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Climber dies after fall near Capitol Peak

Staff Report

A Kentucky man died Monday climbing on Christiana Peak, near Capitol Peak, the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office said.

A news release said the office received a call at approximately 5:45 p.m. from a climber in the Capitol Peak area. The caller reported that Travis Boyle, 41, of Union, Kentucky, had fallen approximately 200 feet, and a third climber was stranded on a cliff band above the fallen climber.

Authorities figured out that the climbers were in the vicinity of a lesser peak in the area, known as Christiana Peak, which is due west of Capitol at an elevation of approximately 12,751 feet.



Mountain Rescue Aspen was notified, and with the assistance of Flight for Life from Frisco, volunteers landed at Capitol Lake at approximately 7:50 p.m.

Boyle died from the fall.



In the dark, the Mountain Rescue Aspen volunteers were able to reach the stranded climber on foot. The rescuers took that person down to Capitol Lake. All volunteer rescuers and the original climbing party set up camp and spent the night at the lake.

Eight rescue personnel from Mountain Rescue Aspen on Tuesday recovered Boyle’s body.


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