Bodies of missing climbers found

Searchers found the bodies of a Spokane climber and his son Saturday in a rugged wilderness area in Chelan County southwest of Leavenworth following a days-long hunt.

The bodies of Otto Vaclavek, 53, and his 12-year-old son, Max, were found about 3 p.m. in the area of Dragontail Peak, which rises roughly 8,800 feet in the Wenatchee National Forest, said Chelan County sheriff’s deputy Gene Ellis. It appears they may have fallen onto rocks, Ellis said.

The pair, both experienced climbers, started their trek Sept. 15 and were supposed to have returned Monday, he said.

The search, which included Vaclavek’s co-workers from Spokane Valley-based outdoor outfitter Mountain Gear Inc., began Thursday after Vaclavek’s wife reported them missing Wednesday, Ellis said.

Earlier Saturday, the searchers found two backpacks belonging to the pair in the area. Teams of technical mountain climbers checked climbing routes there, said Ellis, who coordinated search efforts.

Hikers often “stash their heavy overnight packs and hide them at the base of where they’re taking off” to lighten their loads and climb faster and higher, Ellis said.

The bodies were brought down about 5 p.m. by helicopter, Ellis said.

The size of the search party grew from about 10 on Thursday to 62 on Saturday, including a bloodhound tracking dog from Okanagan County and crews from Spokane, King, Chelan and Yakima counties, Ellis said.

Helicopters started searching Thursday. Gusty winds of 30 to 40 mph prevented helicopters, including one from the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, from getting airborne until about 10:30 a.m. Saturday, he said.

The Vaclaveks’ vehicle was found parked at the Stuart Lake trailhead.

Mountain Gear owner Paul Fish, reached by cell phone Saturday before the bodies were recovered, said he was helping with rescue efforts but declined further comment. Efforts to reach relatives were unsuccessful earlier Saturday.

Dragontail Peak, named for the “rock needles” on the crest southwest of its summit, is the second-highest peak in the Stuart Range, according to SummitPost, www.summitpost.org. It lies near Colchuck Lake in the popular Alpine Lakes Wilderness, about 10 miles southwest of Leavenworth.

“Otto’s been in the climbing business for many years,” said Shaun McHenry, who works at Mountain Gear’s retail outlet.

McHenry said the father and son were going to do some backpacking and maybe attempt to climb a peak or two, where weather could have come into play.

It’s “very steep, very rugged terrain” there, he said.

Max Vaclavek was an honors student at Roosevelt Elementary School last school year. He had been climbing since age 7, Ellis said.

Of Otto Vaclavek, McHenry said, “He was a really nice, really friendly guy.”