About

Over four years ago, I read “Touching the Void” and I was always intrigued by situation hikers find themselves in and the incredible things they do to stay alive.

This blog is about learning from other people’s mistakes, so you don’t make the same ones.

“Better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the grey twilight that knows not victory nor defeat”

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Man and 7 Children Survive 2 Days in Snow Storm

Who: A man and 7 kids, ages 3 to 14
Where: Breitenbush Lake, Oregon
His mistake: Took a bad time to go, but he did a lot of things right
What happened: A man took his seven kids camping in the Breitenbush Lake area. Family members said it wasn’t uncommon for the man to take all of his [...]

Teen Missing in Nederland, Colorado

Who: 19-year-old Justin Pleiss
Where: Mountains near Nederland, Colorado
His mistake: He went alone, but ultimately it’s unknown
What happened: A 19-year-old who is an experienced outdoorsman and avid survivalist went on a multi-day camping trip in the mountains of Nederland, Colorado. The man told his sister where he was going and was anxious to use a brand [...]

Woman Survives Cold, Snowy Night in Idaho

Who: 27-year-old Alisa Franck
Where: Chico Mountain, Idaho
Her mistake: She and her hiking partner separated, but she was wearing warm clothes
What happened: A woman and her boyfriend, 42-year-old David Dodd, went on a dayhike on Chico Mountain in Northern Idaho. At some point of the hike, the two separated and were expected to rendezvous shortly after. [...]

Two Sisters Freeze to Death in Cataluna

Who: 43-year-old Nuria and 45-year old Marta from Barcelona
Where: Puigmal, a peak in the Catalan Pyrenees, Spain
Their mistake: They got caught in bad weather, then decided to break up the group
What happened: A group of five hikers went on a dayhike on the snowy Puigmal, a mountain in the Spanish Catalan Pyrenees range.

During their [...]

UPDATE: Rock Climber Dies on Chinamans Bluff

Who: 26-year-old Matthew Byron Allison and 37-year-old James Briscall
Where: Chinamans Bluff, New Zealand
Their mistake: Bad rope luck
What happened: This is an update of the rock climbing death of a man who was on Chinamans Bluff in New Zealand. The two rock climbers have climbed in the area before and are experienced rock climbers.

After a day [...]

Lost Hikers Found on Mount San Jacinto

Who: Three women ages 23 to 37 years old
Where: Mt. San Jacinto, Southern California
Their mistake: Looks like they got separated from their group
What happened: Three women were hiking with a group of friends on Mt. San Jacinto. Somehow, three women became separated from their group. They were last seen at 7:50 p.m.

The group couldn’t [...]

Hiker Breaks Ankle on Camelback Mountain

Who: A 27-year-old woman
Where: Camelback Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona
Her mistake: Not sure, but a cell phone might have helped
What happened: A woman went on a hike alone on Camelback Mountain. Some how during her hike, the woman slipped, tripped or fell and broke her ankle. She had no way of contacting help and was stranded on [...]

Rock Climber Dies at Base of Chinaman

Who: A 26-year-old male
Where: Chinaman’s Bluff, Dart River Valley, Queenstown, New Zealand
His mistake: It’s unknown
What happened: Two rock climbers were spending the day at Chinaman’s Bluff, a popular rock climbing area in Queenstown, New Zealand. It is unknown what kind of trouble the men ran into, but friends reported them overdue the same night when [...]

Engineer Missing in India

Who: 28-year-old Kavita Ishwar Chikhli
Where: Sinhagad Fort, India
Her mistake: It’s unknown, but she got separated from her group
What happened: An engineer was hiking with 32 of her fellow employees to Sinhagad Fort, an old fort built on the side of the mountain. The woman and her co-workers were apparently training for some type of physical [...]

Hiker Disappears in Balkan Mountain Range

Who: A 24-year-old from Bulgaria
Where: Central Balkan Mountain Range near Hija Rai, or Lodge Paradise
His mistake: It’s unknown. An itinerary would be nice
What happened: A hiker is missing in the mountains near the Hija Rai, a popular lodge in the Central Balkan mountain range. Authorities said the man vanished from the lodge and hasn’t been [...]

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