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


Accident Reports ANAM
Rappel Failure — Dropped Rope Utah, Castle Valley, Castleton Tower

On February 6, Clarissa Fortier (29) and Ariel* (32) climbed the Kor-Ingalls Route (4 pitches, 5.9+) on Castleton Tower. Ariel was an Israeli living in the United States, and Fortier was an American with six years of climbing experience throughout...

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| Published 2021 | Author Clarissa Fortier


Accident Reports ANAM
Loose Rock Little Cottonwood Canyon, Gate Buttress

On Sunday, October 10, Mason Boos (25) and two companions were climbing in the Gate Buttress area. At about 1:15 p.m., Boos was unroped and traversing 3rd-class terrain below Satan’s Corner (5.8) to reach the start of Half-A-Finger (5.9+). He pull...

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| Published 2021 | Author Salt Lake County Search and Rescue and and news reports and Climbing Magazine


Accident Reports ANAM
Slide on Snow — Inadequate Equipment Utah, Wasatch Range, Mt. Olympus

James Roache (54) died after sliding 100 feet on snow before falling into a rocky moat on Mt. Olympus on May 22. He was preparing to climb the popular West Slabs (5.5). This long, moderate rock climb lies at relatively high elevation and often hol...

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| Published 2021 | Author www.thenewstribune.com and The Editors


Accident Reports ANAM
Two Climbers Fall While Simul-climbing Utah, House Range, Notch Peak

On November 2, three climbers were linking the lower north face with the upper north face of remote Notch Peak. They completed the lower face via Western Hardman (12 pitches, 5.10c). They then started up the upper face on Book of Saturday (12 pitc...

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| Published 2021 | Author Climber A and Mountain Project


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock — Inexperience Texas, San Antonio, Buddha Belly Wall

On January 9, a man approximately 21 to 25 years old fell on Fear of Falling (5.11b) and broke both ankles. According to three witnesses who posted on Mountain Project, the man and his partner—a female approximately 21 years old—appeared completel...

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| Published 2021 | Author Ryan Thornton, Mountain Project


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock Oregon, Smith Rock State Park, The Dihedrals

On November 28, two experienced climbers impacted each other when the lead climber fell off Darkness at Noon (5.13b). He pulled his belayer (42) into him, and the collision resulted in several neck and back compression fractures to the belayer. A...

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| Published 2021 | Author Caleb Bryce, Deschutes County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue


Accident Reports ANAM
Ascending Error — System Failure Oregon, Central Oregon, Steelhead Falls

On September 17, at approximately 7 p.m., a Corvallis Mountain Rescue Unit (CMRU) member fell approximately 40 to 50 feet on high-angle rock while ascending a single rope. The accident took place during a training event at Steelhead Falls. The gro...

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| Published 2021 | Author Joe McCormick, Corvallis Mountain Rescue Unit


Accident Reports ANAM
Stranded — Climbing Alone Oregon, Cascades, South Sister

On the morning of April 12, a climber (49) was soloing the North Face Couloir of South Sister (10,358 feet) in very thin conditions. He became stranded after climbing into an area with overhanging rocks above, having passed through terrain he was ...

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| Published 2021 | Author Caleb Bryce, Deschutes County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue


Accident Reports ANAM
Fatal Fall Mt. Hood

On Sunday, May 30, a climber (male, 63) fell 500 feet from the Old Chute route on Mt. Hood (11,239 feet). He was descending the route with his adult son. He fell from around the 10,500-foot level—the steepest section of the climb. Witnesses calle...

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| Published 2021 | Author Clackamas County Sheriff's Office Public Information Unit


Accident Reports ANAM
Swinging Leader Fall North Carolina, Rumbling Bald, Comatose Area

Early afternoon on November 14, K. Tumek (31) and his wife were climbing the route Comatose (100’, 5.8 trad) with K. leading. Somewhere on the climb he fell approximately 20 feet and swung into the rock face, injuring his hip and elbow. He was low...

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| Published 2021 | Author From a report by park superintendent James Leatherwood


Accident Reports ANAM
Long Leader Fall — Protection Pulled Out North Carolina, Pisgah National Forest, Looking Glass Rock

Early in the afternoon on January 14, Forrest Lin (28) and Catherine Chee (28) began climbing The Nose (4 pitches, 5.8) on Looking Glass Rock. Both climbers reached the top of the 110-foot first pitch. Once the anchor and belay were established, L...

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| Published 2021 | Author The Editors


Accident Reports ANAM
Fatal Fall From Anchor — Inexperience at Cleaning North Carolina, Pilot Mountain State Park, Parking lot Area

During the late afternoon on August 23, Miriam Cho (30) and her partner were climbing the route Chicken Bone (5.6), located in the Parking Lot climbing area of Pilot Mountain State Park. Miriam led the climb and reached the anchors, where she bega...

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| Published 2021 | Author Ranger Nicholas Bowman