Injured climber rescued at Snow Creek Wall in Leavenworth

LEAVENWORTH — Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison reports that a search and rescue operation occurred on May 30, just after 5:00 p.m. in Leavenworth.

The incident involved a climber on the "Outer Space" route at the popular Snow Creek Wall who had fallen and broken his ankle, according to the report.

The “Outer Space” route is described on Mountain Project as “probably the most popular route in Leavenworth,” and is rated a 5.9 in difficulty on a climbing scale ranging from 5.0 to 5.13. The route is considered a “trad” or traditional climb, in which a lead climber places their own removable protection, such as a cam or nut, in cracks as they ascend. Once they complete a section of the route, or the “pitch,” the second climber ascends, removing the gear as they go.

Chelan County Mountain Rescue was contacted and airlifted to the top of "Outer Space" by the Chelan County Sheriff's Office helicopter. The rescue team was able to make their way down the face to the injured climber, stabilized his condition, and then lowered him 800 feet to a more accessible location.

A U.S. Army helicopter assisted by hoisting the individual out and transporting him to Pangborn airport in East Wenatchee. From there, Ballard Ambulance took him to a hospital for treatment.

The rescue operation took around nine hours and was successful due to the collaboration between Chelan County Search and Rescue, Chelan County Emergency Management, the Mountain Rescue Team and the United States Army.