Arizona, Camelback Mt. On 22 December, Peter Sandberg (28), his wife Nancy (27), and A1 Dutton (38), drove to Camelback Mt. in Phoenix where they planned to do a 200-foot rock climb called the Icebox. Sandberg climbed the first 60 feet of the climb (grade 4) and belayed Dutton to a small cave 20 feet below and to the left of the vertical part of the climb (grades 5 & 6). While Dutton was tying into an anchor piton in the cave, Sandberg belayed his wife to a comfortable ledge 30 feet to the right of the climb where she would be out of danger of rock fall and could take photographs. Both Sandberg and Dutton wore hard hats.

Once on belay, Sandberg climbed 80 feet straight up, utilizing pitons already in place in addition to driving several of his own. The rock, a loose conglomerate, seemed to become more rotten towards the upper reaches of the climb. At this point the route previously used traverses diagonally up to the right, then back to the left in order to bypass the final overhang. The traverse gains 30 feet in elevation and is unprotected. The rock is unstable. Sandberg decided to try and force a direct route over the final overhang rather than climb the unprotected traverse. Although he had a ¼ inch bolt kit with him, he decided to try and place a piton in the overhang before resorting to bolts as his stance was uncomfortable. After some time he was able to start a 5 inch Austrian ring piton which drove hard and went in up to the ring. It produced a rising pitch and when tested seemed secure. Sandberg clipped a three-rung stirrup into the piton, stepped up on it, and immediately felt it pull. He fell a total of 80 feet pulling several pitons on the way down, and landing on the sloping ledge at the base of the vertical section of the climb. At the point of impact a piton 40 feet up held, keeping Sandberg in a vertical position and preventing him from falling another 60 feet to the ground. The force of the fall picked Dutton up from his stance and slammed him against the cliff. Dutton’s anchor piton held.

Sandberg was unconscious and hanging in the rope which had pulled up to the middle of his chest and was restricting his breathing. Mrs. Sandberg traversed to her husband and managed to pull him onto the ledge where she had been standing. After loosening the waistloop, she descended 60 feet and ran for help. Dutton secured the belay rope and went to the aid of the victim.

Sandberg was on the ledge for an hour before the ambulance arrived. Dutton, with the aid of police and other climbers in the area, set up belays for the stretcher and conducted the rescue using standard methods. Sandberg was rushed to the hospital. He suffered severe shock, a broken thigh bone, cracked pelvis, two fractures in the lower back, and numerous lacerations. He was in the hospital for 42 days but is expected to recover fully.

Source: Sandberg and Dutton.

Analysis: (Sandberg) I believe the major cause of this accident was the unpredictable soundness of this type of rock, and my own carelessness in not producing a greater margin of safety to allow for it. Had I placed the bolt below the overhang the climb could have been made safely.

The use of hardhats saved both Dutton and me serious head injuries. His head struck the top of the cave when he was pulled off his stance, and mine hit with enough force on the way down to knock the hat off in spite of a tight chin strap. The tying in of the belayer is an obvious climbing essential.

Dutton had been climbing only a few times before this accident and deserves great credit for holding the fall and organizing the rescue operation.