A climber was injured Sunday after falling roughly 500 feet from North Maroon Peak southwest of Aspen, according to the sheriff’s office.
The climber fell while ascending the north face of North Maroon Peak, a popular fourteener in the Maroon Bells Wilderness, according to a from the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office. The climber, who has not been publicly identified, “sustained several injuries” in the fall, sheriff’s officials said.
Mountain Rescue Aspen responded to the fallen hiker and arranged for a helicopter to rescue the climber from the mountain, sheriff’s officials said. The patient boarded an Army helicopter from a nearby training site shortly after 2:30 p.m. Sunday.
Paramedics took the climber to the hospital in an ambulance after the helicopter landed at the airport, according to the sheriff’s office.
Information on the extent of the climber’s injuries was not immediately available.
Pitkin County sheriff’s officials said climbers should carefully assess route conditions and their own abilities before entering technical terrain. Climbers should also carry appropriate equipment and a reliable means of communication, sheriff’s officials said.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
