BOULDER COUNTY – Rescuers helped two stranded climbers on the weekend after darkness made it unsafe for the pair to rappel down to safety.
The 11-hour rescue effort started on Saturday just before 8 p.m., when Boulder County Communications was notified of two climbers who had become stuck on the top pitch of the T-2 climb located on Tower Two of the Redgarden Wall in the area of Eldorado Canyon State Park.
The 22-year-old and 20-year-old male climbers, both from Boulder, started their ascent at 2 p.m., but moved slower than expected, the Boulder County Sheriff's Office said in a news release.
By the time they recognized the need to bail from the route, it was becoming dark. The climbers did not feel it would be safe for them to rappel down, especially given they did not have headlamps.
"As a result, they made the wise decision to call for rescue," the Sheriff's Office said.
When rescuers arrived, they were able to pinpoint the location of the stuck parties with spotlights and a team was sent to assist the climbers back to the trailhead, according to the Sheriff's Office.
A team from Rocky Mountain Rescue Group ascended the East Slabs and climbed to the top of Tower Two. From there, rescuers rappelled down to the stuck climbers and assisted them up to the top of the climb.
The climbers were then assisted down the east slabs using several rappels.
Both climbers were able to walk out to the trailhead, with the second climber arriving back at the parking lot at 6:45 a.m. on Sunday. Neither climber required medical attention.
Assisting the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office with the rescue effort was the Rocky Mountain Rescue Group. Mountainview Fire Protection District was also initially alerted.
