Climbing
Missing Air France Pilot Tom Gerbier was found deceased at the North Face of Mount Whitney, CA, on October 19, 2023. Gerbier, had been reported missing by his airline after he failed to show up for a scheduled flight to France from Los Angeles on October 18, 2023. Gerbier had arrived in the country as co-pilot on the AF66 Air France flight on Monday afternoon on October 16 and was on a two-day layover. The French national had a permit to climb Mt Whitney on October 17 via the North Fork of Lone Pine Creek trail and Mountaineer’s Route. The 38-year-old had last texted his family that morning, confirming he was setting off on his hike. Gerbier was described by his family as an ultra runner and experienced mountaineer.
Inyo County Search and Rescue team set out on October 18 and located his rental vehicle at Whitney Portal trailhead and a search was initiated, including aerial searches by helicopter, but no sign of him was found. Even high-altitude infrared and thermal imaging plane flights left search and rescue with no clues to his whereabouts. The search continued on October 19, both on foot and by helicopter. Multiple search teams were deployed from Sequoia and Kings National Park (‘SEKI’), California Highway Patrol (‘CHP’), Inyo County Search and Rescue as well as Mono County Search and Rescue with specialist equipment, including RECCO-locators.
A break came when another French mountaineer ascending the Mountaineer’s Route found a discarded piece of equipment high on the route at a precarious spot called ‘the Notch’. This is where the Mountaineer’s Route meets the exposed rock face of Mt Whitney known as North Face. Inyo County Search and Rescue ground teams hiked around to the North Face and located more equipment matching the description of Gerbier’s equipment. A SEKI helicopter flying over the area located a motionless climber and recovered the body. He was identified as Gerbier and confirmed to be deceased from a fall.
At 14,494 feet, Mt Whitney is the tallest mountain in the contiguous US. Nestled in the vast Sierra Nevada mountain range, which extends 430 miles across eastern California, Mt Whitney is a popular trekking destination. Inyo County Search and Rescue would like to remind everyone at this time about the technical difficulty of climbing Mt Whitney via the Mountaineer’s Route. It is a very technical route requiring high-level mountaineering skills and equipment. It is not a hike and has claimed multiple lives in recent years. No matter how skilled you are, accidents can happen to anyone and rescue can be hours or days away. It is safer to not set out alone and it is important to carry an emergency locator or notification device with you.
