4 Backcountry Skiers Rescued After Smart Decisions Help Avoid Disaster Near Stowe, VT Stowe Mountain Rescue responded to a backcountry call this week that ended with four skiers safely back at the resort, thanks to a series of smart decisions and quick action before conditions deteriorated. The group of backcountry tourers became disoriented while skiing in the Spruce Peak backcountry and realized they had traversed too far to the left. That recognition was […] Backcountry Brent Glogau | December 16, 2025 0 Comments
3 Hikers Rescued in 2 Separate Incidents on 14,505′ Mt. Whitney, CA Two rescue operations unfolded on Mount Whitney this month, aiding three hikers in separate incidents just days apart, according to Inyo County Search and Rescue (SAR). The first rescue occurred on November 2, when SAR responded to reports of a hiker suffering a medical emergency near Trail Camp, approximately 12,000 feet up the mountain. Three SAR members joined the California […] Climbing Martin Kuprianowicz | November 10, 2025 0 Comments
Unprepared Hikers in Cotton Hoodies and Sweatpants Rescued From 8″ of Snow on Mount Mansfield, VT Stowe Mountain Rescue rescued two young hikers on Sunday evening who had climbed Vermont’s Mount Mansfield via the Hellbrook Trail. Though they reached the summit, they lacked essential equipment for the late-season conditions. Related: Unprepared Teen Hikers Rescued From Waist-Deep Snow on Mount Moosilauke, NH The men wore cotton hoodies and sweatpants, which are highly unsuitable for winter backcountry. Cotton, […] Hiking SnowBrains | November 3, 2025 0 Comments
20 Hikers Rescued From Below-Freezing Temperatures From the Summit of Mount Washington, New Hampshire 20 hikers who were not prepared for the unpredictable weather conditions at Mount Washington, New Hampshire, were rescued on Saturday after they got stuck in temperatures below freezing. The hikers were rescued by the Mount Washington Cog Railway, which runs year-round, even though the Mount Washington State Park Summit Facilities shut down in mid-October. “Today on the Cog Railway, we […] Hiking Gregg Frantz | October 28, 2025 0 Comments
Israeli Tourists Rescued After Google Maps Mishap on Dachstein Glacier, Austria A pair of Israeli tourists had to be rescued on Monday, October 20, after following Google Maps onto a restricted mountain road near the Dachstein massif in Austria, only to become stranded deep in the forest. The Dachstein Glacier is located in the Austrian region of Styria, about 90 minutes southeast of Salzburg. The Dachstein Glacier is part of the […] Julia Schneemann | October 22, 2025 0 Comments
Hundreds Rescued After Blizzard Traps Trekkers on Mount Everest Updated: 3:09 p.m. October 6, 2025 Hundreds of trekkers stranded by a sudden blizzard on the eastern face of Mount Everest in Tibet have been rescued after days of heavy snow and freezing temperatures, Chinese state media reported Sunday, October 5. China Central Television (CCTV) said that as of Sunday, more than 350 trekkers had been guided to safety in […] Climbing Julia Schneemann | October 6, 2025 0 Comments
[PHOTOS & VIDEO] Snowboarder Rescued After 100-Foot Fall Into Bergschrund on Skyscraper Glacier, CO A 27-year-old man was seriously injured Monday, September 8, after tumbling about 100 feet (30 meters) down Skyscraper Glacier in the Indian Peaks Wilderness, Colorado, and coming to rest in a bergschrund—a deep crevasse-like feature where snow separates from rock at the glacier’s edge. Related: Teenage Female Skier Seriously Injured at Skyscraper Glacier, CO The accident occurred around 2:25 p.m. […] Backcountry SnowBrains | September 9, 2025 0 Comments
2 Hikers Rescued from Iconic Climbing Route on 3rd Pillar of Dana, a Notorious Eastern Sierra, CA, Ski Line Two hikers were rescued late Sunday night after becoming stranded while scaling the 3rd Pillar of Dana, a dramatic granite buttress rising above the Eastern Sierra near Lee Vining. The incident occurred on the final pitch of the Regular Route, a classic technical climbing line known for its exposure, complexity, and alpine setting. The Mono County Sheriff’s Office said it […] Climbing Martin Kuprianowicz | August 8, 2025 0 Comments
7 Hikers Rescued During Storm from Dead Horse Gap, Australia Monaro Police received a distress signal from a personal locator beacon (PLB) on Saturday, July 26, around 1:15 p.m. in the vicinity of the Dead Horse Gap Track in Kosciuszko National Park, Australia. Officers attached to Monaro Police District and Police Search and Rescue, State Emergency Service Alpine Search and Rescue operators, and New South Wales (NSW) Ambulance Alpine Operations […] Hiking Julia Schneemann | July 27, 2025 0 Comments
Ill-Equipped Korean Hikers Rescued from Italian Via Ferrata After Spending Night Stranded Without Gear A pair of South Korean hikers were rescued at dawn Friday, July 18, after becoming stranded overnight on a high alpine route in the Italian Dolomites, without proper equipment and carrying heavy packs. The pair spent the night stuck on ledge of a via ferrata, a climbing route with fixed cables, ladders, and bridges that help hikers safely navigate steep […] Climbing Julia Schneemann | July 18, 2025 0 Comments
