Novice climber survives 1,500-foot slide on Mount Shasta

A novice climber survived a fall of approximately 1,500 feet down Mount Shasta in California on Sunday, June 28, 2026, after a complex, multi-stage rescue operation. The 31-year-old woman, who has not been publicly identified, was climbing the Left of Heart variation of the popular Avalanche Gulch route with two other inexperienced climbers when she slipped near the 13,000-foot elevation.

The Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue coordinator alerted U.S. Forest Service climbing rangers around noon. Three rangers responded, along with members of the California Highway Patrol. Low cloud cover prevented a CHP helicopter from reaching the injured climber directly, forcing a change in plans. The helicopter instead dropped the rangers lower on the mountain, and they proceeded on foot to her location.

Rescuers were assisted by one member of the woman’s climbing party, who descended to help carry equipment, and by another climber in the area who stopped to assist. Officials found the woman alert and in good spirits, despite suffering a suspected fractured right ankle and other injuries. After she was stabilized, the team secured her in a rescue litter and carefully lowered...