6 climbers missing on Mount Rainier
Source: AP-Excite
By MANUEL VALDES
SEATTLE (AP) Six climbers are missing on Mount Rainier, and a helicopter search was launched on Saturday for them, a National Parks spokeswoman said.
The missing group includes four clients of Seattle-based Alpine Ascents International and two guides. They were due to return from the mountain on Friday. When they did not return, the climbing company notified park officials, Park Ranger Fawn Bauer said.
"The last contact with them was at 12,800 feet," Bauer said.
Mount Rainier, southeast of Seattle, stands at 14,410 feet and attracts thousands of climbers trying to reach its summit every year.
FULL story at link.
Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20140531/us-missing-rainier-climbers-94f472d92f.html
Divernan
(15,480 posts)SEATTLE (AP) Mount Rainier National Park officials say six climbers are presumed dead after helicopters detected pings from emergency beacons buried in the snow and a debris field that may indicate an avalanche.
Park spokeswoman Patricia Wold told KOMO-TV on Saturday that there's no way the group could have survived. The Seattle Times reports that rescuers found tents, clothing and debris strewn over hundreds of feet down the mountain's sheer north side.
The newspaper reports air and ground searches have been suspended.
Park Ranger Fawn Bauer says the six were 12,800 feet at last contact Wednesday. The station reports searchers picked up the pings at 9,000 feet.
ww.seattlepi.com/news/us/article/6-missing-Mount-Rainier-climbers-feared-dead-5519346.php
Air and ground searches were suspended, four hours before nightfall.
Tents, clothing, and debris were located by helicopter searchers, over Carbon Glacier. The debris field is strewn down the mountains steep north side a pattern that suggests an avalanche or rockslide. Helicopters got low enough to pick up pings from avalanche beacons, buried in the snow, said Fawn Bauer, spokeswoman for the National Park Service.
They [rescuers] feel there is no chance of survival at this point, Bauer said. She said climbing rangers conducted a thorough search that included looking into crevasses.
That is a steep face, almost like an avalanche chute, she said of the Liberty Ridge route that the six took. The climbers were last heard from Wednesday around 6 p.m., when they reported they would camp overnight at 12,800 feet elevation.
Earlier today, officials said falling rocks presented a hazard for any ground search, and avalanches were occurring today.
http://blogs.seattletimes.com/today/2014/05/six-climbers-missing-on-mount-rainier/
God damn it! They were going up the North side which is the most technical. Oh my god! This is catastrophe. Now I pray that all of the guides I know are safe. My condolences to the families of the fallen.
Divernan
(15,480 posts)From my link above:
The lead guide for the missing climbers is Matt Hegeman, Alpine Ascents confirmed this afternoon.
He checked in with the company on Tuesday, saying the whole crew made it to Thumb Rock at about 10,700 feet, according to an Alpine Ascents blog post. Then on Wednesday, the group said by phone they reached 12,800 feet and planned to camp for the evening. They have reportedly not made contact since. (An earlier Today File post incorrectly said this group turned around at 13,000 feet due to bad weather.)
Hegeman lives in California according to his Facebook page. He has climbed Mount Rainier 50-plus times on four different routes, according to his bio on the Alpine Ascents website.
This link also has a map.http://blogs.seattletimes.com/today/2014/05/six-climbers-missing-on-mount-rainier/
jimlup
(7,968 posts)He is also the lead guide for the team that is missing. Oh my god! I don't know if I will continue in this sport anymore. This is just too much loss. A former guide I knew was killed two years ago on Denali as she was descending from the summit about this time of year.
Oh hell! The mountains have claimed yet more ...
Divernan
(15,480 posts)I used to do some fairly advanced scuba diving - particularly wreck diving & deep diving - it was exciting & beautiful - part of the excitement was the risk - no matter how well-trained you were, how careful you were, how top of the line and well maintained your equipment was - you always knew something out of your control could happen - and when the power of nature evidences itself, we puny humans are totally helpless.
My son, who lives in Seattle, is leaving tomorrow for a 2 week trip to Alaska - with some friends, to parts of the interior he hasn't seen yet. My main worry right now is the forest fire situation there. But I would never tell him not to go adventuring. Those experiences make for a fuller, richer life than many people have a chance to live. Maybe tone it down a bit with age, eh?
Wishing you safe journeys and always, always safe home.
handmade34
(22,755 posts)the nature of extreme sports but so sad when it happens
jimlup
(7,968 posts)They've already had serious losses this year. They were the company who lost the most sherpas on the Everest catastrophe this year.
I assume they were not on the standard route as I don't think you could go missing on the standard route. I've climbed Rainier with them twice. Once on the standard route, a climb that was aborted at 11,200' because of bad weather. And once on what is called the Kautz Ice route which is more technical. Oh Shit - this hits close to home. I hope they are found safe. Thanks for the news.
valerief
(53,235 posts)Guess it wasn't worth the risk after all.
CarrieLynne
(497 posts)blkmusclmachine
(16,149 posts)Baclava
(12,047 posts)At this point there are no plans to put people on the ground at the site because of the ongoing hazards. In the weeks and months to come the site will be checked periodically by aircraft. As snow melts and conditions change, potential opportunities for a helicopter-based recovery will continue to be evaluated. There is no certainty that recovery is possible given the location."
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2014/05/31/3220878/six-climbers-missing-on-mount.html
uppityperson
(115,674 posts)love_katz
(2,562 posts)It often seems to be true, that there is more avalanche danger as the season advances towards summer.