Two Mount Rainier climbers were successfully rescued on the Kautz Glacier.

Several agencies and rescue teams, including the United States Army Reserve F Company 2-135th General Support Aviation Battalion, the United States Air Force 304th Air Rescue Squadron, National Park Service climbing rangers, and the operators of the Mount Rainier National Park contract helicopter 25CL, picked up two climbers on the climbing route on May 13 after one fell down a crevice, suffering arm and leg injuries.

The climbers alerted rescue teams via a 911 call on Wednesday, May 11, that adverse weather forced them to halt their ascent of the glacier at 12,800 feet. At first, the party did not request any aid. Another call on May 12 confirmed the part was going to descend on the Disappointment Cleaver route.

But disaster struck just hours later, when a third call reported one of the climbers fell into the crevasse and was unable to be extracted by the other member of the party.

Rescue efforts began early May 13, but heavy and erratic winds forced the Chinook helicopter back; it returned a few hours later to remove the first climber from the glacier.

That afternoon, four Mount Rainier National Parks rangers were dropped off at 13,000 feet on the glacier. They descended and were able to remove the second climber from the 80-foot crevasse with a short-haul by the 25CL helicopter.

The status of the climber that was not reported in a May 16 press release.

The Kautz climb is reported as significantly more difficult that the more popular Disappointment Cleaver and Emmons-Winthrop routes. Only about 52 percent of potential summiters successfully conquer the route, which can take up to three days to cover its 12 miles.

The Kautz Glacier, as seen from Paradise. Image courtesy the National Park Service