Tech Entrepreneur Dies in 2,000-Foot Fall While Descending California’s Mount Shasta
A tech entrepreneur and scholar tragically lost his life after successfully reaching the summit of Mount Shasta in northern California, only to fall to his death during the descent.
On the morning of Sept. 12, a group of three climbers completed their ascent of the 14,000-foot stratovolcano in Siskiyou County via the Clear Creek climbing route, according to the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO). While descending, two members of the group veered off the trail, ultimately becoming stranded on what authorities described as “an ice sheet at the northern tip” of the Wintun Glacier, at roughly 13,500 feet elevation.
In an effort to regain the trail, the climbers attempted to slide down the icy slope. One of them, identified as 45-year-old Matias Augusto Travizano, “began sliding out of control,” the SCSO reported. Travizano collided with a boulder approximately 300 feet below his companion, apparently losing consciousness for several minutes as the other climber tried unsuccessfully to reach him.
Travizano briefly regained consciousness and began moving, but in a tragic turn, his movement dislodged him from the rock, causing him to slide the remainder of the glacier and disappear from sight. The third climber arrived moments later and reported the incident, prompting a rapid response from sheriff’s deputies, who reached the site around 2:27 p.m.
After hours of land and air search efforts, authorities located Travizano near the base of the Wintun Glacier at an elevation of 10,200 feet, confirming that he had fallen roughly 2,000 feet.
Travizano was a prominent figure in the tech world, co-founding and formerly serving as CEO of Grandata, and participating in several other companies within the technology and artificial intelligence sectors. He earned his degree from the University of Buenos Aires in 2004 and, at the time of his death, was a visiting scholar at the University of California, Berkeley.
The SCSO extended its “heartfelt condolences” to Travizano’s family and loved ones. The office also issued a warning to future climbers about the Clear Creek Trail, emphasizing its potential hazards.
“While the Clear Creek Route is considered one of the mountain’s ‘safer’ trails to the summit, climbers can become disoriented in low-visibility conditions, particularly when descending from the summit plateau,” the sheriff’s office said. “Once off trail, these climbers often wander into more hazardous areas in the Ash Creek or Mud Creek drainages, where accidents are more likely to occur.”
The cautionary note follows a similar fatal incident in August, when a 50-year-old man fell while navigating the same trail, highlighting that Mount Shasta, despite its popularity among climbers, carries inherent risks. On average, the mountain sees about one death per year.
Travizano’s death serves as a stark reminder of the dangers climbers face, even on routes considered relatively safe, where a single misstep can have fatal consequences.