The Hidden Costs of Search and Rescue: Why Getting Rescued Always Ends up Costing More Why do search and rescue operations end up being so expensive? Since 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic, outdoor recreation has spiked among Americans. As more and more people have gotten out into the wilderness, the number of emergencies have risen as well. Alongside increasing extreme weather events, this has caused a perfect storm of conditions putting pressure on Search and […] Brains Elliot LeBlanc | July 10, 2025 0 Comments
19 People and Dog Rescued After Being Trapped for Hours in Austrian Cable Car Damaged During Storm 19 people and a dog were rescued unharmed Monday evening after spending more than four hours trapped in a gondola suspended high above the ground during a summer storm in western Austria. The passengers were riding the Karrenseilbahn, a popular cable car in the state of Vorarlberg, when severe winds struck the area around 3:00 p.m. local time, pushing two […] Martin Kuprianowicz | June 25, 2025 0 Comments
Hikers and Drivers Rescued as Heavy Snowfall Traps Dozens Overnight at Mount Hotham, Australia Emergency services launched a rescue operation at Mount Hotham in Australia over the King’s Birthday long weekend after sudden, heavy snowfall stranded more than 20 people in their cars. Related: [PHOTOS] Selwyn Snow Resort, Australia, Receives 20 Centimeter Dump as Opening Day Approaches In addition, police, SES, CFA, and Parks responded after two hikers became stranded in blizzard conditions on […] Oz Brains | June 9, 2025 0 Comments
2 Rescued After Getting Caught in Avalanche Near Byron Glacier Valley, AK Two people were rescued by emergency crews Saturday afternoon after being caught in a spring avalanche in the Byron Glacier Valley near Portage Lake, Alaska, reports the Anchorage Daily News (ADN). Related: [VIDEO] Why Colorado Has Dangerous Avalanches Near Summer The Girdwood Fire Department and Alaska State Troopers responded to a call just before 1 p.m., launching a coordinated rescue in […] Avalanche AvyBrains | June 2, 2025 0 Comments
Skier Rescued After Sliding 800 Feet on Mt. Superior in Little Cottonwood Canyon, UT A skier was rescued Friday after sliding approximately 800 feet down the south face of Mount Superior in Utah’s Little Cottonwood Canyon. The man, visiting from out of town with two companions, had removed his skis and donned hiking boots when he lost his footing and slid uncontrollably down the mountain, Fox 13 News reports. Salt Lake County Search and […] Martin Kuprianowicz | May 5, 2025 0 Comments
Mount Fuji, Japan, Climber Rescued Twice in Four Days After Returning for Lost Phone A 27-year-old university student was rescued twice from Mount Fuji, Japan, in four days after returning to the mountain to retrieve his lost mobile phone. The Chinese student first attempted to summit Mount Fuji via the Fujinomiya trail last Tuesday, well outside the official climbing season, which runs from early July to early September. He became stranded at around 9,800 […] Climbing SnowBrains | April 28, 2025 1 Comment
Skier Injured by Avalanche Near Loveland Pass, CO, Rescued via Flight for Life Helicopter On Sunday, April 20, a skier sustained a severe ankle injury after being swept approximately 700 feet down the north face of Grizzly Peak, located near Loveland Pass in Colorado. The Summit Daily reports that the incident occurred during a wind slab avalanche, a common type in the region, which forms when wind deposits snow onto a leeward slope, creating a […] Avalanche AvyBrains | April 22, 2025 0 Comments
[VIDEO] Hiker Rescued From Pacific Crest Trail After “Death Clinging to Cliff” for Over an Hour View this post on Instagram A post shared by Riverside Sheriff Aviation (@rso.aviation) A hiker clinging to a cliff along the Pacific Crest Trail was rescued Sunday after spending more than an hour in a precarious position near White Water, just south of San Bernardino County, California. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit captured the rescue on […] SnowBrains | April 17, 2025 0 Comments
American Ski Mountaineer Rescued by Helicopter with 200-Foot Steel Cable from Steep Couloir Near Mont Blanc It was me. I fell in a no-fall zone. What had begun as a beautiful day in a gorgeous amphitheater of Dolomite-style couloirs near 4,810-meter (15,780-foot) Mont Blanc ended with broken bones and an intense helicopter rescue. We had a strong crew of ski mountaineers, two from Italy and one from France, and set off on a nice morning from […] Backcountry Martin Kuprianowicz | March 9, 2025 1 Comment
3 Skiers Rescued After Ducking Rope Beyond Resort Boundary at Buttermilk, Aspen, CO On Saturday, rescue teams at Buttermilk Ski Area in Aspen, Colorado, successfully retrieved three skiers who had ventured beyond the resort’s boundaries. The operation involved coordination between Aspen Skiing Company ski patrollers and Mountain Rescue Aspen (MRA) volunteers, reports the Aspen Times. Related: Solitude Mountain Resort, UT, Warns That Ducking Ropes Could Result in Jail Time The Pitkin County Emergency […] Industry News SnowBrains | February 24, 2025 0 Comments
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