Rappel Anchor Failure—Rock Broke Loose, Fall on Rock, Washington, Mount Stuart

Publication Year: 1996.

RAPPEL ANCHOR FAILURE—ROCK RROKE LOOSE, FALL ON ROCK

Washington, Mount Stuart

On July 10, Kris Stout (30) and his climbing partner had waited out a storm on Mount Stuart before beginning their descent. Stout was preparing to descend by rope when he tied a line around a rock the size of a car.

As Stout leaned back to begin rappelling, the rock broke loose. It rolled over him and fell 150 feet. One climber said the rock should have been there for another 100,000 years.

Stout's partner was left alone on the ledge, where he waited five hours until he was rescued by other climbers. (Source: Yakima Herald, from an article by Craig Torianello, July 23, 1995)