Boulder climbing accident. We aim at describing the characteristics of climbing accidents leading to severe (multisystem) trauma using data from the International Alpine Jun 20, 2023 · The Perils of Plastic: Gym Climbing’s Most Common Accidents And how to prevent these simple mistakes. Mountain Rescue Aspen and other agencies responded, but the climber succumbed. The researchers were surprised at the incidence of injuries from top-rope climbing, as top-rope was assumed "safer" than lead climbing or Feb 8, 2024 · Find rock climbing routes, photos, and guides for every state, along with experiences and advice from fellow climbers. The 39-year-old male was lead Aug 31, 2024 · Missing Hiker Near Middle St. The 41-year-old was climbing with friends and family in the popular Riviera area in Boulder County Sunday afternoon when he fell. . There exists a myriad of different belay devices to choose from, with varying techniques and safety mechanisms (Fig 3, 4 Aug 30, 2021 · One climber is dead and another seriously injured following an accident on Thursday, August 26 in Eldorado Canyon, Colorado. Climbing, a sport with increasing popularity, poses diverse risks and injury patterns across its various disciplines. We outline simple climbing accident prevention measures and dispel some myths about causes of climbing accidents. Jun 3, 2018 · Update: For new details about the accident, see Eye Witness Recounts Tragic Accident on El Cap’s Freeblast. At approximately 3:15 p. , the Boulder County Communications Center received a call reporting two people had fallen while climbing the Wind Tower in Eldorado Canyon State Park. Mulholland was with a 27-year-old male climbing partner at the time of the incident, with this partner calling emergency services after the fall. A Colorado man died after falling while climbing with family and friends in Boulder Canyon, according to officials. Aug 27, 2021 · BOULDER — A man was killed and another was seriously injured when they fell 150-200 feet while rock climbing near Boulder. While many are too vague to identify what circumstances led to the accident, the goal of this article is to examine rock climbing injuries and deaths which were covered in the news, while also highlighting Dec 19, 2024 · The City of Boulder is emphasizing the importance of outdoor safety after two people died in separate incidents in the Flatirons. I've seen traumatic injuries in bouldering and ropes. It was reported by friends of the 42 year old hiker that he was supposed to return home around dark. Bouldering is a climbing sport that has been attracting a greater number of recreational and professional athletes over recent decades, which has led to an increase in sport-related injuries. Further athlete-specific factors and covariates for the trauma types were investigated. His deep sense of stewardship for the sport was evident in every aspect of his life—even in how it ended. Jul 12, 2023 · A young climber from Boulder died Sunday morning after falling 500 feet while free soloing in Rocky Mountain National Park. Bailee Mulholland, 26, and her partner were on the Four Aces section of Blitzen Ridge, a 5. Jul 11, 2023 · On Sunday, July 9, a Boulder, Colorado, woman died after falling 500 feet while free soloing Blitzen Ridge, a classic 5. Feb 8, 2024 · Climbing can be a deadly sport, but most accidents are preventable with experience and good judgment. This study evaluates the incidence and nature of climbing-related injuries, focusing on how different disciplines and climbers’ Erin and Gideon Brewer recorded their 8-year-old son George reach the top of an illuminated climbing wall on the Navy Pier in Chicago. 0, via Wikimedia Mar 23, 2025 · Boulder County, Colo. Sep 12, 2024 · Rufus continued his education at the University of Colorado Boulder, where he discovered his lifelong passion for rock climbing. Apr 8, 2025 · Marc Horan was a cornerstone of the Boulder, Colorado climbing community. Aug 15, 2023 · One person died and two people were seriously injured after they fell around the Longs Peak area of Rocky Mountain National Park on Friday and Sunday, a spokesperson said. This discussion, is based on our paper, Rock Climbing Rescues: Causes, Injuries, and Trends in Boulder County, Colorado. Mar 6, 2023 · For over a decade we enjoyed training at the Boulder Rock Club and climbing outside several days each week at local crags, including Eldorado Canyon, the Flatirons, Boulder and Clear Creek Canyons, and in Rocky Mountain National Park. – On Sunday November 19, 2023, at approximately 3:18 pm, Boulder County Communications was notified of a climber who had fallen and sustained a head injury in the area of “The Dome” climbing formation, at approximately the 39-mile marker of Boulder Canyon. Jun 4, 2018 · The following story provides additional information about an accident that occurred on El Capitan on June 2. on Monday, the Boulder County Sheriff's Office received a report of a 42-year-old man who had failed to return home from a hike. The formations attract thousands of extreme hikers and novice climbers every year. The two climbers fell over 100 feet—still roped together—while climbing the Wind Tower formation. