Summit day on Mt. Rainier had just begun. Less than an hour out of high camp, carefully leading her team up a well-trodden boot track, Rita Hansen suddenly plunged into a crevasse. After falling more than 60 feet, she was completely buried by falling ice and snow. Amazingly, Rita was basically unharmed. But she couldn’t move. In episode 55 of the Sharp End, Rita shares the details of her 2007 accident and rescue, a story she has never told publicly before.

The Sharp End is presented by Mammut, with additional support from Desert Mountain Medicine and Suunto. This podcast is produced by the American Alpine Club.