Climbers Spot Giant Animal Trapped On Mountainside In Colorado And Realize It’s Tangled In Rope

What was supposed to be a normal day of ice climbing in the Colorado wilderness quickly turned into something none of them expected to see.

Three ice climbers were out enjoying the early morning outdoors when they noticed movement on a steep, icy slope nearby. At first, it was hard to tell what they were looking at, but as they got closer, the situation became clear.

A massive elk was stuck on the mountainside, and something was seriously wrong.

The animal’s antlers were completely tangled in a climbing rope, and every time he tried to move, he only got more twisted up. Trapped on the steep slope with no way to escape, the elk was completely stuck.

Because the climbers had spotted him first thing in the morning, they realized he had likely been trapped there all night. Knowing the situation could quickly turn dangerous, they immediately called for help.

By 9 a.m., a team from Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) — Lucas Martin, Alyssa Meier, Paul Rivera, and Anna Markey — arrived on the scene.

Once they assessed the situation, it was clear that the elk was under a huge amount of stress. He was also young, estimated to be just over two years old, and weighing around 700 pounds.

A full-grown elk bull can reach up to 1,100 pounds, but even at this size, safely handling him on a steep icy slope required caution.

The team decided the safest option was to temporarily sedate the elk so they could carefully remove the rope tangled around his antlers. Once the animal was calm, they got to work cutting him free.

But even after the rope was gone, the situation wasn’t over. The elk was still stranded on the steep slope, and getting him safely down was the next challenge.

That’s when something unexpected made a huge difference: the ice climbers themselves. Using their experience with ropes, anchors, and pulley systems, they worked alongside the wildlife team to help slowly lower the elk to safer ground.

What started as a chance discovery turned into a coordinated rescue effort between professionals and strangers who simply didn’t want to walk away.

The rescue began around 7 a.m., when the elk was first spotted, and didn’t finish until about 11 a.m., four long hours of careful teamwork.

Finally, the elk was safely on solid ground. Once the sedation was reversed, it didn’t take long for him to wake up, regain his strength, and run off into the forest, free at last.

For the climbers, it wasn’t the day they had planned. But it was one they’ll probably never forget.

And for one young elk, it was the difference between a dangerous night trapped in the cold and a second chance in the wild where he belonged.