Hiker

The return of winter has already claimed a life on the tallest mountain in the continental United States, with the death of a hiker on slippery Mt. Whitney, according to the Inyo County Sheriff’s Department.

Over the weekend, the hiker fell in the notorious “99 Switchbacks” section of the main trail, said Lindsey Stine, Community Outreach Coordinator for the Inyo County Sheriff’s Department. The switchbacks begin just above Trail Camp at almost 12,000 feet, where many hikers spend the night before making an early morning start for the 14,500-foot summit.

In the summer, when the trail is dry, the switchbacks section is a long slog, winding back and forth up two miles, and nearly 2,000 vertical feet.

When it gets a big snow, as it did earlier this month, the trail becomes buried and the whole slope becomes perilously steep.

Wes Ostgaard, who said he has climbed Mt. Whitney four times, posted on Facebook that conditions on Saturday were so treacherous he and his climbing partners decided to turn around.

“Winds were extremely intense, and with the recent snowfall, the wind was blasting snow in our faces,” Ostgaard wrote. The snow covered the trail and, in many places, rendered it “invisible,” he wrote.

When Ostgaard and his companions were descending the switchbacks they encountered the body of another hiker who had apparently fallen above a section of steel safety cables and then slid another 70 ft, or so.

“I believe it is highly unlikely he survived,” Ostgaard wrote of the hiker. “There was a fair amount of blood from [colliding with] the cables, and a lot of blood around a rock he made contact with.”

Ostgaard used Starlink to contact his father around 12:30 p.m., who then contacted emergency services. A helicopter arrived about four hours later, Ostgaard wrote.

Another hiker that day, Kirill Novitskiy, encountered the same conditions on the switchbacks on Saturday but made the “wrong decision” to keep climbing.

He made it up with just microspikes — little metal cleats that attach to the bottom of shoes and provide winter traction on flat ground — or on gentle slopes where falling would be no big deal.

But microspikes are notoriously inadequate for winter mountaineering, when a fall could be fatal.

As so often happens in the mountains, when Novitskiy returned to the steep switchbacks after a few hours traveling on relatively flat ground to and from the summit, he discovered conditions had deteriorated so much that he was in real danger and seriously under-equipped.

“I had a couple of dangerous places where the trail became a slope full of powdery snow, and it was very easy to slip off,” Novitskiy wrote on Facebook. “The worst part on the way back were the switchbacks. Almost all the trail was covered with powdery snow brought up with the wind, it was very hard to go with just microspikes.”

Near the cables he saw a pair of trekking poles with nobody around, and then encountered a group of five hikers at the bottom of the switchbacks who told him about the accident.

Anyone attempting to climb Mt. Whitney from this point on in the winter season should bring crampons — much larger spikes that attach firmly to mountaineering boots and dig deep into snow and ice to prevent falls – and an ice axe.

Experts also advise traveling in groups, and bringing a satellite communication device to contact help if anything goes wrong.

So far, the Inyo Sheriff’s Department has not released the identity of the hiker who died.

In January this year, a hiker from Texas died after attempting to climb Mt. Whitney in bad weather. His body was found at an elevation of 12,000 feet near North Fork Lone Pine Creek Trail.

In June, a 14-year-old hiker became delirious on Mt. Whitney and fell off of a 12,000-foot cliff. He survived.

A hiker, who is known for exploring across Wales, made an incredible discovery and shared footage which has left people stunned as they label it a ‘very special place’

Hikers often head to the hills in Wales to explore the endless landscapes with incredible views, and one Welsh rambler has made a stunning discovery while investigating a deserted farmhouse.

Dan, recognised by his online fans as ‘the Welsh hiker’, is renowned for recording his treks and incredible finds throughout Wales. But his most recent expedition left him utterly astounded.

In a TikTok video, he described how he stumbled upon Dinorwic Quarry (also known as Dinorwig Quarry) – a massive former slate quarry situated between the villages of Llanberis and Dinorwig in Gwynedd.

Dinorwic Quarry (Chwarel Dinorig), which towers above Llyn Peris and Llyn Padarn, was formerly the world’s second-biggest slate quarry, functioning from 1787 until 1969, according to Wales Slate.

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And while there are physical traces of its rich history, Dan explained the location is now a favoured spot for rambling and rock climbing, Wales Online reports.

The location was thrust into the spotlight back in July when a landslide occurred at the scenic spot. Dan has since shared a video online of his exploration at the location, and claimed people will never believe what exists within.

He stated the views are simply breathtaking. In Dan’s own words, the location provides “stunning views of the surrounding mountains and lakes,” and in the footage, it’s obvious why he wished to showcase its magnificence.

Dozens of people praised the video and flooded it with comments, describing it as “beautiful”. One viewer said: “Amazing video of a very special place.”

