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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Who: An adult male and a teen male
Where: Out of bounds at Revelstoke Mountain Resort, British Columbia, Canada
Their mistake: They bit off more than they can chew
What happened: Three skiers decided to tackle some backcountry terrain. During their descent, they came across a steep, icy chute that they didn’t feel comfortable with. They took off their skis to get out, but they slipped and slid off the cliff below. Two of the skiers died. The other skier suffered a badly bruised ankle.
This is the latest in a string of backcountry ski and snowboard incidents in the area.
Read the story here.
Who: 34-year-old Luca Vuerich
Where: Kraniska Gora, Slovenia
His mistake: Bad luck
What happened: Famed Italian Alpinist, Luca Vuerich, was climbing in the mountains near Kraniska Gora when a large avalanche swept him away. He was rescued by fellow climbers and transported to a local hospital where he eventually succumbed to his injuries. There are no reported details of the incident, what the trigger was or how large the slide was.
Read the story here.
Who: A husband and wife, both 44 years old
Where: Powder Mountain, Utah
Their mistake: They wanted to get one more run in and got caught in fog
What happened: A husband and wife wanted to get one more lap in at Powder Mountain in Utah. Their plan was to follow the same line as the previous run. As they descended the mountain, a dense fog rolled in and the couple became disoriented. They ended up snowboarding down a different direction into a backcountry area of the mountain.
When they realized they were lost, and darkness set in, the couple decided to hunker down until morning. A Powder Mountain employee who knew the couple saw their car in the parking lot after hours. He checked their house and couldn’t find them so he called for help.
A snowmobile team found their tracks and followed them until it became too dangerous. The snowmobile team then notified a helicopter team who eventually located the couple. The husband and wife started a campfire that was easy for rescuers to spot. The snowboarders were in “great” condition when they were found.
Read the story here.
Who: A 19-year-old boy and girl
Where: Molong, NSW, Australia
Their mistake: Bad luck
What happened: Two teens, part of a larger group of 30, were camping in Molong. While sleeping in their tent, a 17-year-old teen was moving a Ute through the campground and somehow ran over the tent, killing the two teens. It is unclear how the accident happened.
Read the story here.
Who: A young adult male
Where: Florida Trail, Okeechobee County, Florida
His mistake: He was hiking alone and wearing insufficient clothing
What happened: Hikers came across the body of a young adult male while hiking the Florida Trail in Okeechobee County. The dead man was only wearing cargo shorts, a t-shirt and a light windbreaker.
Authorities believe the man may have become delayed the day before and forced to survive in the wilderness and freezing temperatures. There were no reports of missing persons.
Read the story here.
Where: Makaha Valley, Hawaii
His mistake: It’s unknown if it was a human error or equipment failure
What happened: One week after a First Lieutenant returned from a tour in Iraq, he and his friends went on a grueling two-day hiking trip bushwacking through jungle forests and traversing ridges. During the trip, the Lieutenant and a friend were horsing around and a backpack dropped down a ridge.
Another week later, the Lieutenant and a friend went back to the cliff to retrieve the bag. The Lieutenant started to rappel down the cliff when he somehow fell 400 feet to his death. There are no reports indicating if the accident was caused by human error or mechanical/gear failure.
Read the story here.
Who: A 23-year-old male
Where: Between Summit Cove and Keystone, Colorado
His mistake: He was alone and wearing tennis shoes despite the cold weather
What happened: A man was at a house in Summit Cove and decided to walk back to his house in the Keystone area. It is unclear how far the locations were. Despite the cold temps, and possible snow on the ground, the man decided to make the hike in tennis shoes.
At some point, the man lost his way. Luckily his cell phone was able to get a signal and he called 911. Rescuers were able to use the GPS in his phone to pinpoint his location. At 3:30 a.m., the man was reached by snowmobile. Authorities said the man was very lucky to have gotten cell phone service to call for help.
Read the story here.
Who: A 41-year-old male
Where: Bansko, a ski resort in Bulgaria
His mistake: He hucked a cornice
What happened: A man was skiing at one of the most popular resorts in Bulgaria when he decided to hit a cornice. The skier suffered injuries and minutes after ski patrol arrived, he died. It is unclear how hard he hit the cornice and what injuries he suffered.
Read the story here.
Who: 19-year-old Steven J. Strygulec of Rogersville, MI
Where: Buffalo National River, Arkansas
His mistake: He got separated, then lost a bunch of his gear
What happened: A group of five college students went for a camping trip through Buffalo National River. At some point during the hike, one of their friends – a hearing impaired, inexperienced outdoorsman, and with an injured knee – became separated from the group.
When the group realized their friend wasn’t with them, and he was overdue by several hours, they called for help. Rangers immediately started a hasty search of the area, then made camp until the sun rose.
In the meantime, the lost hiker was struggling. The man was hungry and cold. During a river crossing, he lost his sleeping bag and lighter. He also some how broke his flashlight. He had no map and wandered for hours off trail looking for the way back. He also fell off of a 10-foot cliff.
The next morning searchers found fresh boot marks. They followed the footprints which led them to the lost hiker. He was cold, hungry and exhausted. It is unclear how far off the trail he was, and there are no reports of the extent of his injuries.
Read the story here.
Who: A male ice climber
Where: Officer’s Gulch, The Shroud, Colorado
His mistake: It’s unknown
What happened: Two men were ice climbing on The Shroud route near Copper Mountain and Frisco in Colorado. At some point during the climb, one of the men fell 40 feet. His friend called 911 and 22 volunteer rescuers responded. Rescue teams used snowmobiles to reach the man and transport him to a waiting ambulance. It is unclear how the man fell and what injuries he suffered.
Read the story here.
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