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Gabe had tried to free a stuck rope and Jul 11, 2023 · A 26-year-old Boulder, Colorado, woman died after falling 500 feet while free-solo climbing a ridge at the Rocky Mountain National Park, park officials said. Dec 19, 2024 · Two men have been found dead in separate hiking incidents in the Flatirons near Boulder, Colo, authorities said. The agency believes that hiker fell and died. Dec 19, 2024 · Two hikers have died this week in separate falls from Boulder's iconic Flatirons. ” While the climber’s name has not been officially released, friends and family of Bailee Mulholland have Nov 3, 2022 · An experience on the purple boulder problem at the gym altered the author's life course in an unexpected way. Use these tips to help you boulder safely without getting injured. Jul 25, 2024 · A climber reported missing in the Indian Peaks Wilderness was found dead Tuesday, according to the Grand County Sheriff’s Office. Dec 19, 2024 · Earlier this week another man died after falling from the Boulder Flatirons. To read the original report, see Two Expert Climbers Killed in Fall From El Cap’s Freeblast. – On Thursday, August 26, 2021, at approximately 5:41p. Apr 6, 2023 · Here in Taiwan in the past couple years, we already had 2 autobelay-related accidents occur, namely with the climbers not clipping in before climbing up. Aug 1, 2023 · Boulder native Bailee Mulholland, 26, passed away after a fall in Rocky Mountain National Park on July 9. CBC News has Jun 21, 2021 · A woman has died following an auto-belay accident at Ascent Studio Climbing & Fitness, in Fort Collins, Colorado, on Saturday, June 12. By Mike Poborsky, UIAGM/IFMGA Graphics By Rick Weber This article was originally printed in the 2013 edition of Accidents in North American Climbing. Learn about common failures and injuries in boulder climbing, including lesions and how to avoid them. Feb 14, 2022 · A comprehensive analysis of 30 years worth of data of climbing accidents recorded in Accidents in North American Climbing. (AP) — A man was killed and another was seriously injured when they fell 150-200 feet (46-61 meters) while rock climbing near Boulder. Mar 24, 2025 · A man who was “climbing with his family and friends” on Sunday in Boulder, Colo. The cause of death has been determined to be multiple blunt force injuries from a fall while rock climbing and has been ruled as an accident. Seen people in the gym accidentally get their achilles punctured through a carabiner and they're dangling from it upside down. Oct 26, 2024 · Colorado alpinist dies challenging unclimbed face of Himalayan peak Michael Gardner, 32, remembered for “empathy, enthusiasm (and) dedication to the craft of climbing” Apr 3, 2025 · A 7-year-old girl was tragically killed by a falling boulder at a popular ski resort in Lake Tahoe over the weekend, according to multiple media reports. A 41 year old male from Golden, Colorado was climbing with his family and friends in this area. Checking your systems is an easy and critical part of preventing the worst; the hard part is doing it each and every single time you approach the wall. Rescuers urge caution. Suddenly, he fell 24 f Jun 16, 2021 · The Coloradoan reports fatal accidents at indoor climbing gyms are extremely rare, with only a handful in the United States in the last decade. Aug 15, 2023 · The man who wrote the book on climbing Colorado's 14ers and many other popular mountaineering guides and stories is in a hospital in Durango after a climbing accident last week. Discover safety tips! #fail #lesion #rodilla #escalada #boulder #parati Dec 20, 2024 · A 27-year-old hiker was found dead near the Third Flatiron in Boulder County, marking the second fatal incident in a week. on Saturday, June 2 Oct 13, 2022 · The latest rock climbing and bouldering statistics regarding accidents, injuries, deaths, demographics, industry size, and popularity Jun 20, 2023 · The following list ranks gym accidents (from top to bottom, and most common to least) as they