PORTLAND, Ore. — Clackamas County Search & Rescue (CSAR) saved a lost experienced climber on Mount Hood after he got stuck in tough conditions.
"[There's] freezing conditions, no food, no water. He's wet, and there's a mountain lion circling around," said Stephen Schieberl, a volunteer with CSAR. "So the odds weren't really in his favor."
The 45-year-old climber from Mexico was attempting a solo climb of the 11,240-foot mountain, Clackamas County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) said. He departed Timberline Lodge at 1 a.m. on Sunday, under good climbing conditions and summited at sunrise.
On his way back down the mountain, the weather rapidly turned from good to bad. CCSO said the climber was no longer able to see the route back to the lodge after strong winds created "whiteout" conditions, reducing the visibility to less than 20 feet.
The strong winds caused the climber to drop and lose his hand-held GPS unit. Without it, they continued down the mountain for several hours in the wrong direction. Several feet of snow rendered usually notable landmarks unrecognizable, like the Timberline Trail, which the climber unknowingly walked straight over.
As darkness fell Sunday evening, the climber realized he was lost, CCSO said. Luckily, the climber had cellphone service at their location and called 911. Approximately two hours after the call, a search and rescue team began heading toward the climber.
About two hours later, the rescue team spotted the climber's headlamp, reaching him around 4 a.m. on Monday after traveling nearly five miles over steep, ice-covered slopes.
CCSO said the climber was in relatively good condition when found, but exhausted after 24 hours of hiking in harsh weather. The climber made his way out with the search and rescue team — reaching Kiwanis Camp Road just before 10 a.m.
"Something as simple as a paper map and a compass that can still get you up the mountain and back really light, would have made all the difference," Schieberl said.
On the way up to the climber, search and rescue crews said they saw mountain lion tracks. The climber said he saw a mountain lion just before being rescued.