A Montana nurse survived a freak accident on the state’s tallest mountain and then faced a nearly 10-mile journey back to safety with a trekking pole still lodged through his side.
David Cifaldi, 32, was climbing Granite Peak with friends Jesse Ross and Brad Reich on July 20 when he slipped on rocky terrain. When he rolled over, he noticed that one trekking pole was on the ground while the other had pierced his body.
His friends used a Garmin emergency communication device to contact rescuers, but Cifaldi remained calm and assessed the injury using his medical training. The group ultimately decided that he was stable enough to attempt the long hike back to the trailhead.
Cifaldi completed the difficult descent in about six and a half hours before receiving medical care. Doctors successfully removed the pole, and he is now recovering from the accident.
A Trekking Pole Went Through His Side
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Cifaldi and his friends had planned to climb Granite Peak and return in a single day. According to KTVQ, they were only about two miles from their destination when Cifaldi slipped and landed on one of his poles.
“By the time I rolled over, I kind of knew something wasn’t right,” Cifaldi told KTVQ.
The pole had gone through his side, but Cifaldi was not experiencing significant bleeding or severe pain. He could also feel the pole through his skin and was able to take deep breaths, leading him to believe that it had not reached his vital organs.
After the group contacted rescuers, they decided against a helicopter evacuation and began retracing the route they had already climbed.
He Walked Nearly 10 Miles Back to the Trailhead
The return journey required Cifaldi to move carefully through rocky terrain, snowfields, and long switchbacks while avoiding another fall. According to People, he used the chest strap on his running vest as a makeshift sling to help stabilize the pole.
Ross walked ahead to help select the safest route while Reich followed Cifaldi and watched the injury for any changes. Cifaldi later said that he did not believe he could have made the journey alone.
“Mystic Lake is a very popular trail,” Ross said to KTVQ. “There’s families, and he even had us hike ahead and warn people so young kids didn’t have to see such a gnarly wound. Just so selfless.”
After about six and a half hours, the three hikers reached the trailhead and completed the nearly 10-mile journey.
Doctors Found a Way to Safely Remove the Pole
Cifaldi was first examined at a nearby clinic before his friends drove him to Intermountain Health in Billings. The trekking pole remained in place until surgeons could determine how to remove it safely.
Cifaldi told KTVQ that his surgeon tied a drain to the end of the pole. When the pole was pulled out, it guided the drain through the wound, allowing doctors to continue treating the injury.
The pole was removed successfully, and Cifaldi is now recovering. He said the accident could have ended very differently if the pole had entered his body only a few centimeters farther in either direction.
The Friends Still Want to Conquer Granite Peak
Granite Peak rises 12,799 feet above the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness and is the highest point in Montana, according to Visit Montana. The wilderness contains rugged high-elevation terrain, hundreds of alpine lakes and more than 20 peaks that exceed 12,000 feet.
Despite his frightening experience, Cifaldi has not given up on reaching the summit. He and his friends hope to return to Granite Peak after he has fully recovered and complete the climb they started.
Ross suggested that they may make one change before their next attempt. “Maybe we go without trekking poles next time,” he joked with KTVQ. Next time you think you can’t make it any further on a hike, you might remember this story.