Accident Reports ANAM
Mid-Tour Change of Plans Colorado, Sawatch Range, Mt. Peck

On March 10, 2022, two backcountry riders set out for an outing near Mt. Peck (12,208 feet), about 1.5 miles southeast of Monarch Pass. Rider 1 traveled on skis and Rider 2 on a snowboard. They brought their dog along for the tour. The plan was to...

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| Published 2022 | Author Colorado Avalanche Information Center


Accident Reports ANAM
Very Long Burial and Rescue Utah, Wasatch Range, Silver Fork

On March 12, 2022, a party of six, with two guides, ascended from Grizzly Gulch in Little Cottonwood Canyon toward East Bowl Pass overlooking Silver Fork, which flows north into Big Cottonwood Canyon. While traveling, the group separated into Grou...

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| Published 2022 | Author Utah Avalanche Center, Outside.com


Accident Reports ANAM
Persistent Weak Layer — Various Human Factors Wyoming, Teton Range, Game Creek

A party of eight had been staying at the Plummer Canyon Yurt for several days. On March 17, 2022, five of the members skied a couple of low-angle runs and some trees on nearby Mt. Wow (10,262 feet), with no signs of instability except for one coll...

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| Published 2022 | Author Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center


Accident Reports ANAM
Large Group Caught in Slide Washington, Silver Basic (Crystal Mountain)

On the morning of Saturday, December 11, the first major winter storm of the season was impacting the Cascades. Until this point, thin snow cover had limited back- country recreation opportunities. A group of six ski tourers decided to travel in t...

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| Published 2021 | Author Northwest Avalanche Center


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock — Broken Hold, Protection Pulled Canada, Alberta, Kananaskis Country, East End of Mt. Rundle

On July 10, a party of two was climbing Generosity (13 pitches, 5.9), a long, mixed-protection route near Canmore. On pitch seven, the leader pulled off a loose rock, which caused him to fall 30 to 40 feet. A piece of gear pulled out early in the ...

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| Published 2021 | Author Kananaskis Public Safety


Accident Reports ANAM
Off Route, Stranded—Underestimated Route Canada, Alberta, Banff National Park, Mt. Rundle

On October 2, a climber soloing the Rundle Traverse from Canmore to Banff requested a rescue after attempting to retreat near the end of the route. The Rundle Traverse is a long, exposed technical ridge consisting of 11 distinct peaks. The ridge h...

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| Published 2021 | Author Parks Canada


Accident Reports ANAM
Stranded — Insufficiently Prepared Canada, Alberta, Banff National Park, Deltaform Mountain

On August 4, two climbers spent most of the day approaching and climbing the first part of the Flying Buttress route (D+, 5.8) on Deltaform Mountain. This route sees very few ascents in a regular year and, as with most of the routes in the Valley ...

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| Published 2021 | Author Parks Canada


Accident Reports ANAM
Fatal Fall — Moving Between Rappel Stations Canada, British Columbia, Yoho National Park, Hungabee Mountain

On August 15, a party of three left their bivouac site to ascend the west ridge of Hungabee Mountain (D, 5.6). After reaching the summit, they began their descent. While in the upper third of the route, a climber rappelled, disconnected from the r...

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| Published 2021 | Author Parks Canada


Accident Reports ANAM
Rockfall Canada, Alberta, Banff National Park, Lake Louise, Back of the Lake Crag

On May 23, several climbers were sampling some of the high-quality traditional routes at the Amphitheatre at Back of the Lake on a warm early season day. One climber was gearing up at the bottom of the cliff when a tennis ball–size rock fell from ...

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| Published 2021 | Author Parks Canada


Accident Reports ANAM
Avalanche Canada, Alberta, Columbia Icefield, Mt. Andromeda

In the morning of May 30, two Alberta climbers, Nathaniel Johnson (28) and Andrew Abel (30), were climbing the classic Skyladder on Mt. Andromeda. They were experienced climbers: Abel was an apprentice guide, and Johnson was a Level 2 climbing gym...

