Mention the term ‘cliffed out’ to an experienced hiker, and you might just see them shudder. The mountainside phenomenon is one of the worst things that can happen on the trails, and something that most of us try to avoid like the plague.
It sounds scary because it is, and to make matters worse, getting cliffed out happens more than you might think. It's especially common in mountainous environments like the high Rockies. When visibility is limited and terrain is tricky, hikers can often become lost and find themselves cliffed out with nowhere to go.
