Officials Fear Climbers May Have Fallen Into Treacherous Gullies

By
ABC News
February 27, 2008, 10:56 PM ET
2 min read

Dec. 19, 2006 — -- Climbers Jerry "Nikko" Cooke and Brian Hall are still missing on Oregon's Mount Hood, while the body of Kelly James is on its way home after being recovered on Monday from a snow cave 11,000 feet above ground.

Now, searchers worry that anchors and lines found on the mountain might indicate that the two remaining climbers were blown -- or slipped -- off a 60-degree slope.

They may have fallen into one of the worst areas of the mountain's north face: the gullies, which are steep, treacherous drop-offs that have swallowed many climbers over the years.

"We failed them. We literally failed them, but you know, we tried our best," Hood River County Sheriff Joe Wampler said at a news conference on Monday, referring to the devastated James family.

Treacherous weather conditions are preventing ground crews from excavating the part of the mountain where Cooke and Hall may be.

"There's been a lot of avalanche, snow activity in that area. It's too dangerous for us to put ground crews in there," Wampler said.

Hall's "Brothers" Continue the Search

Still, many hold out hope, especially four men from Texas who say Hall is like a brother to them. They came to Mount Hood to aid in the search.

"If I was on that hill lost, Brian would be there in a second, without a doubt," said friend Scott Herrera, "so I'm here for him."

Herrera and Hall's three friends work together at a gym. They believe in their hearts that Hall is still alive in the snow.

"He's a very strong-willed person, a very intelligent person, and whatever it would take for him to survive, those are the things he's doing right now," Fred Stephenson said.

Despite the vast expanse of the mountain, these men remain undeterred.

"Once you're up there, you can't imagine how much ground there is to cover. … It's so enormous you almost feel lost," Stephenson said. "The hope is still there."

One thing they know for sure is that they are not leaving until Hall is found.

ABC's Chris Cuomo asked Hall's friend Mike Sullivan how hard searching on the mountain had been.

"It's better than sitting at home," Sullivan said. "And having to deal with the possibility that I might live another 60 years and regret the fact that I didn't try."