of factors.

“The weather is changing, and people forget it gets dark earlier, that the weather can change quicker, and they are not as prepared for those things,” Boyer told �����ԹϺ���. “In some places, winter can sneak up on you, especially at altitude. Hikers get used to summer weather patterns and temperatures and forget to check the weather in advance.”

That was the case on October 19 when two hikers lost their way during an unexpected snowstorm in Washington’s Snoqualmie region. Soon after the duo began hiking, a cold-weather system moved over the area, dumping snow. Both were successfully rescued.

But other people requiring lifesaving are simply venturing into the backcountry unprepared. More than 20 hikers needed to be rescued from the flanks of Mount Washington in New Hampshire after wintry conditions swept across the famed peak on Saturday, October 25. Officials told local media that many of the hikers were not prepared for the “full winter conditions” that they encountered.

“People should be weather aware, properly equipped, and know their limitations. They should also have an emergency plan and let others know where they are going and when to expect them back,” said Boyer.

Climate change is also playing a role, making backcountry conditions more unpredictable and dangerous for everyone, including rescuers, Boyer added.

“Winter is coming earlier in some places and later in others. Outdoor recreation patterns are disrupted, in the summer and winter,” he said. “The shoulder seasons are shorter, giving folks less time to acclimate to snow or heat.”

The latest example of this comes from the San Juan Mountains in southwestern Colorado. On October 23, the Hinsdale County Search and Rescue team responded to two motorists who were stranded high on the side of Engineer Pass in Colorado’s San Juan Mountains. A snowstorm had blown in that afternoon, and despite the weather report calling for a blizzard, the jeepers had continued up the route and gotten stuck in two-foot snow drifts.

Putting further strain on rescue efforts is the government shutdown. According to Boyer, 99 percent of search-and-rescue groups in the U.S. are composed of volunteers. Compiling the shutdown are layoffs in the National Park Service and the Forest Service, which are placing more pressure on those volunteers.

All this doesn’t mean people should avoid the backcountry entirely. As government funds remain tied up in the shutdown and federal agencies are limited in resources, it’s essential to follow the rules and do your due diligence before heading out. And be sure to come prepared for any weather, no matter what the forecast calls for.

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When two Washington State hikers set out on October 19 for their day trip in the high-elevation Snoqualmie region, the weather was cold but otherwise pleasant. But soon after they began hiking, a cold-weather system passed over the region, dumping unexpected snow and prompting a rescue situation.

According to a report from the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office, rescuers responded to an SOS call shortly before 11 A.M. from the two lost hikers, whose names were not released. The two had become stuck in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness area, roughly 90 miles east of Seattle.

“Over text-to-911, the pair reported they were lost, wet, and cold, with no shelter but a blue plastic tarp. They were unable to make their way off the snowy mountainside where they were perched,” authorities wrote on Facebook.��Because of the snowy conditions and rugged terrain, the agency also requested volunteers Kittitas County Search and Rescue, Seattle Mountain Rescue, and King County Search and Rescue.

The two hikers had lost their way in unexpected snow near Peggy’s Pond Trail, an 11-mile round-trip hike in the Snoqualmie region with 2,300 feet of elevation gain. With a high point of 5,600 feet, the difficult trail briefly joins the Pacific Crest Trail, according to the .

“The coordinated rescue team geared up and hiked five miles through challenging conditions to find the hikers, wet and cold but uninjured. They helped the pair off the slope and out of the wilderness,” said the sheriff’s department.

Peggy’s Pond is located in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness area in the Central Cascades Region of Washington state. Spanning approximately 394,000 acres with 47 trailheads and 615 miles of trail, it is a popular area for��hikers, climbers, and other outdoor rec groups throughout the year, writes the U.S. Forest Service on its��.

Recreating in alpine, high-elevation wilderness areas comes with risk—especially in late October, when temperatures can quickly plummet—and rescue stories like these serve as a reminder that snowy conditions and extreme weather can roll in at any moment. Weather systems can move into an area without warning, sometimes in just a few minutes. Unexpected rain, thunderstorms, high winds, or snow can quickly turn an otherwise unassuming hike into a full-blown rescue scenario.

Heading into cooler months and temperature drops, officials are reminding adventurers to come prepared for anything.

“As we move deeper into fall, remember that mountain conditions can change fast. If you’re heading out, always carry the 10 Essentials and plan for how you’ll stay warm and dry if your trip takes longer than expected,” said Kittitas County Sheriff.

Those 10 essentials include:

• Navigation tools, like a map, compass, or GPS.
• Sun protection, such as sunglasses, sunscreen, and a hat.
• Insulation for a variety of weather conditions, which can include a jacket, hat, gloves, rain shell, and thermal underwear.
• Lumination for shorter days and less light. Make sure to bring a flashlight, lantern, or headlamp.
• First aid supplies that include any required medications.
• Fire starters like matches, lighters, and other fire starters.
• A repair kit for a variety of fixes, including duct tape, a knife, a screwdriver, and scissors.
• Nutrition and food.
• Hydration, such as hydration salts, as well as plenty of water and water treatment supplies
• Emergency shelter, like a tent, space blanket, tarp, or bivy.

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Colorado rescue personnel conducted “simultaneous high altitude, high acuity, rescues” across the Centennial State on October 18 when a hiker fell 100 feet from the Citadel, a dramatic 13,000-foot peak located on the Continental Divide. Alpine Rescue Team responded to the call and deployed six rescue flights, as well as additional ground teams from the Herman Gulch Trailhead, about an hour from Denver.

The rescue occurred in technical Class 4 terrain, further complicated by high winds, making landing zones near the summit unsuitable, the responding group, Alpine Rescue Team, said in a Facebook . Rescue technicians hoisted the patient despite these conditions. Further details about the individual or their injuries are unknown.

The Citadel is a technical 13er—a classification of mountains that exceed 13,000 feet—and is considered to have a standard Class 3 approach with 3,005 feet of elevation gain. Also known as scrambling, a Class 3 route is a moderate level of mountaineering over exposed, steep terrain. A fall can also result in serious injury or death. The summit is��nicknamed “Snoopy” because it resembles the classic Peanuts character.

Photos shared by the team show a sunset rescue, a helicopter, and rescuers climbing up the steep, rocky face.

The same day, rescuers also responded to a person who had injured their lower leg near the summit of Mount Bierstadt, a Rocky Mountain Front 14er, and conducted two searches in nearby Jefferson County.

“Due to the complexity of the Citadel rescue and the number of resources required, we requested assistance from Summit County Rescue, Park County Search and Rescue, and Arapahoe Rescue for the call on Mt Bierstadt. Teams performed a carry out and finished late last night,” wrote the Alpine Rescue Team on Facebook.

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