FALL ON ROCK, CLIMBING ALONE AND UNROPED

Wyoming, Devils Tower

This accident happened in 1986, but the details were not sent in until after publication last year.

Scott Hardy (16) was soloing the Durrance Route on Devils Tower when he fell out of the Durrance Crack and landed on top of the Leaning Column, which is about one third of the way up the route. Two climbers discovered him about 0800 on August 25. He was conscious at the time.

Eighteen climbers aided in the rescue, but at the hospital Hardy died from his injuries. (Source: The News-Record, Gillette, Wyoming, August 26, 1986, and M. Girard Bloch)

Editor’s Note: When I climbed the Devils Tower with two friends inSeptember of 1959, only 100 parties had reached the summit. And there were only two routes. Almost 20,000 climbers have been on top now,and yet there have been very few accidents, and this is the first fatality.