Climber dies from fall on Castle Peak, a 14er south of Aspen

John Aguilar, The Denver Post on Sep 7, 2026

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A climber on Castle Peak died Sunday after falling while climbing the 14,274-foot peak between Aspen and Crested Butte.

The Gunnison County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release that it was notified Sunday that a climber had fallen on the north face of Castle Peak. The agency requested assistance from the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office shortly after noon for an attempted rescue.

Mountain Rescue Aspen personnel deployed to the upper Montezuma parking lot via off-road vehicles while Flight for Life located the climber from the air, according to a press release the organization posted on Facebook. The chopper returned to Aspen to bring additional Mountain Rescue Aspen team members to the area.

Members of the rescue crew reached the climber shortly before 4 p.m. and “determined the individual had sustained injuries that were not survivable.” The climber, who was not identified, was evacuated from the mountainside using a technical lowering system.

Twenty-one members of Mountain Rescue Aspen were deployed Sunday, and they were off the mountain by 8:14 p.m., the release said.

The fatality on Castle Peak Sunday came just three days after another climber died in the Maroon Bells area, also near Aspen.