Mt. Hood a popular but dangerous peak

GOVERNMENT CAMP, Ore. (AP) – A fatality and an hours-long rescue effort to bring other climbers off Oregon’s tallest peak as a storm approached underscore the dangers of a mountain that’s soared in popularity due to its proximity to Portland.

More than 10,000 people attempt to summit Mt. Hood each season, but more than 130 have also perished on its icy slopes.

There are no requirements for summiting the dormant volcano and no mandatory registration rules, making its peaks crowded.

Thirty-five-year-old climber Miha Sumi died in a fall Tuesday and several stranded climbers had to be rescued.

Officials say the Portland man had mid-level climbing experience and was properly equipped with an ice ax, crampons and a helmet.

The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office says Sumi was dead on arrival at a Portland hospital after he was airlifted off the mountain by a National Guard helicopter.

Other members of the group told officials that Sumi slipped on ice and fell. A solo climber was the first to reach him and began administering CPR. Several other climbers also provided aid.

Authorities say more than a half-dozen people had been climbing near the summit when the climber fell about 1,000 feet.

Mt. Hood, a peak notorious for loose ice and rocks in warm weather, is a popular climbing site that has seen dozens of accidents and fatalities over the years. Thousands climb it each year, mostly in the spring.

Climbers used their cellphones to report that conditions were hazardous near the Hogsback area by the summit.