Mount Shasta Climber Survives 500-Foot Slide, Crawls Overnight to Safety

Q: What critical mistake turned a mountain descent into a deadly 500-foot fall that forced a climber to crawl for his life?

The critical mistake was trying to glissade down Mount Shasta’s icy Avalanche Gulch route and losing control on the steep snow-and-ice slope. According to the U.S. Forest Service and rescue accounts, Zubayir Kazi had reached the summit but, during the descent, attempted to slide down the mountain. On late-season Mount Shasta, officials say Avalanche Gulch can be especially hazardous because of firm snow, ice, exposed rock and changing conditions. Those factors make a glissade far more dangerous, particularly on a route where climbers are expected to have full snow-travel gear and self-arrest skills. That loss of control sent him roughly 500 feet down the slope. The fall caused major lacerations and serious foot injuries and also cost him his food, water, phone and light, leaving him stranded alone overnight. With no way to call for help, he crawled downhill through the night to avoid exposure and eventually reached Horse Camp Cabin, where another hiker found him. Safety guidance tied to the incident is clear: Avalanche Gulch is a serious mountaineering route, not a casual hike. Rangers stress that climbers need an ice axe, crampons, helmet, navigation tools, practiced self-arrest ability, enough daylight, backup electronics and emergency supplies. Officials also warn climbers not to go alone and to think carefully before glissading in steep or icy conditions.

1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 26

Zubayir Kazi, 24, said he survived a roughly 500-foot fall on Mount Shasta after losing control while glissading down Avalanche Gulch on Sept. 10.
Without food, water, a phone or a light, Kazi said he kept moving downhill through the night because stopping or falling asleep could have killed him.
Swelling forced him to remove his boots, and he crawled until reaching Horse Camp Cabin, where a hiker found him the next day and gave him food and water before rescuers arrived.
Doctors later told Kazi he could have died within hours; he said he suffered major skin and nerve damage and serious internal complications.
The Forest Service said his route knowledge and telling friends his plans aided the search, while Kazi now urges climbers not to go alone and to prepare for self-rescue.