North Cascades: Climbers Rescued From Mount Terror And Eldorado Peak

North Cascades National Park (WA)
Climbers Rescued From Mount Terror And Eldorado Peak

Late in the afternoon of on July 5th, climbers called for help from the false summit of Mount Terror, the highest peak (8,151 feet) in the park’s Southern Picket Range. Earlier in the day, the party of four was “simul-climbing” as two rope teams when Steve Trent, leader of the higher team, fell approximately 60 feet. Trent suffered a femur fracture and apparent head injury and was hanging unconscious on the rope. His partners were able to anchor the injured climber on a small ledge. Two of them then decided to climb higher in an attempt to reach cell service, while one climber remained to care for his partner. With approximately four hours of working daylight left, a climbing ranger was inserted via short-haul to the accident site. The ranger and patient were flown to a staging site, where Trent was transferred to a medical helicopter. Due to the fading light, a second hoped-for maneuver to rescue the other climber, Jason Schilling, was cancelled. However, during the pick-off of the patient, a pack with survival gear and a park radio had been handed to Schilling, who was now stranded at the cliff site. Due to fog, rain and eventually snow at the accident site, aerial rescue attempts were postponed. The stranded climber was able to locate a small overhanging ledge, where he stayed for the next four days until the weather was clear enough for an air rescue. Schilling was short-hauled off the mountain and soon reunited with his friends. Rangers then flew directly to the Eldorado Peak area to evacuate another climber via short-haul who had suffered a lower leg injury the evening before while descending through a large boulder field.