Accident Reports ANAM
Near Miss — Open Grigri Oregon, Climbing Gym

On March 24, while at a rock gym, Bystander 1 and Bystander 2 were alerted by a belayer that he needed assistance. A climber was top-roping near the end of a route and the belayer’s Grigri was not fully closed. This left the outer plate open and t...

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| Published 2024 | Author Ruby Piechocki


Accident Reports ANAM
Bouldering Fall — Missed the Pads North Carolina, Crowders Mountain State Park, Dixon School Boulders

On February 18, my friend and I (Anonymous) hiked to the Dixon School Boulders for a session. We’d been climbing there for a number of years. After warming up in the Lower Patio Area, we went to the classic Galvatron (V3). Since we often climb tog...

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| Published 2024 | Author Anonymous Climber


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock North Carolina, Blue Ridge Mountains, Laurel Knob

Laurel Knob is one of the tallest crags in the eastern U.S. and home to some serious multipitch climbing. Formerly a clandestine climbing destination on private land, the 1,200-foot granite dome was purchased by the Carolina Climbers Coalition i...

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| Published 2024 | Author Lead Climber


Accident Reports ANAM
Long Pendulum fall North Carolina, Linville Gorge, Amphitheater

The rugged Linville Gorge is a quality Southeastern climbing destination and also a designated wilderness area. The relative isolation of these crags needs consideration when planning a climb. Photo: Ken Thomas — Wikimedia On January 19, MC a...

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| Published 2024 | Author James Massey, James Robinson, Burke County SAR and The Editors


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock — Protection Pulled Out North Carolina, Linvile Gorge, Table Rock Mountain

On August 2, a climber fell while leading a route on Table Rock Mountain. She was unaware of it at the time, but she had broken her back. Despite the injury, she self-rescued shortly before a thunderstorm doused the crag. Photo: Anonymous climbe...

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| Published 2024 | Author Climber 1


Accident Reports ANAM
Ledge Fall North Carolina, Pisgah National Forest, Looking Glass Rock, Fate Osteen Crag

AH (37) and CE (48) met online and decided to go to the Fate Osteen Crag for some rock climbing. On November 29, they got to the base of Twist of Fate (2 pitches, 5.7) and decided that CE would lead the first pitch (5.7). AH joined CE at the belay...

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| Published 2024 | Author Karsten Delap and The Editors


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock — Lowering Error, Clipped Wrong Rope at Anchor New York, Shawangunks, The Near Trapps Area

On October 14, Mohonk SAR rangers responded to a climber who had fallen to the ground while being lowered from Outer Space (5.8) in the Near Trapps area. They found the climber (Climber 2, female) lying in the talus beneath the route. A trailing r...

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| Published 2024 | Author Mohonk Preserve Rangers


Accident Reports ANAM
Rockfall — Rock Dislodged During Intentional Fall New York, Shawangunks, Trapps Area

In October, a climber was taking practice falls after attending a “Fall Therapy” clinic that was taught indoors by a certified guide. This led to a serious accident when a chunk of rock was dislodged, striking the climber after he stopped fallin...

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| Published 2024 | Author Mohonk Preserve Rangers


Accident Reports ANAM
Shawangunks Annual Summary New York, Shawangunks, Mohonk Preserve

The 2024 season at the Mohonk Preserve saw numerous climbing-related incidents that resulted in various musculoskeletal injuries. There were eight lead climbing incidents, four bouldering accidents, and one environmental incident that the Mohonk S...

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| Published 2024 | Author Mohonk Preserve Rangers


Accident Reports ANAM
Stranded — No Equipment, Off Route New York, Adirondacks, Mt. Colden

The Trap Dike starts in a dike gully (pictured here) before exiting onto a slab leading to the summit of Mt. Colden. This popular route, part scramble and part technical climb, has been the scene of many rescues. Photo: NY State Dept. of Envirom...

