On April 8, Stephen Robinson (22) was climbing off-route near Orangeaid (5.10b), close to the last pitch of Castor, when he fell after placing a fifth piece of gear. The fall caused his top three placements (a nut, a 0.75 cam, and an offset nut) to pull. This resulted in at least a 40-foot fall, putting him 15 feet below the belay. Robinson struck his helmeted head during the fall, knocking him unconscious for roughly a minute. Regaining consciousness, he climbed up to the belay and realized that he had broken his wrist (articular radial fracture). The pair rappelled and hiked out.

Analysis

Placing a nut instead of the cam and a quickdraw instead of an alpine draw might have prevented the accident. (Source: Stephen Robinson)