The latest facts of the most recent fall off Capitol Peak are coming out, and it's very sad. This young guy {21} had no business being there, IMO. That may sound harsh, but it seems so clear. His climbing companion was older and more experienced, and must be feeling horribly. The young guy filled in as the partner at the last minute, as it sounds.
The young guy had never climbed {or hiked in terms of the really gentle ones} a 14er. He was wearing flat soled skateboard shoes. Dressed in all cotton. They summited at 3:15PM, having gotten a late start. Luckily the weather had not turned. He saw what looks like a trail heading toward the North Face, and the Lake. It's not the trail that you descend on. If it were safe, and quicker, it has been pointed out by many that it would be THE route down. It's not.
It brings you to the edge of a cliff. It is technical climb. The older climbing companion told him not to go that way. He did. The older guy told him to use his cell phone light to try to signal him if he were in trouble later in the day/night and stuck up there. He saw no lights. The older guy had reached their campsite near the lake at about 7PM.
And we now know, the younger man's body was recovered the next day, all signs pointing to a fall off the North face. This body was something like 100 yards away from where the bodies of the couple who fell a week earlier were found. Sounds so similar. I bet the younger guy may not have even known about their fall.
I have family in Aspen. Knowledgeable climbers, hikers, skiers, etc. The town is really saddened by this. Lots of discussion of people heading up with questionable experience, no skills, etc., and what to do about it. Five deaths in one season on Capitol Peak. Sad.
Aspen also lost a much beloved ski instructor, Angus Graham, in a car crash in OR over the weekend, BTW. Awful.