Body found on Colorado mountain during search complicated by extreme weather

According to Saguache County Search and Rescue, a combined agency team located the body of Madeline Baharlou-Quivey on Kit Carson Peak on October 13. Kit Carson Peak is accessed via the town of Crestone, a 14,165-foot peak in Colorado's Sangre de Cristo mountain range.

The search for Baharlou-Quivey was initially prompted by a report of a climber that was off-route and cliffed-out below the standard route up Kit Carson Peak, received around 8 PM on October 11. The report of the climber in need of help came from someone that Baharlou-Quivey was able to text message about the situation. According to the reporting party, Baharlou-Quivey was an experienced climber, equipped with winter clothing, a bivy sack, and a supply of food and water. The reporting party was also able to relay GPS coordinates to the search and rescue team of Baharlou-Quivey's last known spot on the mountain.

Upon investigation, the GPS coordinates pointed to a location in technical class five terrain, with approaching winter weather meaning that a search and rescue team with winter alpine rescue training would be required. A call for aid was sent out to search and rescue teams around the state, with plans to start a search in a narrow weather window in the pre-dawn hours of October 12.

Two ground teams deployed into the area before dawn, with a Blackhawk helicopter provided by the Colorado National Guard joining the search soon after.

The Blackhawk helicopter was unable to locate the subject during the initial search, leaving to refuel. Unfortunately, rapidly deteriorating weather conditions prevented the helicopter from returning.

Meanwhile, ground crews also faced off with dangerous winter weather, eventually forced to turn around due to strong winds, limited visibility, frigid temperatures, and blowing snow after reaching the summit ridge of Challenger Point – a point above 14,000 feet that's found along the standard route to the summit of Kit Carson Peak.

Crew members attempted to locate the subject from various spots below the upper ridge, including the Kirk Couloir, the upper Willow Creek basin, and the Spanish Creek basin, but were unsuccessful, at times, experiencing visibility of less than 100 yards.

Due to the winter weather conditions, crews were forced to leave the field with plans to return on October 13.

On October 13, the search effort resumed at dawn with air support from the Colorado National Guard, Alpine Rescue, and Colorado Department of Fire Prevention and Control – Cañon Helitack.

Ground crews were dropped into the field again to re-summit Challenger Point, but were turned back by "thigh-deep, unconsolidated snow."

Crews were also airlifted into the Spanish Creek Basin in attempt to reach the climber's last known location and to search the south slopes of Kit Carson Peak.

At approximately 3 PM, members of Alamosa Volunteer Search and Rescue and Western Mountain Rescue Team were able to visually locate Baharlou-Quivey, with aerial crews confirming that she was deceased from an apparent fall.

Winter weather conditions and the climber's proximity to a vertical wall made recovery operations via helicopter too dangerous. Crews were able to climb within 100 vertical feet of the fallen climber's location, but had to turn back as nightfall approached. Recovery operations are set to continue when weather permits and when they can be conducted safely.

The exact location of where Baharlou-Quivey was located was not a detail that was released. The crews that located her were made up of Alamosa Volunteer Search and Rescue and Western Mountain Rescue Team, members of which had been dropped into the Spanish Creek basin to search the south slopes of Kit Carson Peak.

If the crews dropped into the Spanish Creek basin were the crews that ultimately located the fallen climber, this would mean that the fatal fall most likely took place between Challenger Point and the Kit Carson summit, which is where the most technical terrain along the standard route is found.

The standard route to summit each of these peaks is notably strenuous, 15 miles roundtrip from the Willow Creek trailhead. The standard route means 6,250 feet of vertical gain, requiring climbers to summit Challenger Point before dropping down to a saddle, then regaining elevation on the way to the Kit Carson summit. On the return trip, climbers must drop back down to the saddle before re-summiting Challenger Point, then heading back down to the trailhead. In other words, the route means an extended period of time in technical terrain at a high elevation with a lot of up and down – something that can be extremely taxing physically and mentally.

The portion of the climb between Challenger and Kit Carson is rated as class three terrain, known for a relatively narrow section called 'The Avenue.' Following 'The Avenue,' climbers must ascend a steep, loose slope to reach the summit, returning along the same route during their descent. Route-finding on the route is rated as 'considerable' and can be problematic if cairns are missed or covered by snow.

In their official press release, Saguache County Search and Rescue reminded climbers to always take steps to minimize risk, including packing the 10 essentials, always letting friends and family know your planned itinerary, and being highly aware of the weather forecast and how that can change with elevation. Mountain-Forecast.com is a website we regularly recommend on OutThere Colorado, as this website gives a forecast at various elevations.

Condolences go out to those impacted by this tragic death.

According to a report from FOX21, Madeline Baharlou-Quivey was 29 years old and had recently graduated from nursing school in Denver.

Crews involved in this search and rescue mission include Saguache County Search and Rescue, Saguache County Sheriff's Office, Alamosa Volunteer Search and Rescue, Alpine Rescue Team, Chaffee County Search and Rescue (North and South), Custer County Search and Rescue, Western Mountain RescueTeam, Colorado Search and REscue Association, Colorado National Guard, Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control (Cañon Helitak) the U.S. Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, and the Colorado State Patrol (Alamosa Regional Communications Center).

Colorado's search and rescue missions are reliant on volunteers. If you'd like to help support this effort, consider purchasing a CORSAR card or making a direct donation.

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