The climber was found dead by search and rescue teams on the top of Longs Peak, an iconic 14,259-foot peak in the Colorado national park.
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A climber has died on the highest peak in Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park.
Rocky Mountain National Park search and rescue teams found the climber on the upper east face of Longs Peak on Sunday, July 5, according to a report in The Coloradoan, part of the USA TODAY Network.
At 14,259 feet above sea level, this mountain is an iconic destination for so-called “peak baggers.” Longs Peak is the highest peak in the national park, offering spectacular views, but is also known for rapid and devastating weather changes.
Search and rescue teams were called to the park in the early afternoon after reports of an incident involving a hiker on Keener’s Route, a popular trail to the summit of Longs Peak, The Coloradoan reported. The person involved was found dead.
USA TODAY has reached out to national park officials for more information about the circumstances surrounding the climber’s death. Their identities have not been disclosed.
The Coloradan reported that more than 70 people have died climbing Longs Peak since the park opened in 1915. At least six people died in 2022 alone, the newspaper said.
According to the American Mountaineering Association, Keener’s Route is a popular route to the top of Longs Peak because it is considered the easiest path to the summit. Intermediate alpine climbing skills are considered necessary and the trip is expected to take 1-2 days.
Swiss-born mountaineer Walter Keener and fellow mountaineer Agnes Weil first climbed Longs Peak in 1925, following Keener’s route.
But their pioneering climbing victory was overshadowed by the pair’s harrowing descent. The Loveland Reporter-Herald reported that Weil fell from a steep slope. Keener left her behind to call for rescuers, but she died from exposure. Keener himself lost several fingers and most of his toes to frostbite.
Contributor: Sadie Swanson of The Coloradoan
