COLORADO, UNITED STATES: Tragedy struck in Rocky Mountain National Park when a 26-year-old woman from Boulder, Colorado, fell about 500 feet to her death on July 9. The woman was free solo climbing, a type of climbing without ropes or protective gear, on Four Aces of Blitzen Ridge on Ypsilon Mountain, which is at an elevation of 13,500 feet on the eastern side of the park.
A witness shared his account on Facebook, mentioning that he had encountered the young woman and her partner on their way to Spectacle Lakes. The witness noticed the couple's small backpacks and climbing axes, so he considered the possibility that the couple may have been involved in the incident that brought search and rescue helicopters to the scene.
What happened in the Rocky Mountain National Park?
The identity of the woman has not been revealed at this time. The incident serves as a reminder of the inherent risks associated with free-solo climbing and the importance of taking appropriate precautions in such endeavors.
Following the tragic incident of the woman's fall during free-solo climbing at Rocky Mountain National Park, more details have emerged. The woman's climbing partner, a 27-year-old male also from Boulder, immediately contacted park rangers after the accident. Although he was found uninjured later on the evening of July 9, the woman's body could not be located until Monday morning. In order to extricate the male climbing partner, a Colorado Air National Guard helicopter from Buckley Air Force Base was requested, utilizing a hoist operation to lift him to safety. A Flight for Life Air Ambulance provided initial air reconnaissance during the operation.
What happened next?
On July 10, the Rocky Mountain National Park Search and Rescue Team prepared to recover the woman's body by helicopter by hiking the area above Ypsilon Lake. The Northern Colorado Interagency Helitack then transported the body to another location within the park. The body was then transported to the Larimer County Coroner and Medical Examiner's Office where the official cause of death will be determined.
Is Rocky Mountain National Park dangerous?
Colorado's most visited park, Rocky Mountain National Park is the eighth most dangerous in the United States. According to Outforia, an outdoor travel guide, forty-nine people died in Rocky Mountain National Park between 2010 and 2020. The most common type of death in RMNP was falls, which accounted for 18 of the 49 deaths. This may be in part because of Longs Peak's location within the park. The 14,259ft mountain is regularly ranked as the deadliest "14er" in Colorado. The most common cause of death across the parks was falling (245 deaths), followed by a medical emergency or natural death (192), and finally an undetermined cause (166).
The July 9 incident joins a number of recent fatal accidents involving hikers in the region. These include the case of a 25-year-old man who fell and was pulled underwater at West Creek Falls and a 22-year-old climber who fell 100 feet while free soloing on the Direct East Face route of the First Flatiron in Boulder, Colorado. In the latter incident, the climber was rescued by rescuers and taken to a local hospital. The injured climber's current condition is still unknown.
