A technical, 8-hour-long mission Wednesday, May 22, led to the rescue of two hikers who had fallen into a tight couloir on a Colorado 14er, according to a news release from the Summit County Rescue Group.

The hikers, who were Front Range residents, escaped unharmed from couloir on the south side of Quandary Peak but the rescue mission exposed rescuers to potential hazards such as falling rocks and ice, Summit County Rescue Group President Benjamin Butler said.

“They were well equipped for hiking Quandary this time of year,” Butler said. “But, as soon as they got off trail and deviated from the plan, that is when they started to have more difficulty, getting into terrain that is much steeper, icier, rocky and then eventually ending up in some cliff bands.”

Just before 2 p.m., the Sheriff’s Office and rescue group were dispatched to help the two hikers, who had veered off the trail, lost their footing and slid about 100 feet, the release states. Unable to ascend back to the ridge, the hikers reportedly began descending but found themselves unable to proceed in the steep, snow-covered couloir.

With the help of a drone, the hikers were quickly located, according to the news release. But due to the time of year and the precarious position of the hikers in the couloir, the rescue “necessitated careful coordination of personnel and resources to ensure safety,” the release states.

A Flight for Life helicopter helped four rescue group members to the top of the mountain to descend into the couloir from above, while several more members attempted to access the hikers from below, Butler said. A blackhawk helicopter also arrived on scene, but it was determined that the hikers were not in a safe spot to perform a hoist rescue, he said.

With a helicopter hoist not an option, rescuers determined that Summit County Rescue Group members ascending the couloir from below would have to use high-angle rope rescue techniques to access the hikers, Butler said.

As rescuers worked to navigate the couloir, affix ropes to anchors and lower the hikers from the couloir, another group of rescuers helped assess the situation from afar, keeping eyes on the hikers and any potential hazards like falling rocks, he said.

“The location of where these individuals ended up really contributed to how long and how hard it was to access them,” Butler said.

The rescue group had the two hikers back to safety right around 10 p.m., Butler said. Both hikers had only minor injuries and refused medical attention.

In total, Summit County Rescue Group deployed 17 members into the field for the mission, not including command and logistical staff, the release states. 

Ahead of the Memorial Day weekend, anyone visiting Colorado should be aware that the high peaks are still not bare of snow and could present challenges for unprepared backcountry travelers, Butler said.

Anyone who is headed out into the backcountry should get an early start while the snow is still solid from an overnight freeze, Butler added. As the day warms up, the snow will become softer so hikers could sink into the snow and start postholing – or sinking in so deep it becomes hard to move. Traction like crampons could be helpful in the icy conditions early in the day, while snowshoes or skis may become necessary to stay on top of the snow as it warms up into the afternoon, he said.

For any backcountry excursion, it is important to have a plan and to communicate that plan, including the expected route and return time, to someone who is staying behind, Butler said. Anyone traveling in the backcountry should carry the 10 essentials.

Like these two hikers who called search and rescue as soon as they realized they were in a trick situation, Butler said that anyone who encounter trouble in the backcountry should call search and rescue right away.

“If we had to find these folks at dusk, it would have been a much different situation,” Butler said. “If you find yourself in a precarious situation, call search and rescue as soon as you recognize that situation. A couple extra hours could be the difference between having to conduct a search at night, possibly a technical rescue at night.”