Fall on Rock, Protection Pulled Out, No Hard Hat, Colorado, Eldorado Canyon State Park, Red Garden Wall
FALL ON ROCK, PROTECTION PULLED OUT, NO HARD HAT
Colorado, Eldorado Canyon State Park, Red Garden Wall
On September 10, 1994, a climber (30) was leading on “Blackwalk” (5. l0b/c) on Red Garden Wall. He was 30 feet off the ground and five feet above his last and only piece of protection. He slipped and fell, pulling the 2½ inch Friend out. He hit his head on a
rock when reaching the ground (no helmet). The belayer said that the victim was a 5.12 climber with years of experience. He sustained a broken hip, collarbone and ribs, and fractured skull—but should survive. (Source: Steve Muelhauser, Park Ranger)
(Editor’s Note: Eldorado State Park experiences hundreds of climbers and thousands of climber days each year because of the proximity to the large Denver-Boulder population. Currently, registration is not required. A total of twelve accidents were reported for 1994— not a large number. Three of these were bouldering falls with inadequate spotting, and one was an overdue party that ended with fatigued but uninjured climbers.)