Two skiers who became stranded on a cliff near Smuggler’s Notch Resort in Vermont were belayed to safety by rescuers yesterday.
According to members of Stowe Mountain Rescue, they received a report of two young skiers who got themselves “cliffed-out” near Smuggler’s Notch on Saturday, March 21.
The skiers had reportedly made the mistake of following other skiers’ tracks into unfamiliar terrain and had not intended to leave the resort.
During their descent, they skiers reportedly got sucked into a gulley and they removed their skis in the hope they could bust through into easier terrain.
However, they ultimately found themselves stuck in an icy chute with no safe way up or down.
The skiers called for help and rescuers told them to sit tight until they could reach them.
Members of Stowe Mountain Rescue said the weather was good and there was plenty of daylight left for the rescue.
They sent two fully-equipped teams into the area: one from the bottom traveling up the Notch road by ATV followed by a steep climb uphill, and one from from the top riding the Sunny Spruce chair lift and traversing the terrain in snowshoes for half a mile to come in above the skiers.
The bottom team made it to the skiers first, climbing up and safely belaying them out of danger.
