A 26-year-old woman from Boulder, Colorado tragically lost her life on Sunday after a fall while free solo climbing in Rocky Mountain National Park. The incident occurred on the Four Aces of Blitzen Ridge, a challenging climb located on Ypsilon Mountain. The climber fell an estimated 500 feet.
The woman was accompanied by a 27-year-old man, also from Boulder, who witnessed the fall and immediately contacted park rangers via cell phone. Rescue teams, including members of the Rocky Mountain National Park Search and Rescue Team, reached the man late Sunday night. He was unharmed and extracted via a hoist operation involving a Colorado Air National Guard helicopter and support from the Rocky Mountain Rescue Group.
Recovery efforts for the deceased climber continued Monday morning. Park rangers, with the assistance of Northern Colorado Interagency Helitak, recovered the woman's body and transported it to a designated location within the park. The body was subsequently transferred to the Larimer County Coroner and Medical Examiner’s Office, who will officially determine the cause of death and release the woman's name after notifying her next of kin.
Colorado National Guard personnel prepare for a rescue operation at Boulder Municipal Airport. (Credit: Kathryn Scott Osler/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
Entrance sign for Rocky Mountain National Park. (Credit: John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Remaining snowpack at high elevation in Rocky Mountain National Park. (Credit: Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
