Shafiq Noorani died on New Year’s Eve after falling hundreds of feet from a mountain west of Denver known as the Citadel. His loved ones say his impact on the world is immeasurable.
Rescue teams airlift hiker trapped on rocks above dangerous waters
Rescue teams pulled a hiker stranded in fast-flowing water at Malibu Creek State Park from a dangerous situation.
When it comes to safety on the mountain, Shafiq Noorani was extremely careful.
When teaching his friends how to rock climb, he emphasized the importance of slowing down to avoid injury. And when someone was walking slower than others and falling behind, Noorani stayed behind to make sure they were okay.
Noorani’s cautious nature makes his death in the Colorado mountains even more incomprehensible to his vast network of friends and family, who live around the world from California to Nepal. Noorani, 52, fell hundreds of feet to her death from a mountain known as the Citadel, 50 miles west of Denver, on New Year’s Eve.
He was particularly drawn to Yosemite National Park, Mount Whitney, and the Sierra Nevada mountains of Nepal and California, known as the footprints of John Muir.
Noorani’s death is a tragic reminder that no matter what your experience, no matter how luxurious your gear, no matter what precautions you take, disaster can strike anyone when in the mountains. You can also see how much loss can occur in a moment.
“We lost something good,” said Steve Wilson, a spokesman for the volunteer Alpine Rescue Team that recovered Noorani’s body. “The more we know who died, the more tragic it becomes.”
Here’s what USA TODAY learned about Noorani, his impact on the world and what happened on that tragic day.
What happened to Shafiq Noorani?
Taking advantage of the beautiful weather on December 31st, Noorani and his climbing partner headed to Citadel, a mountain peak just over 13,000 feet above sea level. Although they chose an advanced climbing route, the pair had all the appropriate equipment and experience for such a climb, Wilson said.
Tragedy occurred around 2pm on the same day they reached the summit. Noorani’s climbing partner called 911 and reported that Noorani had fallen hundreds of feet down the ridge, leaving her stranded on the ridge at an elevation of about 13,000 feet.
The rescue and recovery efforts that followed took seven hours due to strong winds.
A Colorado National Guard helicopter carrying three rescue technicians from the Alpine Rescue Team eventually reached Noorani and determined that Noorani did not survive. They recovered his body and were able to rescue his partner after one of the technicians was lowered into her precarious perch and hoisted her to the helicopter.
“They were experienced,” Wilson said of Noorani and his partners. “They were in a pretty reasonable position given their skills, experience and equipment.”
Noorani Falls appears to be a “tragic accident”, as it can happen to anyone in the mountains, even with the most advanced technology.
Waterfalls are the main cause of death in the mountains
When it comes to the outdoors, falls are one of the leading causes of death worldwide.
For example, in the five years from 2014 to 2019, falls were the third leading cause of unintentional death in U.S. national parks, behind motor vehicle accidents and drowning. According to the National Park Service, 205 of the 2,149 deaths in national parks during this period were due to falls.
According to the Mountain Rescue Association, experienced climbers are more likely to sustain serious injuries, and a significant number of these accidents occur while descending the mountain.
In other words, no one can escape suffering in the mountains. For example, in October in Yosemite National Park, 23-year-old famed Alaskan mountaineer Valin Miller died shortly after soloing his way to the top of the famous El Capitan granite monolith. Miller was attempting to pull up the rest of his gear and may have fallen off the end of the rope, his brother Dylan Miller told The Associated Press.
“Just because you have the experience, equipment, knowledge and skills doesn’t guarantee anything,” Wilson said. “Tragic accidents can still happen, and unfortunately they still happen every day.”
Shafiq Noorani traveled the world ‘not just to see, but to serve’
Noorani was born in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and was just 5 years old when his parents brought him to the United States, said his younger brother and only sibling, Hussein Nourani. The family settled in the Chicago area during a severe snowstorm, much to the shock of Noorani’s parents, who are from the tropical Tanzanian island of Zanzibar.
Shafiq Noorani loved the outdoors from an early age, Hussein told USA TODAY this week. The boys’ parents took them camping and fishing, and Shafik was a longtime Boy Scout and Eagle Scout.
Noorani began his hiking and fly fishing adventures in the Midwest, but eventually branched out and discovered the mountains of the western United States and other parts of the world. California’s Sierra Nevada mountains were a particular favorite of his.
“It was our Mecca,” said Noorani’s close friend and climbing partner Don Worsham, who lives in Southern California. “We traveled there at least once a year…He loved following in the footsteps of John Muir.”
Worsham experienced a lifelong adventure with Noorani after the two met in a Chicago gear shop in the early 1990s and bonded over their ambition to reach higher mountains. One of the major projects the two did together was a day-long trek to Everest Base Camp, ending at an altitude of about 17,600 feet (well below Everest’s 29,000 feet).
In addition to just trekking, Noorani also wanted to help children living in poverty in the area. There he and Worsham found sponsors and rebuilt a school in Ringmo, a small village founded by mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary. Over the years, Noorani has also helped raise needed supplies to be sent to schools around the world, Worsham said.
“Shafiq never gave his heart to one person,” Worsham said. “He gave a piece of his heart to the world, wherever he went.”
Hussein said his brother travels the world “not just to see the world, but to serve the world.”
“He was the kind of guy who would pick up trash on the trail,” Hussein said. “He believed in leaving a place (and people) better than he found it.”
Shafiq Noorani’s legacy: “Goodness in its purest form”
Noorani’s loved ones will likely never know exactly what caused his downfall, but they are focused on his life and legacy.
He will never be forgotten by the children he helped in Nepal. In Nepal, a school was rebuilt in his honor just three days after his death.
His nieces and nephews will never forget how their uncle Shafiq taught them how to ski and snowboard, how they loved to go on adventures together, and how they would visit him in North Carolina just for “quiet, boring time” and a game of tag, his sister-in-law Kali Noorani recalled in a Facebook memorial.
“He never focused on his amazing accomplishments or how much he helped others. He just showed up and helped,” she wrote. “There is so much to learn from Shafik’s way of life, but right now it hurts so much just to imagine rebuilding our lives without him. We don’t want to do that. We love you so much and miss you, Shafik. Our Shafik.”
A funeral was held for Nolani in Chicago, and a celebration of life is planned in Denver on January 18th, with another memorial service being planned in Chicago for the spring.
Hussein Noorani said his family wanted to carry on his brother’s legacy because “Shafik represented goodness in its purest form.”
He added: “May we feel his presence in the ripples of the rivers and the winds of the mountains he loved so much.”
Contributor: Michelle Del Rey
