Climber rescued near North Maroon Trail

On Saturday afternoon at approximately 12:48, a climber texted the 911 operator at the Pitkin County Regional Emergency Dispatch Center, stating they were “trapped” but uninjured, according to a Pitkin County press release. The GPS coordinates placed the climber well off the standard climbing route — heading toward the central couloir of North Maroon Peak. A nearby, uninvolved person heard the climber yelling for help and activated their Garmin device to alert emergency personnel.

The Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office, in coordination with Mountain Rescue Aspen (MRA), immediately began rescue operations, according to the release. At 2:45 p.m., the first rescue team from MRA reached the trail and began hiking to the climber. A hoist helicopter from the High Altitude Aviation Training School (HAATS) was also requested for purposes of rescuer safety due to the difficult terrain.

At 4:15 p.m., the HAATS helicopter was over the patient and began hoist operations, according to the press release. Five minutes later, rescuers made contact with the climber and flew him to safety. At 6:05 p.m., all rescue team members were safely out of the field.

The Pitkin County Sheriff’s Officer and MRA would like to remind people entering the backcountry that they should be knowledgeable of their hiking and climbing routes and not deviate from those routes, according to the press release.