FALL OR SLIP ON ROCK, PROTECTION PULLED OUT

Tennessee, Tennessee Wall, Blood-on-the-Rocks

Fellow climbers and rescue crews evacuated an injured climber on January 25 at the Tennessee Wall after she took a serious leader fall.

Jesse (22) was leading Blood on the Rocks (5.10b/c) in the north section of T-Wall. Witnesses said three or four pieces of gear pulled when she fell, causing her to fall to the ground—about 30-3 5 feet. The route is an 85-foot, single-pitch.

She had previously fallen on a BD C3 #1 and it held fine. She attempted the move again and fell, this time with devastating results when the cams pulled out of the crack. However, there was enough tension on each piece to slow her down. Landing on her back resulted in a broken pelvis, wrist, and C2 vertebrate.

Analysis

Always check your gear placements after a fall. Falls move gear and can weaken their position. (Source: From a post on Mountain Project and Aram Attarian)