"The Hood River County Sheriff's Office has suspended the search for Matt Aldridge, the 26-year-old climber from Bend, Oregon, who went missing on December 13. Aldridge had left Mount Hood Meadows Ski Area with two partners on December 13, with the intention of climbing the Newton Clark Headwall. Poor conditions and slow progress caused his two partners to turn around, but Aldridge decided to continue on alone."
"Cell phone data indicated Aldridge might have sustained a fall near the rocky moraine called Pea Gravel Ridge. Fading light forced searchers to call off efforts until the next day. On Sunday, the search resumed, but travel conditions were treacherous, and the weather quickly began deteriorating. The Sheriff's office suspended the search and said in a written statement that it may resume, but would resume as a recovery operation."
"Mount Hood is one of the most frequently climbed mountains in the world, and dozens of rescues are typically required each year. The Newton Clark Headwall route exposes climbers to quite a bit more exposure than other easier routes, but is accessible from Mount Hood Meadows. The Newton Clark Headwall is featured in the book 50 Classic Ski Descents of North America."
Matt Aldridge, a 26-year-old climber from Bend, Oregon, went missing on December 13 after leaving Mount Hood Meadows Ski Area with two partners to climb the Newton Clark Headwall. His partners turned back due to poor conditions and slow progress while Aldridge continued alone. Cell phone data suggested a fall near Pea Gravel Ridge. Searchers deployed a Piper Super Cub and ground teams but called off initial efforts at dusk. Severe weather and treacherous travel forced suspension of the resumed search, which may restart solely as a recovery operation. The Newton Clark Headwall is a more exposed route and appears in 50 Classic Ski Descents of North America.
Read at SnowBrains
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]