> At a Glance
> – A climber fell hundreds of feet from Citadel Peak on Dec. 31
> – 13,300-foot mountain north of I-70, visible from Loveland Ski Area
> – Partner, 29-year-old Boulder woman, called for help at 2 p.m.
> – Why it matters: Veteran climbers remind that even experienced, well-equipped parties face deadly risk on high ridges
A New Year’s Eve climb of Citadel Peak turned fatal when a man plunged from the narrow Continental Divide ridge, triggering a complex rescue in rising winds that ended with a Black Hawk airlift and a ground crew working past nightfall.
The Fall and First Alert
The pair were traversing the exposed upper ridge when the man slipped shortly before 2 p.m. His climbing partner-29, from Boulder-dialed Alpine Rescue Team as winds began to strengthen.
- Good cell service let rescuers pinpoint the site quickly
- Initial Flight for Life and other helicopters beat the 30-mile trip in minutes
- Gusty winds barred them from landing on the knife-edge ridge
> Steve Wilson, ART explained:
> “They can’t land right where our subjects are. As we try to find good places close enough to be useful, the winds just weren’t cooperating at the time. So they had to abort.”
Nightfall Operation
With daylight fading, rescuers switched tactics:
- Colorado National Guard Black Hawk launched from Buckley Space Force Base
- Crew picked up ART volunteers at the trailhead
- Multiple ground teams climbed toward the accident site
- Two rescuers were lowered to the victim; he was pronounced dead
- A separate team extracted the woman from her precarious perch on the ridge
By 8 p.m. the man’s body had been flown out; ground crews hiked out by 9 p.m.
| Asset Deployed | Role | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Flight for Life | Initial medevac | Wind abort |
| National Guard Black Hawk | Final extraction | Success at nightfall |
| ART ground teams | Reach victim/partner | Complete by 9 p.m. |
Experienced, Equipped-Yet Accidents Happen
Investigators cite clear weather and say both climbers appeared seasoned.
- Parties were above snow line, moving on rock
- Gear and preparation looked appropriate to rescuers
- Cause of the slip remains undetermined
> Wilson added:
> “They seemed prepared, they seemed equipped. They seemed experienced. Accidents happen. That’s an unfortunate way to end the year. A tragic end.”
Key Takeaways
- Even short sections of exposed ridge can prove deadly
- Rapid weather changes can ground air support in minutes
- Cell coverage at 13,000 ft allowed the critical first call
- Multi-agency response-ART, Flight for Life, National Guard-shows Colorado’s rescue depth
- Ground crews often finish what choppers start when winds intervene
The Alpine Rescue Team and Colorado National Guard have not released the man’s name, pending family notification.
