Two teenage hikers rescued from Capitol Peak early Wednesday

[BillMiddlebrook]

Can someone explain how physically one can go down this path that looks like a shortcut, but are unable to go back up? I've never been on Capitol.

No, we can't explain it.
Just like we can't explain why they would go that way in the 1st place. Exhaustion, stress, confusion, not thinking clearly. Who knows

[justiner]

Can someone explain how physically one can go down this path that looks like a shortcut, but are unable to go back up? I've never been on Capitol.

I can try. The top of the gully looks reasonable, but the bottom gets looser and steeper. You'll get to the point where it cliffs out. Unable to go down further, you now find that you cannot go back up the loose terrain. Perhaps it's because you can't get good purchase, or because fear has now gripped you -- and that fear could be well-placed. Your mind makes the judgement call: "going up is too risky: you could rip off a hold, fall, and die".

A series of small mistakes have now compounded into a real emergency. Perhaps it started because you left late, or didn't get good sleep the night before. You didn't eat enough and are now overly tired. You didn't research the route. You decided there is a shortcut without any evidence but you think you know better. Now you're in a pickle. You're going to somewhat "Jesus Take the Wheel" the situation by continuing down. Oftentimes you can get away with this -- I've done many a spirit quest down questionable terrain. But the problem with Capitol is that it's unlike terrain that most people are exposed to, so the rules are different. Climbers understand cliffs; hikers not always. If you're always in terrain with built-in safety ropes (metaphorical or otherwise) it's going feel weird when they're gone.

I'm happy they called SAR and got out. They could have tried to continue to downclimb, or try climbing up, both of which could be deadly.

I'm not totally for or against signs, but they're not a panacea. They do allow us in the peanut gallery to go, "but there was a sign!" and that I think feels good for us that are not in the emergency situation.

[seannunn]

The Long Ranger has a good point. They made a "dumb" decision to try to take a shortcut, but fortunately they made a smart decision in realizing that, then another smart decision in realizing that they couldn't get out of the problem themselves.
A rescue is much better than a body recovery.

Sean Nunn
Peculiar, MO

[bdloftin77]

There is also such a thing as "trailhead fever", and Wildernessjane's account of her partner wanting to bail down a miserable slope seems to fit the bill. Sometimes people are exhausted or in over their heads or trying to escape a storm and "just want to get down", but that can lead to dangerous shortcuts down unknown terrain. A few areas on other 14ers that were former shortcuts that were closed and signed would be the saddle between Redcloud-Sunshine or the McCoy Creek canyon between Shav-Tab. A sign in Cap seems like a good idea (as much as I hate extra signs) to keep people from this gully.

Good point! I hadn’t heard of that term before, but I’ve definitely experienced that before.

[nyker]

I am really glad it worked out for these two kids and this wasn't a bad ending.

Signage or not signage, require permits or no permits, not sure what the solution is to help reduce injuries or fatalities.

I have no idea who these two teens are and what their experience is but one thing we all need to collectively remember is that not everyone who climbs a tough mountain does the extensive research that many of us here assume everyone does prior to a climb. We assume a would-be hiker/climber has all the right gear, has wicking clothes, proper footwear, is acclimatized and hydrated, mentally prepared, has a map/compass/GPS, researched the route and any options therein and committed to memory every turn in their head, has a sufficiently early alpine start, whatever, and many times, many people simply have not and show up late in a cotton shirt and blue jeans with a coke and fritos and go; maybe out of necessity, i.e. they can't afford the latest in gear or simple ignorance or maybe its worked before why not do it again.

From the countless hours we spend poring over trip reports and route descriptions, we might be acutely aware of the hourglass on Little Bear, the inherent loose terrain in the Elks, the crux on Kit Carson not to miss and of course the dreaded shortcut on Capitol, the list can go on. But many don't and might go on trip on a whim, follow someone's social media and think it would be cool to get a selfie up there or are gently coerced into a trip by a friend because they don't want to go alone. Some highly skilled climbers view 14er Class 3-4 routes as a "walk up" and after reading the umpteenth FKT story, just decide to go do it with minimal gear or practice. Sometimes it works out especially for the very experienced, sometimes not. When a less experienced person tries the same thing, often the latter results. These days depending on the climber, risks often are either muted or greatly exaggerated, neither really helping a newbie in trip planning.

In NY, there is a requirement for summit hikers in winter to have snowshoes or skis when there is >= 8" of snow; else risk a ticket/summons, fine and/or turnaround. I've been stopped on high peaks trails by rangers in the middle of a route as they check peoples gear. Is that the solution? Don't know. Am sure that would upset many people. Maybe it would also save a life here and there. Should we blame those seemingly reckless hikers who show up unprepared or seek to educate them?

On my first 14ers, 20yrs ago, I was what I'd probably refer to now as a bit unprepared in hindsight; I carried a branch as a hiking stick, not the then-Euro style trekking poles (which are ubiquitous now), had no helmet, used a camelback and overly heavy 40-50L pack and way too many clothes, clunky gloves and hadn't yet found my groove in prep training and the altitude always killed me those first few years. Even with a keen interest and reading all the right things, it took a while to dial in my routine as to what worked for me, before getting to the mountain and while on it. Unfortunately, sometimes pain and experience is simply the best answer, hopefully one can get away unscathed, sometimes, sadly not.

