Don Heller

[gyselinck]

Does anyone know the story of what happened when he was descending from Asgard Pass. How was he killed? I looked around but couldn't find anything.

[MisterMo]

I knew Don but was not present at his accident. As I recall he slipped on snow descending from Aasgard Pass in the winter, slid a great distance, and died shortly thereafter from a head injury. I cnnot remember the year but it was in the 1970's.

[Norman_Clyde]

From Jim Nelson's Selected Climbs in the North Cascades , volume 1, Second Edition:

"Triple Couloirs first winter ascent: via First Couloir (Hidden Couloir) to its end (bypassing Second Couloir) and Third Couloir, Cal Folsom and Don Heller, January 1974 (tragically, Don Heller was killed on descent)"

[Jason_Martin]

In "Washington Ice: A Climbing Guide" on pages number 125 and 126...

 

"Don Heller slipped below Asgard Pass on the descent and was killed."

 

Jason

[stillcrankin]

Don Heller took his crampons off at the top of Asgard Pass after his and Cal Folsom's ascent of something on Dragontail. He must not have realized how icy it was. He slipped and fell a thousand feet or so down the pass, going over hummocks and small cliffs in the process, until he finally stopped. He then stood up, stuck his ice axe in the snow, and ran another thousand or so feet down the pass before he sat down and died. A tragic end to a good friend and longtime climbing partner. I still miss him and think of him often.