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| Published 2021 | Author Edmonton Journal, Parks Canada, Gripped.com and The Editors


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock — Failure to Test Hold, Protection Pulled Canada, Alberta, Jasper National Park, Hidden Valley

On June 27, while climbing at Hidden Valley, my partner (Person 1) and I (Jonathan Reid, 30) selected an easy trad route from the guidebook. Skipper’s Rib was two pitches and rated 5.6. Both of us had climbed in this area before. I tied in, partn...

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| Published 2021 | Author Jonathan Reid


Accident Reports ANAM
Rappel Error — Uneven Ropes, No Backups Canada, Alberta, Jasper National Park, Maligne Canyon

A party of four with two very experienced climbers and two beginners set up top-ropes on the Angel Falls ice climb in Maligne Canyon on February 17. At the top, Person 1 lowered Person 2 to the bottom of the climb (about 20 meters/65 feet), and th...

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| Published 2021 | Author Darren Vonk, Jasper Visitor Safety


Accident Reports ANAM
Bouldering Fall — Missed Pads Canada, British Columbia, East Kootenay, Bootleg Boulders

On June 16, rock season was in full swing in the East Kootenay region. The sport climbers were sending at Lakit Lake, the alpine climbers were planning for the Bugaboos, and the small community of boulderers were finding new rocks to climb. I’m D...

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| Published 2021 | Author Drew Leiterman


Accident Reports ANAM
Ground Fall — Rappel Failure Canada, British Columbia, Squamish, The Apron

On the afternoon of September 3, Danny Dalpe (29) suffered a 200-foot ground fall from several pitches up on The Apron. At the time, Dalpe was a climber with five years of experience. Though he consistently climbed 5.13 sport routes, his multi-pit...

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| Published 2021 | Author Danny Dalpe and report from British Columbia Emergency Health Services


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock — Loose Rock Guernsey State Park, Red Clove Wall

On June 30, Climber 1 (female, 27) and Climber 2 (male, 25) were climbing at the Red Clove Wall at Guernsey, a sport climbing area in far eastern Wyoming. The female climber had at least a decade of rock climbing and mountaineering experience, and...

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| Published 2021 | Author Climbers 1 and 2


Accident Reports ANAM
Off Route Rappel — Improvised Rope Ascent Wyoming, Devils Tower, South Face

On May 25, Climber 1 (David) and Climber 2 experienced a common rappel mishap on Devils Tower. David recounts: I share this as a cautionary tale. After climbing the Bon Homme Variation (5.8) and then the Bailey Direct route to top out, we decided...

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| Published 2021 | Author David, via Mountain Project and The Editors


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock Wyoming, Wind River, Haystack Mountain

On August 23, I (the Climber, 29) was leading the first pitch of Minor Dihedral (8 pitches, 5.9) when I got to a run-out slab section. I fell when I was 12 to 15 feet above my last cam. Due to the angle of the rock, I clipped a flake with my feet ...

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| Published 2021 | Author The Climber


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock — Off Route, Climbing Unroped Wyoming, Grand Teton National Park, Teewinot

On September 4, the Jenny Lake rangers were notified that a climber had reported a deceased solo climber on the upper east face of Teewinot. Helicopter 35HX, with Steve Wilson as pilot and rangers on board, performed a reconnaissance flight. The d...

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| Published 2021 | Author Ranger Ken Kreis, Grand Teton National Park


Accident Reports ANAM
Stranded on Summit Grand Teton National Park, Grand Teton

At 9 p.m. on August 30, the Jenny Lake rangers received a cell phone call from a climbing party of two requesting help getting down from the summit of the Grand Teton. The two climbers had left their camp at the Lower Saddle at 6 a.m. and spent 12...

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| Published 2021 | Author Ranger Ken Kreis, Grand Teton National Park and The Editors


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock — Climbing Unroped Wyoming, Grand Teton National Park, Mt. Owen

At approximately 3:45 p.m. on August 12, the Jenny Lake rangers were notified by Climber 1 (age unknown) that his female climbing partner, Climber 2 (age 39), had sustained a 20-to 25-foot fall while ascending the lower couloir on the Koven Route....

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| Published 2021 | Author Ranger Ken Kreis, Grand Teton National Park and the Editors