In the midafternoon of May 31, rangers at the City of Rocks National Reserve received word that a 67-year-old female climber had fallen while rappelling from Jackson’s Thumb and had reportedly broken her ankles. She and her partner had ascended Th...
On August 10, I got off work at 5 p.m. and my partner and I set out to Little Eiger, a crag we had never visited. I knew from reading some route descriptions that we would need a 70-meter rope and at least 16 draws. We first climbed Busch Gardens ...
On September 27, a climber fell to the ground while leading Funeral March (5.9+), a wide crack climb. Funeral March is protected by very large cams, and the climber bumped one of these up the crack for about 10 feet. He had placed another cam but ...
On March 22, two climbers called for assistance after dark when they were unable to find the descent route upon completing Anthill Direct (5 pitches, 5.9-). After searching for the correct way down in the dark without headlamps, and eventually get...
I have been frequenting the Flatirons for climbing since moving to Boulder five years ago. In the fall of 2020, I started projecting Primate, a 5.13b route at Seal Rock with a mix of bolt and traditional protection. I visited the route four times ...
On October 30, 49-year-old Andrew Caplan fell from the north side of the Second Flatiron near the top of a climb. Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks rangers arrived on scene just after 9:20 a.m. and began resuscitation efforts, but the patient ...
The 10-pitch, 1,000-foot east face of the First Flatiron, rated 5.6 R, was my goal for August 10. I had not put boot to rock in over six months, owing in part to inactivity compelled by the COVID-19 pandemic. My partner, age 56, and I (69) both be...
On August 13, after climbing a few routes at Bell Buttress, I decided to give a redpoint attempt at Arms Bazaar (5.12a trad). I had spent two previous sessions on the route: one in August 2019 and one the previous week. I had the route fairly dial...
Molly Mitchell attempting Crank It with traditional protection. The four pieces that pulled out in her fall are marked. Photo by Tory Powers In the evening of October 1, professional climber Molly Mitchell (27) attempted a tradition...
At 5:30 a.m. on June 11, a 22-year-old male left the Fourth of July trailhead to attempt the Juliet Couloir, a short, moderate snow route on Mt. Neva (12,814 feet). As he was nearing the cornice at the top, he fell. He had an ice axe but failed to...
On July 30, Dillon Blanksma, 26, fell from Broadway ledge during the approach to the Diamond wall. The fall was fatal. Blanksma and his climbing partner had done the standard North Chimney approach and were on their way to a route on the left side...
The Diamond on Longs Peak. (A) Approximate location of fatal fall from Broadway ledge in another 2020 incident. (B) Approximate location of fall from the North Chimney approach to the face. The ledges had less snow at the time of these accidents...
In September, during a weekend trip to Shelf Road, my wife took a ground fall while leading Ian’s Climb (5.7+) at Cactus Cliff. She couldn’t clip the second bolt, fell and hit the ground, tripped backward, and hit her head. She was wearing a helme...
At approximately 4 p.m. on September 26, a climber started up The Promise, a 5.12c sport route on the left side of the Ruckman Cave. Just before a ledge at the start of the steep climbing on the route, the climber pulled onto a chalked-up jug that...
On the morning of June 2, a party of four descended the Cruise Gully to attempt Scenic Cruise, a 13-pitch 5.10d trad route on the North Chasm Wall. The group planned to climb as two parties of two. While leading pitch five, a long 5.10 finger and ...
Before (left) and after photos showing the ice pillar that partially collapsed and the resulting slide path. Around 8 a.m. on January 18, a guide and three clients departed Ouray for ice climbing in the Uncompahgre Gorge. From U.S. Highway ...
Climbers often consider hypothermia and frostbite as part of their risk assessment. Yet, heat-related illnesses can be a significant and often bigger threat in many regions. Heat illness is a preventable condition ranging in severity from mild hea...
On August 22, two climbers completed Meteor (multi-pitch sport, 5.8) and multiple rappels to the base of the climb. After separating during the hike back to the car, Climber 2 realized his partner was delayed. He hiked back up and located Climber ...
On February 8, two seasoned climbers were planning to climb Sleeping Giant (5.10a), a ten-pitch mostly bolted climb. Finding the route already occupied with a party of five, with a single lead climber, AC (37) and his partner warmed up on nearby s...
The north face of San Jacinto Peak rises more than 9,000 feet above the desert floor. The Snow Creek route follows obvious gullies to the summit. Photo by Blake Douglas On April 24, Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit (RMRU) received a call-out at...