On July 25, a male climber (48) was hanging from a fixed rope while cleaning a new route near the Mesa Verde Wall. The climber’s rope dislodged a dinner plate–size rock from above that fell and struck him on the head. He was not wearing a helmet. The climber lowered to the ground where a friend called 911. The Deschutes County SAR team evacuated the injured climber using a wheeled litter. (Source: Deschutes County SAR.)

ANALYSIS

Rockfall must be anticipated when cleaning any new route. Wearing a helmet could have prevented or reduced the severity of head injury caused by the falling rock. When cleaning a new route, identifying loose rock to either side of the proposed line is a good idea as it might be dislodged by the rope or by climbers lowering off the route. (Sources: Deschutes County SAR and the Editors.)