A technical, 8-hour-long mission Wednesday, May 22, led to the rescue of two hikers who had fallen into a tight couloir on a Colorado 14er, according to a news release from the Summit County Rescue Group.
The hikers, who were Front Range residents, escaped unharmed from a couloir on the south side of Quandary Peak, but the rescue mission exposed rescuers to potential hazards such as falling rocks and ice, Summit County Rescue Group President Benjamin Butler said.
“They were well equipped for hiking Quandary this time of year,” Butler said. “But, as soon as they got off trail and deviated from the plan, that is when they started to have more difficulty, getting into terrain that is much steeper, icier, rocky and then eventually ending up in some cliff bands.”
Just before 2 p.m., the Sheriff’s Office and rescue group were dispatched to help the two hikers, who had veered off the trail, lost their footing and slid about 100 feet, the release states. Unable to ascend back to the ridge, the hikers reportedly began descending but found themselves unable to proceed in the steep, snow-covered couloir.
Read more at Summit Daily.