Mt. Hood is a notorious place for winter fatalities and now tragedy has struck again. On Friday, December 12, three climbers were announced missing on Oregon’s tallest peak after they did not return in the afternoon as they had planned.

Search and rescue missions began late Friday evening and on Saturday rescuers found the body of Luke T. Gullberg, 26, at around 9,000′ on the Reid glacier. It appears that Gullberg fell a significant distance, but the cause of the fall is unclear. Gullberg was believed to be a competent climber, as he had climbed Mt. Hood six times before.

The search for the other two climbers is still underway, but poor weather conditions are making the efforts excruciatingly difficult. Last week’s extremely cold and dry conditions combined with overnight snowfall of eight inches creates serious avalanche risk, which has caused search crews to deploy helicopters and airplanes to carry out further operations.

Rescuers also face search implications due to the climbers vague information on the climbing register. In one particular instance, the group referred to one of the mountain’s prominent features, the “Hogsback,” as the “Dogsback.” This bit of information is confusing because the Hogsback is located near the top of the Palmer glacier on the south side and the group indicated plans to ascend via the Reid glacier on the western slope. It’s possible the climbers planned to ascend via the Reid glacier, then descend the Palmer glacier back to Timberline Lodge. Friends of the climbers have also given search and rescue crews conflicting information on the group’s route choice.

“It’s frustrating because instead of having one place to look, we have many places,” says Steve Rollins, a Portland Mountain Rescue veteran.

There’s a lot to be learned from this incident. Providing a clear, accurate and detailed trip plan is invaluable and should never be neglected nor taken lightly. The climbers were smart to inform multiple parties about their trip, but their failure to make sure everyone involved was on the same page is a problem and has made rescue missions more difficult. Whenever you plan on going out into the backcountry, do not forget to provide numerous family and friends with a detailed trip sheet and ensure everyone receives the same report. Aside from the key details, remember to include information such as “equipped to stay out until,” gear list, and phone numbers of local ranger stations. Doing so will greatly increase chances of survival, should adversity occur.

Our thoughts and hearts go out to the climbers and all those involved in bringing them back to safety.