Visitor dies in 200-foot plunge after ‘misstep’ on Telluride cliff, Colorado cops say

An “amazing day” climbing near Telluride turned tragic when a visiting Arizona woman plunged 200 feet to her death off a cliff, Colorado officials say.

Anissa Larson, 53, of Tucson died Aug. 5 while scaling the Via Ferrata, a technical climbing route in a box canyon equipped with metal cables bolted to the rock wall, KCNC reported.

“She and a friend were having an amazing day, both commenting on how perfect their vacation was,” the San Miguel County coroner’s office reported, according to the station.

Then an apparent “misstep” while not clipped to the lines sent Larson plummeting 200 feet to her death, the county sheriff’s office reported.

Another climber 100 feet behind the two “heard something alarming” and turned to see Larson’s body below him, the sheriff’s office said. He called 911, bringing more than 30 deputies, rescuers and firefighters to the scene, but Larson had been killed in the fall.

“This is a tragic accident and unimaginable loss for this woman’s family, and on behalf of the Sheriff’s Office, we offer our sincere condolences,” Sheriff Bill Masters said in a statement.

The Via Ferrata, Italian for “iron route,” is a newly legal climbing route on “breathtaking and exposed” rock walls in a box canyon, a Telluride tourist guide says.

“At its most intense, you’re suspended on a small iron foothold by a harness at 500 feet,” the site says, adding it’s “not for the faint-hearted.”

Climbers have to unclip and clip back onto the metal cables to pass the bolts, KCNC reported.

The sheriff’s office emphasized that Larson was not clipped onto the line when she fell and said an investigation found no equipment failures or other problems. She and her friend were not on one of the guided tours offered on the route.

“The Via Ferrata is a hazardous climbing route that attracts more and more people each year,” Masters said. “This incident is a horrible reminder of the dangers inherent to this climb.”

This story was originally published August 12, 2021 at 10:55 AM with the headline "Visitor dies in 200-foot plunge after ‘misstep’ on Telluride cliff, Colorado cops say."