Threads related to Colorado mountaineering accidents but please keep it civil and respectful. Friends and relatives of fallen climbers will be reading these posts.
Forum rules
Please be respectful when posting - family and friends of fallen climbers might be reading this forum.
Incident in Rocky Mountain National Park on Mount Meeker. At approximately 9 am this morning a rock fall and avalanche were reported near the Dreamweaver Couloir on Mt. Meeker. Three climbers are potentially involved. The rock fall and avalanche were witnessed by other climbers in the area. Rocky Mountain National Park's Search and Rescue Team has a team enroute. Multiple other agencies are assisting in this incident. No further information is available at this time on the condition of the three climbers. A temporary flight restriction is in place. Upper Beaver Meadows Road is currently closed in the park for potential continued air operations. We will email further information when it becomes available, which will likely be later today.
User comment in Facebook post:
RMNP U/D: SAR ranger is on-scene, one pt trauma red with fx ribs and a head inj, 2nd victim still missing and/or buried, evaluating 4 others that were involved but unknown if inj. Missing victim was not wearing an avalanche beacon.
Update on the accident on Mt Meeker from the National Park Service in RMNP @RockyNPS -
At approximately 9 a.m. this morning a rockfall and avalanche were reported near the Dreamweaver Couloir on Mt. Meeker. The rockfall and avalanche were witnessed by climbers in the area.
Three individuals were involved in the incident including a female and two males. The female suffered minor injuries and is still on scene. Due to the location and severity of injuries of one of the males, Rocky Mountain National Park Search and Rescue team members requested assistance from a Colorado National Guard helicopter from Buckley Air Force Base to extricate him via a hoist operation, using a winch operated cable. This occurred at approximately 2 p.m. when there was a brief weather window. Rocky Mountain Rescue assisted with the helicopter hoist operations. The man was flown to Upper Beaver Meadows, transferred to Northern Colorado Med Evac air ambulance and then flown to Medical Center of the Rockies. Rescue teams are working in terrain above 11,500 feet and are experiencing winter-like weather conditions.
A search is continuing for the second male who is still missing in the area where the avalanche occurred.
Several agencies are assisting Rocky Mountain National Park’s Search and Rescue team with this operation including Colorado Search and Rescue Association, Flight for Life, Rocky Mountain Rescue Group, Front Range Rescue Dogs, Colorado National Guard, and Med Evac.
A temporary flight restriction is in place. Upper Beaver Meadows Road is currently closed in the park for potential continued air operations.
Quote: "I was one of the first responders after deciding to bail on Dreamweaver at 8am on Sunday 5/29 and assisted until SAR evacuated the injured climber. The slide was directly caused by a giant rock fall event at around 8:20am when a massive slab of rock carved off the cliff next to the route. It froze overnight on Satuday and was very cold and stormy Sunday morning. By 8:15am the storm subsided and we almost considered getting back on the route since the wind died down and the sun came out, I suspect this caused the rock fall event to occur because it warmed so suddenly".
