A climber stranded on a 6-inch ledge high in the Sierra Nevada was rescued during a complex overnight technical operation after becoming dangerously off-route in the Mendenhall Couloir on Laurel Mountain.
Mono County Sheriff Search and Rescue was paged Saturday afternoon after receiving an InReach emergency activation from the climber, who had entered the wrong gully while attempting to follow the established route through the Mendenhall Couloir.
Climber Trapped With Thousands of Feet Below
The Mendenhall Couloir is a long and complex alpine climbing route known for loose rock, difficult route-finding, exposure, and significant objective hazards. According to Mono County Sheriff Search and Rescue, traveling off the established route can quickly lead climbers into increasingly vertical terrain with few opportunities for protection or escape.
After making several difficult moves into the wrong gully, the climber realized there was no safe way to continue either upward or downward. The climber stopped on a ledge only about 6 inches wide, with thousands of feet of exposure below.
Rescuers later observed the climber repeatedly shifting weight between their feet, suggesting their legs could begin cramping as the operation continued.
Helicopter Rescue Ruled Out by High Winds
Rescue teams established their base at Mammoth Airport and deployed technical rescuers, communications personnel, and off-road vehicle teams toward Laurel Mountain. A California Highway Patrol helicopter from Fresno responded to the incident, but winds gusting between 30 and 40 knots near 11,000 feet made a hoist rescue impossible.
Technical teams then approached the climber from the mountain, carrying 1,200 feet of rope, rescue hardware, bolting equipment, medical gear, and other technical equipment. Rescuers eventually made visual and verbal contact with the climber in an extremely dangerous gully adjacent to the main route.
Overnight Technical Rescue Brings Climber to Safety
As darkness arrived, four technical rescuers began a complex two-part operation to reach and secure the stranded climber. The team constructed a specialized rescue anchor and used hundreds of feet of rope to move a rescuer laterally across the steep terrain before lowering them to the climber.
The climber and rescuer were then moved together through the dangerous off-route gully and back toward the main climbing route. The group ultimately reached the Laurel Mountain ridgeline at 12:45 a.m. Sunday before descending to waiting off-road vehicles.
The operation officially ended at 4:43am after 14 volunteer rescuers contributed nearly 172 hours to the mission. Mono County Sheriff Search and Rescue commended the climber for recognizing the danger and calling for help before the situation became fatal.