A San Jose climber who fell roughly 500 feet down a steep, snow-covered route on Mount Shasta survived by crawling through the night to a remote cabin, where he was found by rescue crews the following day, forest officials said Friday.
The man, who was not identified, had reached the summit in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest on Thursday night before losing control while sliding down Avalanche Gulch, a steep and icy descent. According to forest service officials, the climber attempted to glissade — a technique of sliding down snow on one's feet — but lost control and slid approximately 500 feet. During the fall, he sustained several significant lacerations and injuries to his feet.
Because his cellphone died shortly after he summited, the climber was unable to call for help. Painful swelling set in after the fall, prompting him to remove his boots. He then crawled through the night down the remainder of Avalanche Gulch to Horse Camp Cabin, a known shelter on the mountain.
By the next day, his friends had been unable to reach him and reported him missing to the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office. Rescue teams and air support from several agencies were mobilized by 2 p.m. Friday and began searching the Avalanche Gulch area. Two hours later, they received word that the climber was inside Horse Camp Cabin after a hiker entered and found him there.
The rescue effort involved the Mount Shasta Climbing Rangers, the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Search and Rescue team, and a California Highway Patrol helicopter crew. The incident is the latest in a series of rescue operations in the Northern California forest, where teams respond to numerous incidents each year.
Officials used the episode to remind hikers to allow plenty of daylight, set a turnaround time around noon, carry backup electronics, and be prepared to self-rescue. They noted that the climber did his best to self-rescue despite significant injuries and knew his route well enough without a map to find his way back to Horse Camp Cabin.
«Never rely solely on a GPS or phone to navigate — if those devices stop working, your own navigation skills will be critical in ensuring a safe return home,» officials said. They also commended the climber for notifying his friends of his plan to climb Mount Shasta and for checking in with progress updates. When he lost contact, his friends contacted law enforcement to report him overdue and traveled to help with the search.
«It is always advisable to notify at least one person of your itinerary,» officials added.
According to the mountain's website, the route to the summit via Avalanche Gulch is steep and rigorous, requiring proper equipment and snow-travel skills. The area has seen other recent incidents: last September, three novice hikers were stranded overnight in a steep canyon after relying heavily on AI for route information. In late June, a 31-year-old novice climber was flown to a hospital after slipping and falling 1,500 feet.