Man attempting to climb Mount Bierstadt rescued after shoes freeze during hike

DENVER (KDVR) — A man was rescued near Guanella Pass with frozen shoes after his father called 911 to alert authorities of the overdue hiker.

According to the Alpine Rescue Team, the volunteer group was called to Mount Bierstadt after 8 p.m. on Friday. The man had left in the morning to climb the peak, starting from the winter trailhead, and told his father to call 911 if he didn’t do so. I have no further news from the hiker at 8 p.m.

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Members of the Alpine Rescue Team began their search at the top of Guanella Pass, on the summer trail. Around midnight, a crew near the creek crossing saw a light flashing a mile north of their location. The team has led the way in this direction.

Around 1 a.m., the team of volunteers found the man on top of a small cliff. The crew said he was “unable to move because his shoes were frozen.”

After climbing a short distance, crews were able to reach the man and warm his feet, followed by a short belay on the ground.

The crews then hiked/skied with the man and left the field after 3 a.m. Saturday.

The group said the man who asked his father to call 911 after a certain cutoff time may have saved his life because his father could have called 911 much later. The team also recommended hikers carry extra layers of clothing in case the clothes they are wearing get wet, and advised bringing a light source.

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“(If) our subject had not had a light source, it is unlikely that he would have been able to signal the team,” the group said on Facebook.

The Alpine Rescue Team, a volunteer group of searchers and rescuers, shared this photo of the light seen by rescuers who were searching for a man who was late returning from Bierstadt because his shoes were “frozen.”
The Alpine Rescue Team, a volunteer group of searchers and rescuers, shared this photo of rescuers helping a man who was late returning because his shoes were “frozen.”

The group noted that winter recreation in Colorado can have additional consequences and asked enthusiasts to prepare for a wide range of conditions when heading out to recreate.

Colorado Search and Rescue teams are made up of volunteers and are not paid. The group is funded through donations, which can be made here.

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