Ice climber plunges 40 feet in Montana canyon, rescuers say. Then group calls for help
An ice climber plunged 40 feet in a Montana canyon, prompting a climbing group to call for help, rescuers said.
Rescuers responded to the fall at 3:53 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16, at the Zack Attack climb in Hyalite Canyon, the Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue said in a Facebook post.
The climber had been with a group when they fell 40 feet and injured their back, rescuers said.
Because of their injury, they were not able to climb out on their own, rescuers said. So the group called for help.
Rescuers used a short-haul line to airlift the climber from the area. They were then taken to a hospital, rescuers said.
“Sheriff (Dan) Springer would like to remind the public that calling early is always the best option when faced with a possible emergency,” the rescue team said in the Facebook post.
Hyalite Canyon has more than 150 climbing ice routes and is described as the “most concentrated, natural ice climbing venue in North America,” according to Mountain Project.
Last month, on Nov. 25, an ice climber died after falling near Grotto Falls in the same canyon, McClatchy News reported. A witness saw the person fall, and they called 911.
The area is about 10 miles south of Bozeman.
This story was originally published December 18, 2023 at 3:11 PM with the headline "Ice climber plunges 40 feet in Montana canyon, rescuers say. Then group calls for help."
