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


Accident Reports ANAM
Free Solo Fall New York, Shawangunks, The Trapps

On September 6, Stephen M. Buda III (56) was killed when he fell from 150 feet up Easy Street, a two-pitch 5.6. He was free soloing when he fell. According to the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office investigation, which included eyewitness accounts, B...

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| Published 2021 | Author Connecticut Post and Mountain Project


Accident Reports ANAM
Loose Rock Crushes Leader's Foot New York, Shawangunks, The Trapps

On March 23, a male climber (43) was climbing pitch two of Middle Earth (3 pitches, 5.6) when he apparently dislodged a large block that narrowly missed his partner, who was belaying atop the first pitch. In the process, the leader’s left foot was...

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| Published 2021 | Author Mountain Project and The Editors


Accident Reports ANAM
Falling Rock — Severed Rope New York, Shawangunks, The Trapps

On April 18, Gabe Schwartz (39) and Kile Simpson (33) were climbing Wrist, a two-pitch 5.6 in the Trapps area. Simpson, a climber with four years of experience, was leading the first pitch. Schwartz, who had been climbing for over ten years, wrote...

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| Published 2021 | Author Gabe Schwartz


Accident Reports ANAM
Ground Fall — Nut Placement in Loose Rock New Mexico, Truth or Consequences Area, Percha Creek

I, Jessica Hans (female, 33), had a significant ground fall on Barber Shop Cafe (5.8+) at Percha Creek in November. I ascended 15 to 20 feet and placed a number 5 Black Diamond Stopper in the roof section as my first piece of pro. I continued up a...

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| Published 2021 | Author Jessica Hans


Accident Reports ANAM
Fall on Rock — Inadequate Protection New Hampshire, North Conway, Whitehorse Ledge, The Slabs

On October 5, two guides, Ryan McGuire (37) and Ryan Tilley (26), started up Sliding Board (5.7), a classic eight-pitch route on the Whitehorse Slabs, as a practice climb. On the fifth pitch (5.6), which follows a faint dike feature, McGuire had l...

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| Published 2021 | Author The Editors


Accident Reports ANAM
Falling Ice — Poor Protection New Hampshire, Rumney

In midafternoon on March 12, a female climber (21) was hit by falling ice at the right end of the Parking Lot Wall at Rumney Rocks. She was standing at the base of the 75-foot-high Meadow Flows ice climb (WI3+) when a piece of ice naturally fell f...

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| Published 2021 | Author Chief David Coursey, Rumney Fire Department and The Editors


Accident Reports ANAM
Sliding Fall on Snow — Inadequate Crampons New Hampshire, White Mountains, Mt. Washington

On March 14, at approximately 5:15 p.m., a winter climber took a long sliding fall while descending a steep section of the Lion Head Winter Route on Mt. Washington. He was part of a group of three who all carried ice axes but were wearing lightwei...

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| Published 2021 | Author Mt. Washington Avalanche Center


Accident Reports ANAM
Bouldering Fall — Poor Pad Placement Nevada, Red Rock, Kraft Boulders

On March 20, Alonso Rodriguez (25) was climbing Monkey Bar (V2) on the very popular Monkey Bar Boulder. He was part of a group of five, and a total of 15 climbers were at the boulder, with over ten crash pads. On his onsight attempt, Rodriguez fel...

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| Published 2021 | Author Alonso Rodriguez