Irrespective of the mountain, in the climbing community there is also an ego-driven reluctance to use a Guide on the harder peaks and often an interest to "go it alone" or to announce you did it "solo" or unguided and advertise that fact, I don't know why to be honest but it surely exists.

There is even disdain felt from some others when someone climbs with a Guide, discouraging more novices to use one when they probably should. Risk taking is celebrated more these days vs a conservative thoughtful approach. Am sure many recall the hapless newbie who asked if they should use rope on Longs or a Guide on any "standard route", they're usually crucified. Maybe that ethos needs to change.

When contemplating Rainier, I felt it best to use a Guide rather than try it solo or with a buddy; I felt it reckless to go on my first glaciated peak with no prior experience and just go, did others think I was being too cautious? Maybe, but who cares. Did that minimize the experience? I don't think so, I thought of it as a live classroom to step up my mountain game and learning from those who were far more experienced. I remember coming down when those in the parking lot or lower slopes asked "how was it? or did I do it solo?" Often I got a response, such as "I'd never use a guide" I'm not sure why the reluctance. Maybe these folks are their own mechanics, electricians, self lawyers, Calculus tutors and have to be their own authority, I don't know.

To the point below:

"Can someone explain how physically one can go down this path that looks like a shortcut, but are unable to go back up? I've never been on Capitol"

Many people see what looks like a shortcut and think "hey, this looks like a good idea"; its worked before on similar hikes, lets do it. Add in the factors that Justiner outlines, add then in the effects of altitude and all those things become exacerbated particularly decision making and clear thinking. Sometimes its dumb luck. Many of us have taken a wrong turn, ever so slight that turns into a situation more potentially dire the more steps we take. The fear is real and impact on decision making is real as it becomes more visceral, hard to describe unless you've experienced it. Not everyone has the Amygdala that Alex Honnold has. I've been up high on a mountain on seemingly benign slopes when stomach issues or nausea suddenly hits and it gets scary sometimes fast until it passes then it settles down. I can imagine if I were on a slope high up like that where I can't go up or down or sideways and night is approaching, mind starting to race and the panic that might set in. Coupled with the effects of high altitude and dehydration, I'd think it would be really bad to experience that.

[Veory]

Can someone explain how physically one can go down this path that looks like a shortcut, but are unable to go back up? I've never been on Capitol.

Loose rock is much easier to manage on the way down than the way up. If you kick something loose going down it'll just fall, but turn around and suddenly it feels like you'll pull the mountain down on top of you.

In addition, they very well could've made some drop/jump moves that were tricky to scale upwards.

[mtnkub]

in the climbing community there is also an ego-driven reluctance to use a Guide on the harder peaks

I have used guides in the past and hope to do so again a bit more, especially now in my older age and abroad. But i would reject that the motivation behind reluctance to use a guide is mainly "ego-driven" (as much as i would reject any "guide-shaming"). For many, it is mainly a matter of money. And then there is the joy in developing the skills to do things on your own.

[the_hare]

I think there needs to be an educational push like there's been for riptides and quicksand about how melting snow in couloirs can make them look like false trails. A lot of times the melt removes rocks and uncovers lighter colored dirt to make a flat path-width ribbon down from the top and center of a couloir. That makes it appear like a trail or at least like people have gone down that way to someone who's not familiar with the route or too tired etc to reason otherwise.

After evidence recently came out about the long time high-profile missing person case off Holy Cross I'm pretty sure a similar thing happened there where she mistook the top of the Angelica couloir for the trail back down off the mountain.

[Snow_Dog_frassati]

I am really glad it worked out for these two kids and this wasn't a bad ending.

Signage or not signage, require permits or no permits, not sure what the solution is to help reduce injuries or fatalities.

Mountains are dangerous and Colorado is a populous state.

We can do our very best to educate, share, and inform but the fact remains: Mountains are dangerous.

[Eli Boardman]

In NY, there is a requirement for summit hikers in winter to have snowshoes or skis when there is >= 8" of snow; else risk a ticket/summons, fine and/or turnaround. I've been stopped on high peaks trails by rangers in the middle of a route as they check peoples gear. Is that the solution? Don't know. Am sure that would upset many people. Maybe it would also save a life here and there. Should we blame those seemingly reckless hikers who show up unprepared or seek to educate them?

I don't like the nanny-state solution of criminalizing questionable choices in the mountains. Part of what attracts me to mountaineering is that it's everyone's personal choice to make decisions that might get them killed. I think better social media posting, emphasizing the risks and how we chose to accept/mitigate those risks, can go a long way to re-normalizing the idea that "mountain climbing is kind of dangerous, so be careful and do you research."

That said, if there were ever a wilderness location ripe for a sign, it might be that gully.

Also, I'm surprised someone hasn't (to the best of my knowledge?) gone and completed the gully "route" as a technical climb just for the heck of it.