There was a dramatic rescue yesterday There was a dramatic rescue yesterday afternoon on the north face of Pic de Font Frede (2738m), after an alert was raised by Andorran firefighters concerning a stranded Spanish mountaineer. The climber, alone and blocked in a steep, rocky couloir, was unable to progress or communicate his exact location.
Initially, the mountain rescue team, comprising two rescuers from Perpignan aboard the helicopter Dragon 66, anticipated manageable weather conditions based on webcam observations from Porté Puymorens. However, upon arrival, conditions had deteriorated significantly, with strong winds and dense fog preventing an aerial rescue. Unable to spot the climber, rescuers had to be winched down beneath the cloud layer and continued on foot, employing GPS, compass, and a map to navigate the severe conditions.
During their ascent, rescuers tried to located the climber with an avalanche beacon, but as expected this was without success. The strong south winds were piling new snow into the couloirs and the risk was confirmed after triggering an avalanche during an initial rappel attempt—the rescuers made the difficult decision to abort the direct descent due to danger both to themselves and the climber below.
Meanwhile, a second rescue team, dispatched from Osséja and approaching on touring skis, was able to establish phone contact with the climber, who had managed to switch on his mobile phone. The climber, positioned 100 meters below the summit in the "S couloir," was suffering from hypothermia, having lost a crampon and glove.
Despite significant avalanche danger, the second rescue team pressed ahead, ultimately locating the mountaineer at a critical rocky section. The victim exhibited stage-one frostbite but remained stable. With no possibility for air evacuation due to persistent poor visibility, rescuers swiftly secured and extracted him using alpine ropes.
All involved safely returned to Porté Puymorens station by early evening, where medical teams from SAMU provided immediate treatment to the climber.
Safety Recommendations
The PGHM remind backcountry travellers to:
The rescue team thanked the Dragon 66 helicopter crews and the Porté Puymorens staff for their logistical support.