Two Bend climbers rescued after getting stuck 200 feet up Smith Rock’s Red Wall

TERREBONNE, Ore. (KTVZ) – Two young Bend men found themselves stuck 200 feet up while rappelling down Smith Rock’s Red Wall late Friday afternoon when their climbing ropes got tangled at the top, prompting a call for help and a rescue operation that took until after dark to complete, officials said.

Deschutes County 911 got a call around 4:30 p.m. from a climber who said he was with a partner rappelling over Red Wall when their ropes became tangled at the top after attaching to an improper anchor point, said sheriff’s Deputy Kyle Joye, assistant Search and Rescue coordinator.

The caller said the pair, ages 19 and 20, were 70 feet from the edge of the wall and about 200 feet from the ground. They advised dispatchers they were unable to continue any further down the wall without assistance.

The Mountain Rescue Unit of Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue was activated and seven volunteers responded, along with a Special Services deputy, Joye said.

The deputy made phone contact with the climbers, learning their exact position and finding they were uninjured but in need of help with the tangled equipment to rappel safely the rest of the way down.

Around 5:10 p.m. the deputy and an MRU volunteer arrived and were able to spot the pair on the wall, Joye said. The volunteer hiked to the top of Red Wall on the Misery Ridge Trail in an attempted to free the tangled equipment, while the remaining members prepared for a technical issue.

The volunteer reached the top of Red Wall around 5:45 p.m. and was able to free the ropes, allowing the climbers to continue their descent.

But after descending about halfway down, the climbers stopped due to safety concerns, lack of proper equipment and being unfamiliar with the route, Joye said. It was then decided more technical help would be needed to bring the climbers the rest of the way.

Search and Rescue MRU members then set up a rappel system on the wall to safely descend to the climbers’ location, where they were provided more gear and clothing so they could safely descend the rest of the way. Joye said the climbers reached the trail shortly before 8 p.m. and were able to hike out of the park without further help.

SAR volunteers cleared the scene around 9 p.m. after descending and retrieving their rescue gear.