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One climber was killed and five others had to be rescued by helicopter from Mount Rainier this week after the group was hit by a rockfall along a treacherous path the National Park Service warned has the “reputation of being the hardest and most-dangerous” route on the mountain.
The deadly incident happened at about 8 p.m. Wednesday along the Washington state peak’s Liberty Ridge route, more than 10,000 feet above sea level.
A 46-year-old man was killed in the rockfall, while two other people were injured – one seriously, Q13 Fox reported. Three additional climbers in the area were unharmed, but it still took the efforts of two dozen park rangers and multiple helicopter trips to evacuate the survivors.
Thursday marked exactly five years since six climbers died in the same location. Climbers from that group, which included a vice president of technology company Intel, are reported to have fallen around 3,200 feet.
Mount Rainier's Liberty Ridge route has a reputation for being tough, the National Park Service says. (National Park Service)
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The National Park Service says the 10 to 12 miles of the Liberty Ridge route usually takes 3-4 days to climb. Only 98 climbers on average attempt it each year, with just over half reaching the summit.
“Due to the committing nature of the route, its remote location, and its sustained steep angle, Liberty Ridge has the reputation of being the hardest and most-dangerous regularly climbed route on Mount Rainier,” the NPS states in a 27-page document offering tips and safety advice for those looking to climb it.
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“Though the first ascent was made in September, climbers now try to ascend the ridge earlier in the year before too much snow melts and exposes the loose rock on the ridge,” the NPS added. “It’s a balance between the early season winter-like weather and the late season melted-out rockfall.”
The National Weather Service pegs the recent daily high temperatures in the region in the upper 50s.
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