Climber Austin King described enduring ‘ruthless’ conditions before his disappearance in September

Austin King, a 22-year-old hiker, left a chilling handwritten note on one of the highest peaks in Yellowstone National Park before vanishing during a solo climb. King, who had summited the 11,400-foot Eagle Peak in Wyoming, has not been seen since September 17, when he last communicated with his family.

A disoriented final message

King’s final voicemails, sent on the day of his disappearance, expressed confusion as he mentioned having taken the wrong path. The messages, believed to have been recorded at the summit, did not reach his father’s phone until a week later. In the note found at the peak, King described the brutal conditions he faced during his climb.

“I can’t feel my fingers, and my glasses are so fogged from the ruthless weather of the mountains,” King wrote. “I truly cannot believe I am here after what it took to be here. I endured rain, sleet, hail, and the most wind I have ever felt.”

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A perilous ascent without equipment

In the mountaintop registry, King recounted how he navigated difficult cliffs without ropes or safety gear, a technique known as free soloing. He admitted to arriving at the summit by “the connecting peak, AKA, not the right path.” Despite the harsh conditions, King reflected on the significance of the day, writing: “I am 22 years old and will not forget today [for] the rest of my life.”

An ongoing search effort

King had been working in Yellowstone over the summer and was scheduled to return home to Winona, Minnesota, shortly after the climb. He embarked on the solo trek on September 14, but concerns were raised when he missed a scheduled boat pickup on September 20.

A massive search and rescue operation has been underway ever since. King’s family has set up a GoFundMe page, which has raised over $10,000 to support the ongoing search efforts.

King’s disappearance continues to baffle both authorities and his family as they hold out hope for answers.