Another added: “Great place to explore. You could spend hours there.” A third also replied: “And the goats are blinkin’ massive,” to which Dan responded: “Massive but cool.”

The quarry, operational from 1787 to 1969, boasts over 30 galleries or terraces, each connected to a rubble tip. A notable feature of the quarry is that they are also linked to one of the inclined railway systems.

After the site closed in 1969, it was quickly acquired by a company that developed a hydroelectricity scheme in the area, allowing nearly all the structures to survive.

The Australia gallery, housing a large mill building and electrically powered equipment from the 1920s, is a prime example of this.

Although Dinorwic Quarry is deemed an abandoned industrial site, it’s not entirely unused. Parts of the site have become a popular destination for activities like climbing and hiking, and it even hosts a power station.

Mining operations ceased in 1969, leaving behind a dramatic landscape filled with ruins, old machinery, and railway tracks that highlight the area’s rich industrial heritage. Perhaps this is why so many people find the site so fascinating to visit.

Speaking about the safety of exploring the site, Llechi Cymru said: “The Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales is undoubtedly fascinating, but by its very nature can be remote, dangerous and challenging.

“A significant proportion of the landscape is within private ownership and some of this on land where no public access is permitted.

“Before you set off to explore the slate landscape, ask yourself, am I allowed to access this site? Do I have the right gear? Do I know what the weather will be like? Do I have the knowledge and skills for the day? Go to AdventureSmart.uk to find out how to enjoy your visit safely.”

Rescuers in the rugged Eastern Sierra are searching for a Seattle man who has been missing since early September — and possibly longer — after climbing among some of California’s most remote and daunting mountain peaks.

Billy Pierson, an experienced alpinist, was in California getting in shape for an upcoming trip to Nepal, according to a comment his brother, Steve Pierson, left on Facebook.

On Aug. 9, the alpinist was hiking with a friend. “After their hike, he separated from that friend and is believed to have headed toward Inyo County,” the Inyo County Sheriff’s office said in a news release. “He was later reported missing on September 10, 2025.”

It was not immediately clear when Billy Pierson separated from his friend, or who was the person who reported him missing. The Inyo County Sheriff’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.

Billy Pierson, an experienced alpinist, was in California getting in shape for an upcoming trip to Nepal.

(Inyo County Sheriff)

It is believed Pierson was attempting the Palisades Traverse, a classic and technical mountaineering route along the Sierra crest that covers close to 20 miles and crosses the summits of five mountains taller than 14,000 feet.

In addition to climbing the challenging peaks, mountaineers also often have to navigate the Palisades Glacier, one of the last true glaciers remaining in California.

Steve Pierson said his brother’s plan was to begin, or end, his epic trip at Temple Crag, a familiar landmark to seasoned Sierra climbers and hikers that towers above the magnificent, glacier-fed Big Pine Lakes.

The Inyo County Sheriff’s office, working with Inyo County Search and Rescue, scoured the area around Temple Crag with no success.

Pierson is 5’9”, 165 lbs, and was last known to be carrying a large, navy blue or gray backpack. He was wearing black and yellow shoes and liked to hike in a baseball cap with a bandana underneath.

News that Pierson is missing follows several other incidents this summer in which hikers got dangerously lost or were found dead.

On Sept. 12, an Argentinian climber fell 2,000 feet to his death on Mt. Shasta. The 45-year old tech executive had summited successfully, but lost his way on the descent, winding up on the steep and icy Wintum Glacier. He attempted a controlled slide to reach the safety of a trail below, but lost control, collided with a boulder, and eventually slid the length of the glacier.

Also in September, a San Luis Obispo County man — Kirk Thomas-Olsen, 61 — was found dead in Yosemite National Park more than 20 days after he was expected to return from his solo hike.

In August, a boy scout troop hiking in the Emigrant Wilderness north of Yosemite National Park came upon a 78-year old man who had spent a night without food, water or shelter in the mountains. He had lost his pack and seemed incoherent when the scouts found him and escorted him to safety.

A hiker who was attacked by a bear — probably a grizzly — in Yellowstone National Park this week has been released from the hospital.

The 29-year old man had been hiking alone on the remote Turbid Lake Trail when he apparently surprised the bear, according to park officials. While trying to use bear spray, he sustained “significant but not life-threatening injuries to his chest and left arm,” according to officials.

National Park Service medics responded to the scene, and the victim was able to walk with them to the trailhead, where he was loaded into an ambulance and taken to a nearby clinic. From there, a helicopter flew him to a hospital. He was released Wednesday.

As is true in the rest of the U.S., bear attacks are exceedingly rare in Yellowstone. Since the park was established in 1872, eight people have been killed by bears, according to the park’s website. For comparison, 125 people have drowned and 23 have died from burns after falling into hot springs.

