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


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock — Inadequate Protection Wyoming, Grand Teton National Park, Disappointment Peak

On July 25, at 10:50 a.m., the Jenny Lake rangers received a report of an injured climber on Open Book (5.9) in Garnet Canyon. The reporting party told the ranger that Climber 1 (27) had taken a leader fall and had an open fracture to the left leg...

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


Accident Reports ANAM
Top-Rope Soloing — Device Unclipped from Rope West Virginia

On November 30, Trevor Stuart (33), an expert climber with 10 years of experience, was solo top-roping The Greatest Show on Earth (5.13a) in the New River Gorge. After a fall, he became detached from his rope. He hit the ground after an estimated ...

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| Published 2021 | Author Trevor Stuart, climbing.com


Accident Reports ANAM
Acute Mountain Sickness Washington, Mt. Rainier, Disappointment Cleaver

On August 9, Climber 1 (60), Climber 2 (55), and five friends (ages 30 to 40+) from the Wasatch and Potomac Mountain clubs were attempting the Disappointment Cleaver route on Rainier. At 10,080 feet (Camp Muir), two members elected not to attempt ...

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| Published 2021 | Author Climber 1 and The Editors


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall in Gym — Impalement Washington, Northern Washington Climbing Gym

On June 17, Brandon Frohbieter (34) was climbing unroped on an indoor wall about 12 feet off the floor. Although the route was equipped with an autobelay device, Frohbieter was not clipped to it. His plan was to check out the moves in order to dec...

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| Published 2021 | Author Brandon Frohbieter, climbing.com


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock Washington, Index, Inner Walls

On the afternoon of July 20, I (male, 29) was climbing at Index with P, who had several years of climbing experience. P could comfortably lead 5.11 sport routes, but had limited experience with trad climbing. I had four years of mountaineering exp...

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| Published 2021 | Author Vinny Couming


Accident Reports ANAM
Rockfall — Child Hit at Base of Cliff Washington, Index Town Wall

On July 10, an unidentified climber (age unknown) released a rock while climbing. The rock fell and struck a child (age 6) on the head. The child was playing at the base of a route called Zoom (5.10d) and was not wearing a helmet. Snohomish County...

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| Published 2021 | Author Seattle Herald and The Editors


Accident Reports ANAM
Loose Rock — Broken Leg Utah, Zion National Park, Mt. Greer

On June 1, a father and son team experienced rockfall while attempting a first ascent variation on Mt. Greer, a 1,500-foot-tall formation in Zion National Park. While leading the final pitch, Aaron Davis (42) dislodged a large block. The rock stru...

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| Published 2021 | Author Aaron Davis


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock – Inadequate Protection Utah, Indian Creek, Cliffs of Insanity

On the afternoon of October 3, I (Ryan McAvoy, age 24) fell about 50 feet from a route called Vinciny (5.10). The route is 60 feet tall. It was our second day in the Creek, and I was climbing with a mix of old and new friends. I agreed to lead Vi...

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| Published 2021 | Author Ryan McAvoy