Rescue crews conducted a technical rescue of two hikers who became stranded on steep ledges on Mount Washington yesterday.
According to New Hampshire Fish and Game officials, they received a report of two hikers who were stuck on the Huntington Ravine Trail on Mount Washington shortly before 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 15.
After speaking with the hikers via cell phone, it became apparent to conservation officers that the hikers would need assistance to safely move from the steep ledges that had stranded them.
The hikers were instructed to shelter in place and to wait the two to three hours that it would take for rescuers to reach them.
By 9 p.m., rock climbers from Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue Team, Mountain Rescue Service, and New Hampshire Fish and Game were descending into Huntington Ravine from the area known as the Alpine Garden.
Rescuers reached the two hikers at 9:40 p.m. and got them into climbing harnesses and helmets.
The rescue team then assisted the two up the mountain, using ropes in the steeper sections of trail.
Everyone involved arrived safely at the Mount Washington Auto Road at 10:47 p.m.
The two hikers were identified as Simon Letellier-Julien and Promise Espejo, both of Boucherville, Quebec.
Officials said the pair had read a description of the trail prior to their hike, but they had underestimated the difficulty involved.
The Huntington Ravine Trail is widely considered to be the most difficult hiking trail in the White Mountains.
Officials said there are many other trails that hold similar perils regarding steep ground and technical terrain, and hikers should heed warnings.
