First a Climb, Then Earthquakes, Then a Rescue

The Argentine climber stranded on Canada's highest peak has been rescued after four days. Natalia Martinez was stuck at about 12,800 feet on Yukon's Mount Logan after two earthquakes—of magnitudes 6.3 and 6.4, reports the Guardian—left the ground unstable. She was rescued via helicopter Thursday night during a break in the bad weather that had kept rescue teams from reaching her earlier, the CBC reports. Her partner, Camilo Rada, says the 37-year-old's health is good, but a pilot with the company that originally flew her to base camp says her experience was an intense one. "The earthquake, for want of a better term, really shook her up and ... she actually had to go through quite a strong storm," he says.

Rada, however, notes Martinez's extensive experience with Patagonia's "serious weather" left her knowing exactly how to manage the situation, though "it's very tiring." Upon getting off the mountain—she wasn't expecting to be rescued for another day, though the Canadian Press reports her food supply was still good—Martinez enjoyed a warm meal, a hot shower, and the ability to sleep in Friday morning. Solo ascents, as Martinez's was supposed to be, are rare on the mountain, which sees about 25 climbers try to conquer it each year. (The number of people who may attempt to climb Everest this year is much higher, and that could be a problem.)