Colorado Peak Claims Another Life

A weekend ascent of one of Colorado's most storied peaks turned fatal Sunday. Rocky Mountain National Park officials say a climber died on Kiener's Route on the upper east face of Longs Peak, the 14,259-foot summit west of Estes Park, per KMGH. Search and rescue teams were alerted early Sunday afternoon; a Teton County helicopter assisted in the recovery, which wrapped up Monday morning.

Authorities have not released the climber's identity or explained what went wrong, and the investigation is ongoing. More than 70 people have died climbing Longs Peak, the park's tallest mountain, since the park was founded more than a century ago, per the Coloradoan. Indeed, the very first ascent via Kiener's Route in 1925 proved fatal, per USA Today. The route—temporarily closed but since reopened—is considered the least technical way up Longs' steep east face, requiring "intermediate alpine climbing skills" and a day or two of climbing, the outlet reports.