Overview
- A climber who fell on the north face of Castle Peak was located from the air and reached about 4 p.m. Sunday by Mountain Rescue Aspen, who confirmed the injuries were not survivable.
- Gunnison County first alerted authorities on Sept. 6 and requested Pitkin County help, prompting Flight for Life to perform the aerial locate and return to shuttle MRA personnel to the scene.
- Mountain Rescue Aspen used OHV access to the upper Montezuma parking lot, then performed a technical lowering to evacuate the climber; 21 MRA members were deployed and all team members were out of the field by 8:14 a.m.
- This discovery follows an earlier in the week search in the Maroon Bells–Snowmass Wilderness where rescuers found another deceased hiker and planned a recovery for Sept. 8 with Maroon Peak closed for the operation.
- Rescue agencies urged backcountry travelers to know their routes and limits, leave detailed itineraries, carry proper gear and use reliable two‑way satellite communication where cell service is lacking because remote terrain and limited road access complicate searches and recoveries.