On June 13, a male climber (41) sustained a leader fall on Raunchy (5.8) and sustained minor injuries. After the fall, it was determined that the patient, a diabetic, was hypoglycemic. The extent to which hypoglycemia contributed to his fall, or if there were other contributing factors, is unclear. Rangers responding to the incident treated and managed the patient’s low blood sugar before addressing and treating the other injuries. The patient required some splinting and care to be safely extracted from the cliff area.

ANALYSIS

Individuals with conditions that formerly might have kept them from backcountry recreation are utilizing new technologies that allow them to venture further outdoors. In this case, a preexisting medical condition may have contributed to a climbing accident. Managing medical conditions in abnormal situations could make the difference between a good experience and one requiring intervention. This could be done through taking intentional incremental steps in any new activity to properly balance your health. (Sources: Mohonk Preserve Rangers, Dan Cassidy, and Andrew Bajardi, Chief Ranger.)