California, Tahquitz Rock—On May 30, a fatal accident occurred at Tahquitz Rock. There were two groups of moderately experienced climbers. Neither was affiliated with the Sierra Club. At the time of the accident one party of two was climbing on the upper part of a route called the Trough, and was perhaps 200 to 300 feet above the ground. The other party of three had started climbing the Trough, one man at the top of the first pitch, the second man part way up the pitch, and the third man (Daniel Guinier, 24) standing on the ground about 20 feet to the right of the actual start of the pitch.

A rock was accidentally dislodged by the upper party. Since the route runs diagonally to the right, the rock fell not down the route but across the face just to the right. A call of “rock” was made and the climbers below ducked. Guinier was kneeling against a large rock at the base, out of the way of the falling rock. However, the rock hit a large limb (about 2 inches in diameter and 3- to 4-feet long) on a nearby dead tree. This branch was broken off with great velocity and hit Guinier end-on at the center of the back of his head. It drove his head against the rock and either the direct blow or striking the rock instantly killed him. The geometry of the accident seems a bit implausible or at least makes the probability of the accident incredibly small. Nevertheless, the accident did happen and examination of the victim and the dead branch would not permit any other explanation. A test for pulse within one minute of the accident showed no heartbeat, and competent medical help which was available within three minutes confirmed that death must have been instantaneous. Opinion was divided on whether a hard hat would have prevented death.

Source: C. H. Wilts.

Analysis: It does not appear that carelessness or improper techniques were in any way involved in dislodging the rock. The occurrence was one of the accidents whose possibility is unavoidable whenever more than one party ascends a single route. Such accidents can be eliminated in part by strict adherence to the rule that only one party may climb on a given route (or on any of a group of nearby routes) at one time. Therewill still remain, however, the similar accidents in which the second or third man on a rope is hit by a rock dislodged by his own party. This class of accident probably cannot be eliminated—it can only be minimized by constant vigilance and perhaps by more widespread use of hard hats as standard climbing gear.