An experienced 55-year-old mountaineer died in a 100-foot fall from 14,197-foot Crestone Needle in the Sangre de Cristos on July 9. Although he had climbed the peak at least twice, he and his team got off route and into more difficult terrain duri...
SHOCK IS DEFINED as inadequate delivery of oxygenated blood (perfusion) to the tissues and organs of the body. Insufficient perfusion results in deranged cell function initially and eventually cell death if left untreated. Climbers should be able ...
A 24-year-old climber fell at least 70 feet to the ground at Redgarden Wall on April 9, sustaining significant injuries. The 5.8 variation he was attempting has a PG-13 hazard rating. A complete report was not available, but witnesses said the fal...
On August 15, 2015, at approximately 4 p.m., Tony M. (37), an experienced traditional and alpine climber, fell approximately 20 feet on the east arête of the north summit of Split Mountain (14,058 feet) in the Palisades region. He and his partner,...
EVEN AT A DISTANCE, the sound of a person hitting the ground after a 70-foot fall is unmistakable. On April 9, 2016, I was approaching the Whale’s Tail in Eldorado Canyon to follow a novice trad climber up his first lead in the Colorado state park...
Tiny cams pulling out of cracks frequently contribute to accidents reported in these pages. Often, these cams are deformed by twisting and impact forces, leading climbers to conclude the units have “failed,” when the real culprit is almost alway...
During a stretch of good weather in March, Mike Brumbaugh and I established a new route on the red sandstone of the North Fork of Taylor Canyon, in Zion’s Kolob Canyons. I had been eyeing a potential line on a south-facing wall visible from the Ta...
On the east-facing aspect of the Monolith Cirque, the towering sub-buttresses of Dog Tooth Peak are stacked up like a row of teeth, impossible to ignore when walking in either direction along the North Fork Trail. Even though climbing history here...
A climber with less than three years of experience attempted Mother I (5.7+ wide crack) with limited appropriately sized protection, which required bumping pieces up the crack as he ascended. The climber placed cams at 10 feet, 45 feet, and 60 fee...
As she prepared to rappel the Durrance Route’s approach pitch, an experienced, 56-year-old climber decided to partially coil the ropes and carry them with her as she descended, so she could avoid knocking rocks on people below. During her rappel, ...
On the morning of August 26, I launched from the Big Sandy Trailhead to attempt a Cirque of the Towers traverse in a day. (This route links eight peaks with 5.6 to 5.8 climbing and extensive scrambling and hiking.) I had completed the traverse in ...
On August 11, at approximately 4 p.m., a woman went to the Lupine Meadows Rescue Cache to report that her friend, a 30-year-old male, was stuck on Mt. Moran and needed help. They had had been communicating by two-way family radio. With the use of ...
On August 9, at approximately 4:15 p.m., ranger Schuster received a transferred cell phone call from a climbing party on the Lower Exum Ridge of the Grand Teton. The caller stated that he was in visual and voice contact with two climbers on the Pe...
At approximately 1:18 p.m. on July 24, Teton Interagency Dispatch Center received a call from a group of 20 hikers that had summited the Middle Teton and were descending the South Fork of Garnet Canyon. The caller reported that a 25-year-old femal...
On July 23, at about 10:30 a.m., an individual high on the Grand Teton reported by cell phone that he had heard a person fall from above, hit a ledge near him, and then continue down into Valhalla Canyon near the Black Ice Couloir. Shortlytherea...
Climber 1 (24-year-old male) and Climber 2 (27-year-old female) each had been climbing for about two years. They had limited alpine experience, and this was their first climb together. On July 3 they went to Jenny Lake Ranger Station for informati...
At 7 p.m. on August 23, Jesse Grupper (age 18) was attempting an unclimbed project (now 5.13d) during the first deep water solo competition on real rock in the United States: PsicoRoc 2016 at Summersville Lake. After successfully negotiating the c...
At 4 p.m. on April 8, Connor Damato (age 21) was attempting to lead Jesus Is My License Plate (5.10d), a sport route on Long Wall. This was Damato’s first outdoor roped climbing experience and his first day of lead climbing. He and his partner had...
Just after 5 p.m. on May 12, a male climber (age 29) was attempting to lead Cottonmouth, a 5.10a sport climb at Cotton Top, a small crag on the north side of the New River Gorge. The climber moved quickly through he lower portion of the climb. Onc...
About 10 p.m. on March 26, people at Camp Muir notified rangers that two climbers had not returned from their summit bid and their gear was still in the shelter. At 9:30 a.m., Monique Richard, 41, could be heard yelling for help above Camp Muir.Af...