Man dies after fall on remote 14,089-foot peak in Colorado

According to the La Plata County government, a man died on Monday after falling about 30 feet while descending Windom Peak, a remote 14,089-foot peak found in the Weminuche Wilderness, north of Durango.

The fallen climber was identified as Douglas Christensen, 53 and of Castle Pines. It is unclear exactly what led to the fall, though the terrain in the Chicago Basin area – where the accident occurred – is notably rugged and loose with considerable rockfall potential.

After the fall, a climbing partner and a passerby attempted CPR at the scene, but were unsuccessful. Storms in the area prevented an aerial recovery from taking place on Monday, though conditions allowed for Christensen's body to be removed on Tuesday via helicopter and a long-line extraction.

The standard west ridge route up Windom Peak is rated as 'difficult class 2,' with exposure, rockfall potential, route-finding, and commitment all being noteworthy risk factors of the climb to the summit. The route up Windom is six miles for those who have already made it to the remote Chicago Basin. From the basin, it's about 3,000 feet of gain to the summit.

Windom Peak is unique among Colorado's fourteeners in that the route to the summit is one of the least accessible in the state, requiring a train ride to reach the trailhead to the Chicago Basin, with the route to the summit of the peak starting in the basin.

In total, this trek would mean riding the train for 2.5 hours and then hiking six miles into the basin to access Windom Peak, along with three other fourteeners – Sunlight Peak, Mt. Eolus, and North Eolus. Due to the effort it takes to reach the basin, these mountains are often climbed together. Christensen's exact route and goal were not addressed in information made public about the accident.

Note from the author: Chicago Basin can also be accessed via Purgatory Creek, allowing hikers to skip the train ride. This means traveling about 30 miles round-trip at a minimum and is a much less common option. It is unclear exactly what approach route Christensen took, as this is not addressed in the press release on the matter.

A post from the Durango Herald identified Christensen as a pediatric cardiologist who worked with the Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children.

Condolences go out to those impacted by this death.

If you're interested in supporting Colorado's volunteer-powered search and rescue operation, one way to do so is through the purchase of a CORSAR card. It's cheap, at only $3 per year.

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