"Experts warn that winter climbers must carry crampons, ice axes and satellite devices if they seek to attempt the trek this time of year."
""Winds were extremely intense, and with the recent snowfall, the wind was blasting snow in our faces," Ostgaard wrote."
""I believe it is highly unlikely he survived," Ostgaard wrote of the hiker."
""There was a fair amount of blood from [colliding with] the cables, and a lot of blood around a rock he made contact with.""
The return of snow and intense winds on Mt. Whitney created perilous conditions that forced some hikers to turn back. A hiker died after falling in the "99 Switchbacks" section of the main trail above Trail Camp near 12,000 feet. The switchbacks become buried and steep when heavy snow covers the trail. Climbers reported winds blasting snow and rendering the trail invisible in many places. Descending hikers encountered the body, which had slid roughly 70 feet past steel safety cables and showed significant blood from impacts. Experts warn winter climbers to carry crampons, ice axes and satellite devices.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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