One climber fell to his death and several others had to be rescued after conditions turned treacherous on Oregon’s tallest peak.

US authorities said more than half a dozen people had been climbing near the top of Mount Hood when one fell about 1,000ft (305m).

Mount Hood,  notorious for loose ice and rocks in warm weather, is a popular climbing site that has seen dozens of accidents and fatalities over the years. Thousands of people climb it each year, mostly in the spring.

Oregon Mountain Rescue
A rescue helicopter and ground teams attempt to reach stranded climbers on Mount Hood in Oregon (Dave Killen/The Oregonian/AP)

Climbers used their mobile phones to report that conditions were hazardous near the Hogsback area close to the summit of the mountain east of Portland.

Rescuers managed to reach the other climbers on Tuesday afternoon and helped several of them down the mountain.

Authorities did not immediately release the name of the man who died.