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| Published 2024 | Author NY State Dept. of Environmental Conservation


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock New Mexico, Sandias, Muralla Grande

On August 6, Eben (42) and Stewart (32) hiked down the Chimney Canyon Trail at 8:49 a.m. to get to the base of The Second Coming (4 pitches, 5.8) on Muralla Grande. Eben had nine years of climbing experience and was training and mentoring Stewart ...

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| Published 2024 | Author Eben Travis


Accident Reports ANAM
Long Leader Fall on Ice New Hampshire, Crawford Notch State Park, Mt. Webster

New Hampshire’s Mt. Webster offers moderate multipitch ice routes with a distinctly alpine feel. In December 2024 a climber fell while leading a mixed chimney (seen here in fat conditions) on a route called Shoestring Gully. The ensuing overnigh...

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| Published 2024 | Author Slavek Zaglewski, Alex Lopashanski, NH Fish and Game, Clara Cousins


Accident Reports ANAM
Leader Fall on Rock — Protection Pulled Out Nevada, Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, Oak Creek Canyon

On November 10, I, Eric Chaudhary, and a partner (male, 26) were climbing Marijuana (5 pitches, 11c) in the Black Orpheus Amphitheater. My partner was leading the second pitch (10b). It exits hard left off a hanging belay with one bolt for protect...

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| Published 2024 | Author Eric Chaudhary


Accident Reports ANAM
Knee Stuck In Crack Montana, Gallatin Canyon, Sparerib Area

In August, a climber got a knee stuck high on a two-pitch route in Gallatin Canyon. Here, she gets help from a fellow climber. She was freed in a few hours and finished the route. Photo: Climber 1. On August 15, two teams of two climbers were...

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| Published 2024 | Author Climber 1


Accident Reports ANAM
Fatal Fall — Unroped Montana, Glacier National Park, Livingston Range, Heavens Peak

McPartland Mountain (8,417 feet) is one of many striking summits in Glacier National Park. In August 2024, the highly consequential terrain pictured here claimed the life of a very experienced climber who had previously summited 128 peaks in the...

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| Published 2024 | Author Anonymous Climber


Accident Reports ANAM
Fatal Fall on Rappel — Lost Control of Rope Massachusetts, Leominster State Forest, Crow Hill

On July 11, RC (male, 69) and Joel were climbing at Crow Hill, a popular area with 100-foot-high cliffs. Both climbers were familiar with the area and quite experienced. They climbed pitch one of Outersite (5.7), then followed a bushy, left-trendi...

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| Published 2024 | Author Joel and Christopher McKenzie, Mass. State Police and The Editors


Accident Reports ANAM
Short Fall to Ground — Rope Severed by Rock Edge Massachusetts, Farley Ledges, Pot Ledge Buttress

As two climbers were cleaning a boulder, one fell to the ground after his fixed rope was severed by the sawing motion of the weighted rope running across the coarse and acutely angled edge. Photo: Tom Neary On May 11, Tom Neary and his brothe...

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| Published 2024 | Author Tom Neary and The Editors


Feature Article AAJ
Ashat Adventures: Two New Routes in the Pamir Alai Kyrgyzstan, Pamir Alai, Ashat Gorge

The view from the new route up the southwest face of Parus West, with part of the north face of Sabakh in back, at the head of the Ashat Gorge. Photo: Olga Lukashenko. For a long time, I had been obsessed with climbing the north face of formi...

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| Published 2024 | Author Olga Lukashenko


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall Onto Ledge Connecticut, Eastern Highlands, Ross Rocks

This very foreshortened view of the Gully Wall at Ross Rocks shows Seeking Forgiveness (5.10), marked in yellow. A crack finish above the two-bolt belay (blue X’s) has no fixed gear, while the lower part has four bolts (blue X’s). This discrepan...

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| Published 2024 | Author Dan Majercik, Quiet Corner Alerts, ClimbRI.org and the Editors


Accident Reports ANAM
Free Solo Falls Colorado, Boulder, Flatirons

On December 16, the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office received a report that 42-year-old Keith Hayes had not returned home that evening after going climbing. Around 9 p.m., friends of Hayes’ found his body near the top of the Second Flatiron, after ...

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| Published 2024 | Author Friends of Keith Hayes and Bill Kinter