Climbing
Three climbers from Washington died and a fourth was seriously injured after an anchor failure led to a 400-foot fall near North Early Winters Spire in the North Cascades on Sunday, according to the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office. The accident occurred around 11:30 a.m. on May 11, approximately 16 miles west of Mazama, as the group descended a steep gully on the Early Winter Couloir, a classic but demanding alpine route that splits the North and South Early Winters Spires.
The climbers, all residents of King County and aged 36, 47, and 63, were rappelling together when their shared anchor point failed. The group had begun their descent after noticing an approaching storm. All four were tied to the same anchor, which investigators noted is “not preferred” practice in technical climbing due to the risk of a single-point failure, reports The Seattle Times. Preliminary findings suggest the anchor, a piton possibly placed years or even decades ago, ripped out of the rock, causing the fall.
The three deceased climbers were pronounced dead at the scene. Their identities have not been released as of Tuesday. The surviving member, despite sustaining internal bleeding and a traumatic brain injury, managed to self-rescue, hiking out of the rugged terrain and driving to a pay phone in Newhalem to call for help. He was later transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for treatment.
The Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office, assisted by Okanogan County Search and Rescue volunteers and the Snohomish County Helicopter Rescue Team, responded to the scene and recovered the victims from the technical, mountainous terrain. Authorities continue to investigate the exact circumstances of the anchor failure.
The Early Winter Couloir is renowned for its variable and challenging conditions, which require climbers to adapt to rapidly changing weather and snowpack, according to Gripped. “Even a very experienced climber could head up to this route expecting certain conditions and find them to be different,” Joshua Cole said, co-owner of North Cascade Mountain Guides, underscoring the unpredictable nature of mixed alpine climbing.
