A climber from Denver was rescued by helicopter from Capitol Peak on Wednesday afternoon on the mountain above Aspen that claimed five lives.
The man was descending Capitol’s 14,131-feet summit when he got off route at about 2:45 p.m. in the area of the peak’s sub-summit, K2, according to the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office.
“(He) was unable to get back on route and became stranded on unstable terrain,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release. “(He) was then able to contact a friend, via text message, and request help.”
A helicopter team flew into the area and spotted the man — who was thirsty and tired but otherwise uninjured — about 5 p.m. He was flown off the mountain and all rescuers were off the mountain by 6:15 p.m.
The latest death on Capitol was 21-year-old Zackaria White of Pine, who fell about 600 feet off a cliff . White died at approximately the same spot where .
Jake Lord, 25, died after falling nearly 300 feet July 15 on a different part of the mountain. On Aug. 6, Jeremy Shull died after falling near the Knife Edge.
The string of deaths has led authorities to urge backcountry travelers to use extra caution when visiting Captiol, which is known as one of the state’s most difficult mountains over 14,000 feet to summit.
The map and list show all peaks higher than 14,000 feet in elevation in Colorado. Click a map marker for details, including estimated hiker use days in 2016; use the dropdown menu to zoom to a peak; click the icon in the top right corner of the map to switch between topographical, terrain and satellite views.
Sources: (elevations), (usage estimates). Details link will open in .
