On October 6 at approximately 5:45 p.m., four climbers called 911 to report a fallen male climber, later identified as Scott Dewey, 31 years old, near Rincon Wall in Eldorado Canyon. The climber was alone without a rope, harness, or gear and was presumed to be free soloing. There was no evidence of rockfall at the scene. There were no witnesses to the fall, and the exact route that Dewey was climbing isn’t known. Dewey was found unconscious, not breathing, and had no pulse. He was declared deceased later that day.

ANALYSIS

While the details of Dewey’s accident are not known, unroped climbing is inherently hazardous. According to the victim’s personal Mountain Project page, he began free soloing regularly several months before his accident. Most of the routes he had climbed unroped were ones which he had previously redpointed. Even so, the routes were only a few grades below those which he was typically leading. This style holds much greater consequences than other forms of climbing, and it is a personal choice of whether or not to accept those risks. (Sources: GymClimber.com, The Editors.)