Climber, stuck on 6in ridge, had veered off treacherous path and ‘any fall would almost certainly be fatal’

An ill-fated move left a man stranded on a 6in ledge over 10,000ft off the ground for hours in California’s Sierra Nevada mountain range, before a volunteer rescue team came to his aid.

The climber, who has not been publicly identified, had been scaling the Mendenhall couloir, a gully on the face of Laurel mountain, with a friend on Saturday.

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© Photograph: Mono County Sheriff Search and Rescue Team

© Photograph: Mono County Sheriff Search and Rescue Team

© Photograph: Mono County Sheriff Search and Rescue Team

Given the challenges in forecasting and detecting such calamities, researchers advised banning construction on floodplains and marking out clear evacuation routes.

© Atul Loke for The New York Times

Given the challenges in forecasting and detecting such calamities, researchers advised banning construction on floodplains and marking out clear evacuation routes.

© Atul Loke for The New York Times