Even seeing a grizzly bear is pretty uncommon in the lower 48 states. Prior to 1800, they were much more common, with an estimated 50,000 roaming the American West. But European settlers viewed them as a mortal threat to people and livestock and hunted them to near extinction, reducing their number to less than 1,000 in the contiguous U.S.

Thanks to recovery and conservation efforts in recent decades, the population has increased to nearly 2,000, mostly in Wyoming, Idaho and Montana, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Still, the specter of a bear attack, especially by a grizzly, is enough to make most hikers’ blood run cold. While experts tell backcountry travelers to stand their ground and fight back if attacked by a black bear, the standard advice for years has been to lie down and play dead in the face of a much larger, more aggressive grizzly.

That advice has been updated lately, but not by much. A national parks website providing guidance on what to do says, “If you surprise a grizzly/brown bear and it charges or attacks, do not fight back! Only fight back if the attack persists.”

The hiker who was attacked on Tuesday told park officials he thought it was a black bear, but the location, behavior and size of the bear made park staff suspect it might have been a grizzly.

Discovery of an animal carcass near the attack, and confirmation that bear tracks found nearby were left by a grizzly, support that conclusion.

The trail has been closed indefinitely and rangers swept the area to make sure there weren’t any other hikers in imminent danger.

As for the bear? Parks officials say it was probably surprised too and merely acting in self-defense. So the park, “will not be taking any management action against the bear.”

Last year, Jon Kyle Mohr faced a similar encounter with a black bear in California’s Yosemite National Park.

He was less than a mile from the end of a 50-mile ultra-run he had started 16 hours earlier in Mammoth Lakes when he saw a huge black shape charging at him.

In an instant, he said, he felt “some sharpness” on his shoulder followed by a powerful shove that sent him stumbling in the dark. When he turned around, people about a hundred feet away were shining their headlamps in his direction and shouting, “Bear!”

It worked. The bear disappeared into the darkness and Mohr was left with torn clothes and a few scratches, but no more serious damage.

Asked how he felt about the experience, Mohr said he was incredibly shaken at first, and lucky it had happened near the Vernal Falls trailhead, one of the most populated places in the park.

But after a day or two to reflect, he had settled into a more zen frame of mind.

“It was just a really strange, random collision,” he said. “If I had rested my feet for 20 seconds longer at any point,” during the 16-hour run, “it wouldn’t have happened.”

Aug. 15 (UPI) — A 26-year-old man was found dead on a mountain of Japan’s northernmost island on Friday, one day after the hiker was reported missing in a brown bear attack.

The body was found in eastern Hokkaido, the Asahi Shimbun reported. Police said rescuers found his shirt with bloodstains earlier in the day. Hokkaido, which is bordered by the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk and the Pacific Ocean, is the second largest, but least developed, of Japan’s four main islands.

The victim was identified as Sota Keisuke, a company employee from Tokyo’s Sumida Ward, NHK reported.

The man and a friend, also in his 20s, were descending the 5,450-foot-tall Mount Rausu on the Shiretoko Peninsula, when a bear approached.

The friend said the man was walking ahead of him.

“He was trying to fend off the bear but was dragged into the forest,” NHK quoted the man.

Fearing the bear dragged his friend away, he called the police.

Authorities then closed the trail.

Seventy-one people were airlifted out of the area.

A man’s body was found on Friday morning, and his identity was confirmed at 3:20 p.m.

Hunters searching for the man shot and killed three brown bears at 1 p.m. Friday in the area where the body was later found.

On Sunday, another hiker was followed by a bear. A 68-year-old climber from Shikoku said he encountered the bear while hiking down the mountain. He said he was about 16 feet from an adult bear with two cubs.

He said he retreated with other hikers, but the bears returned to the trail and followed them uphill. When they reached the entrance to the Osawa area, they disappeared.

“It was the first time I encountered a bear on a hiking trail,” said the man, who has climbed mountains in Japan and elsewhere, told The Asahi Shimbun. “Although they didn’t show any signs of attacking, I felt tense.”

Fifty-five people have been attacked by bears in Japan between April and July this year, according to the Environmental Ministry by the Japan Times.

Mount Rasau has a high population density of brown bears. The mountain was given World Heritage Status in 2005. The mountains straddle Rausu and Shari towns.

If people encounter a bear, the Hokkaido Prefectural Government advised them to slowly and quietly step backward.

“Don’t throw rocks or shout and run way since it may provoke the bear,” it said on its website.

The Guardian reported that experts said attacks increased last year because of the scarcity of acorns and other staples. In addition, bears have traveled farther because of development.

But incidents dropped in March as food became more plentiful

In April, the government allowed bears to be shot in urban areas.