Some stories say more about a guiding team than any brochure can. This one was sent to us by Austin Nelson, manager at Surefoot in Aspen, Colorado - and it is his to tell.
April 2012, Worthington Glacier
“Back in April of 2012, I was part of a four-person group accessing Mt. Worthington Glacier by snowmachine to enjoy an awesome day of skiing. Things went dark when I fell 80 feet into a hidden, snow-covered bergschrund. My three buddies immediately assessed the situation and feared this would be a recovery mission.”
None of them had much experience with crevasse rescue. But they had noticed a helicopter parked about a mile away - and going for outside help was, they judged, the fastest and safest way forward. When they reached the machine by snowmachine, it turned out to be Valdez Heli-Ski Guides.
Jed Workman gets on the snowmachine
“Lead guide Jed Workman immediately jumped onto the back of the snowmachine, whipped up to the site, and started to assess the situation. They roped each other in and slowly approached the edge, fearing they too could fall in - or worse, that they would hear no response after yelling down. I was thankfully conscious and able to communicate back that I was okay, but had severely broken my leg. The next decision was swiftly made: fly the helicopter in to assist with what was now a time-sensitive rescue.”
“Within two hours I was safely pulled from this massive dark hole and greeted by plenty of very well trained, respected professionals who I thank every day for saving my life. If it were not for Valdez Heli-Ski Guides being in the area to assist with such a rescue, I know for a fact that I would not be here today. Thank you Jed Workman, thank you VHSG.”
Austin was not our guest. He was a skier in trouble on a mountain where our team happened to be working - and that is exactly the point. The training, the rope work, the decision-making under time pressure: these are not lines on a resume. They are what our guides do, on the ground, when it counts.
