Western Mountain Rescue Team

04/15/2026

Thank you to all the amazing telecommunicators across the nation who make our work possible, you are incredible!

WMRT deeply values our relationship with Gunnison Regional 911 Center. Thank you to our first-first responders.🫶

💛This week, we proudly recognize National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, April 12–18.

Behind every call for help is a calm, steady voice guiding the way. Our 911 professionals are the first, first responders, providing life-saving instructions, coordinating emergency response, and supporting our community through some of its most critical moments.

Their work is often unseen, but never unimportant. We are incredibly grateful for our team's dedication, professionalism, and commitment to serving Gunnison and Hinsdale counties every single day.

To all 911 Professionals, thank you for being the voice that makes a difference. 💛

04/13/2026

Here’s a second photo dump‼️
Thank you to for spending your weekend taking pictures for us! And thank you to all the members and evaluators who contributed as well.

04/13/2026

BIG NEWS‼️‼️
This weekend, the Western Mountain Rescue Team tested against the MRA Accreditation standard and we remain the only mountain rescue team accredited by the MRA who's membership is primarily college students!

We passed:
Our Scree scenario: unanimously
High angle scenario: unanimously
Search scenario: unanimously
Avalanche scenario: 12/14 votes
Winter technical scenario: 13/14 votes

A huge thank you from the team to all the members of teams who travelled to evaluate our performance!

We look forward to five more years of training to pull people out of the back country and dedicate our time to the community and backcountry enjoyers.

We look forward to seeing all the amazing teams in our region of the MRA again soon!

03/12/2026

This last weekend, the team hiked 3 miles into Gothic for our annual Winter Overnighter. We completed two tech scenarios, one avalanche scenario, and several practice stations, all in preparation for our upcoming reaccreditation. A huge shoutout to the women of the team in the spirit of international women’s day this last Sunday!

Did you know the Western Mountain Rescue Team’s leadership this year is primarily women? Women have the majority vote on our Board and our team membership is pretty evenly split between men and women!

02/28/2026

Proud to share that our team was featured in Colorado Country Life in the article “The Next Generation of Search and Rescue.”
It highlights the training, teamwork, and commitment that goes into serving our community here in Colorado’s backcountry.
With our MRA (Mountain Rescue Association) reaccreditation this year, we’re continuing to push ourselves to maintain the highest standards in mountain rescue.
Check out the article below to learn more about the team!

https://coloradocountrylife.coop/the-next-generation-of-search-and-rescue/

02/27/2026

We are so appreciative of our story being shared. Western Mountain Rescue is always here for anyone who needs our help in the backcountry!

🚨 Meet the next generation of search and rescue heroes! 🚨
From rugged backcountry calls to life-saving missions, Western Mountain Rescue Team — a student-led search and rescue group at Western Colorado University — is redefining what it means to serve and protect in Colorado’s wild places. Learn how these dedicated volunteers balance college life, intense training, and real rescues that save lives. 🏔️💪

👉 Read the full story and see why their training, courage, and commitment matter: https://coloradocountrylife.coop/the-next-generation-of-search-and-rescue/

02/14/2026

Always remember to pick a good one! Your Valentine could end up being your emergency contact!🫀

12/31/2025

Fun Fact: Our reaccreditation with the Mountain Rescue Association is in 2026! We have increased our training load and are working hard to perform at the best of our abilities.

12/22/2025

Ryan White, one of CSAR's program managers, played basketball in high school. Now that he's the director of the Western Mountain Rescue Team and has to balance many important things - risk, performance, teamwork, mission response time, team culture development - he says he embraces the role of coach and mentor, just like on a traditional sports team.

From our family to yours, please consider supporting the Colorado search and rescue community this holiday season.

12/08/2025