Climber Dies in Patagonia, Family Wants to Bring Her Home

An American climber named Cassy Doolittle died last week while climbing in Patagonia, now her family is hoping a recovery team can bring her home. This information comes from a fundraiser that was started by Desiree Bates, a friend of Doolittle who worked with her at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

“Pam, and her husband Dan, learned Christmas evening that their daughter, Cassy Doolittle, sent out a distress call while rock climbing in Argentina,” Bates wrote. “Two days later, they received the devastating news that their daughter had perished. During this difficult time, I seek your help in supporting the Doolittle family by helping them to bring Cassy home.”

Top Patagonia climber Colin Haley recently posted a note on social media, saying, “The arrival of that storm caused a death by hypothermia below Aguja Guillaumet – one of two fatal climbing accidents during the past couple of weeks here in El Chaltén.” Doolittle was reportedly in the area of Guillaumet.

“At about 10:00 pm on Christmas Day, Cassy hit trouble due to freezing rain and high winds,” said Bates. “She perished. Her body could not be recovered due to unforgiving terrain and too few rescue volunteers. Her parents have hired a team to recover her remains and transport her to a funeral home.”

Included in the fundraiser are memories friends and family of Doolittle’s shared. “I can only speak from her community of folks on the road, but I know that she had many little pockets of climbing communities who she loved dearly and who love her,” said Cece and Cassy’s climbing friends in Joshua Tree.

“Cassy was loved by her family, friends, and community,” wrote Bates. Our condolences to Doolittle’s family and friends. To donate to the fundraiser visit here.