are found in the three main sections of your gym: bouldering, toproping and lead-climbing areas. Aug 8, 2024 · As a Thunder Bay climbing gym faces scrutiny after an 8-year-old was hospitalized, others have come forward to say this isn't the first accident at Boulder Bear Climbing Centre. Had friends break legs taking a huge fall over a lip outside and slamming into the rock wall. An accidental slip while attempting to clip the third bolt on a moderate sport climb led to an inverted ground fall that immediately left Tom comatose at the base of the climb. Fallen Climber With Head Injury Rescued at “The Dome” Climbing Formation Boulder County, Colo. , fell about 20 feet and died, authorities said. And one of them was fatal. Climbers on a different route saw the fall and Analyses/Purpose: Accident reporting which allows us to investigate the causes and effects of climbing and bouldering accidents and to derive important prevention work from them and to publish accident statistics. David Robert’s climbing partner Gabe died in 1961 while climbing unroped on the First Flatiron. You could look at all the reasons why it happened, and in the end the one that made the most sense to me came from my friend Matt Samet: “Just bad luck. Sunday, dispatch received a 911 text that stated a Jul 18, 2023 · A well-known Boulder climbing club that specializes in quick and rope-free ascents of Boulder’s famous tilted Flatirons has been jolted by the death of a member who fell 500 feet to her death in Apr 10, 2025 · After a deadly winter in the Flatirons, a Boulder climber reckons with the risks of ropeless climbing — and his own mortality. Jun 12, 2024 · The Prescription is the monthly newsletter of Accidents in North American Climbing. m. His infectious love for climbing radiated far beyond the crag, touching everyone who crossed his path. Her cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries. Mar 25, 2025 · Marc Horan, 46, of Golden, died after falling 20 feet while climbing with family and friends in Boulder County, Colorado. Dec 17, 2024 · Boulder Community Mourns as Man Dies in Climbing Accident on Second Flatiron By Ian Harper Published on December 17, 2024 Source: joiseyshowaa from Freehold, NJ, USA, CC BY-SA 2. – On December 16th, 2024, at approximately 9:00 pm, the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office responded to the report of an overdue hiker in the area of the Second Flatiron just outside of Boulder. The Prescription brings you monthly unpublished accident reports, tech tips, links to new online educational resources, and much more—all aimed at helping you become a safer climber. Climbers […] Oct 29, 2018 · Lead Belaying Mistakes Account for Climbing Accidents Most of the injuries in lead and top-rope climbing were due to belaying mistakes at 10 cases out of 23 lead/top rope climbing accidents logged. It is the act of managing the rope to which the climber is attached to protect them from large or dangerous falls. Jan 17, 2023 · Find rock climbing routes, photos, and guides for every state, along with experiences and advice from fellow climbers. She can still ride a mountain bike, hike and Nordic ski, though, because a track holds her ski in line. Jul 11, 2023 · A 26-year-old Boulder woman died Sunday after she fell 500 feet during a free-solo climb on the Four Aces of Blitzen Ridge in Rocky Mountain National Park, park officials said. THE PRESCRIPTION YOUR MONTHLY DOSE OF ACCIDENTS IN NORTH AMERICAN CLIMBING Now you won’t have to wait all year for fresh stories and lessons about climbing accidents and near misses. on Sunday, the Boulder County Regional Communications Mar 25, 2025 · The Boulder County Coroner identified Marc Horan as the climber who died in a March 23, 2025 accident in Boulder Canyon. An indoor rock climber was making it look easy, swinging from rock to rock when he seems to lose his grip and falls hard on his foot, breaking the bone through the skin and falling completely off. Bouldering injuries were primarily due to falls on the mat. Boulder County sheriff’s officials say the men were starting the third pitch of the Wind Ridge route in Eldorado Canyon State Park on Thursday evening when they fell and landed against a tree. , while speed climbing on the lower pitches of the Salathé Wall on El Capitan—a section called Freeblast— two highly experienced climbers, Tim Klein Oct 17, 2024 · In that post, Michael Gardner was described as "everyone's favourite person," intelligent, friendly, loving, and highly skilled. May 15, 2019 · The Flatirons, with their easy access above an urban area and deceptively “low-angle” terrain on the east faces, tend to be a frequent site of accidents, deaths included. Mar 25, 2025 · A Colorado climber lost his life in a heartbreaking accident while attempting to make the world a little cleaner - by cleaning up trash that had been left behind by another adventurer. Bouldering Sprained ankles or wrists, broken bones and hyper-extended knees and elbows. – On Thursday, August 29, 2024, at 10:43 p. Aug 25, 2024 · A 33-year-old climber tragically died after a fall on Williams Peak near Aspen. Sep 16, 2024 · A 31-year-old Boulder man's body lies in place at elevation after rescuers twice tried to reach it but determined the location put their own safety at too much risk. Jason Wells (left) and Tim Klein (right) during an ascent of the Nose in May, 2017. , the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center received a call regarding an overdue hiker. A 46-year-old climber is dead after deputies said he appeared to have fallen 20 feet while climbing with family and friends on Sunday. Jul 14, 2023 · The victim of the fall was 26-year-old Boulder resident Bailee Mulholland. Photo: Jimmy Harris /Flickr; CC BY 2. El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, California. Aug 2, 2024 · Thunder Bay Thunder Bay climbing gym under scrutiny after family goes public about climbing accident Boulder Bear climbing gym defends safety protocols and record Apr 14, 2025 · What is the true Flatirons scrambling risk? For unroped climbers, a local Boulder scrambler breaks down accident and mortality risk. The victim was identified on Monday, March 24, by the Boulder County Mar 24, 2025 · Marc Horan from Golden died after a fall while climbing in Boulder Canyon on Sunday, March 23, 2025. Jul 12, 2023 · Friends of a woman who died in a climbing accident Sunday described her as a fixture in the Boulder community. Lowering a climbing partner is among the most common situations leading to injuries and rescues reported in Accidents in North American Mountaineering, whether it’s lowering a climber after she tops out on a sport route or a partner in Oct 26, 2022 · In recent years, there has been an uptick in indoor-bouldering injuries among newer climbers. Jun 4, 2025 · The body of a 41-year-old ski mountaineer has been recovered after he fell over 3,000 feet off of Mount McKinley, the tallest mountain in North America, officials said. Being aware of surroundings prevents collisions and unnecessary climbing accidents. Fort Collins Apr 1, 2022 · Other well-designed, questionnaire-based prospective cohort studies of competitive or recreational climbing athletes differentiate between bouldering and climbing accidents, but the overall number of injuries is too small to make reliable inferences about the distribution of injury types [2, 7, 10, 12]. Mar 12, 2014 · 3/12/14 - The Boulder County Coroner has ruled that longtime climbing activist and wilderness advocate Mark Hesse died from blunt trauma. - The Office of the Boulder County Coroner has positively identified 46-year-old Marc Horan as the deceased person who was involved in a climbing incident in the area of 33700 Boulder Canyon Drive on March 23, 2025. The climbers were reported to have been at the top of the My question is: Have you personally lost a friend or loved one climbing? If so, how long had you been climbing at that point? In my second year of climbing my best friend died in a top roping accident. During their final climb of the day, a boulder came loose and struck Kaylene. Since the climbers weren So this crazy thing happened to me while speed climbing. This one is tough to watch and nothing can prepare you for what happens to this poor guy's foot. Vrain Trailhead Found Deceased Boulder County, Colo. According to a county release, at 3:15 p. Dec 17, 2024 · Man Dies After Falling From Second Flatiron Boulder County, Colo. Jul 8, 2016 · Rock Climbing Prodigy Injured in Climbing Accident Fifteen-year-old rock climber Ashima Shiraishi, arguably the world's best female rock climber, took a 45-foot fall in a climbing gym. The man's friends went looking for him and found his body on a rock ledge on the Second Flatiron. Hesse, 63, was discovered unconscious in the back room of the Boulder Rock Club on a slow Monday in January. The March 29 incident unfolded at ar… Mar 25, 2025 · The 41-year-old was climbing with friends and family in the popular Riviera area in Boulder County Sunday afternoon when he fell. The aim of this study was to determine the characteristics and the types of acute injuries caused by bouldering. 4 graded route on Ypsilon Mountain, when the fall occurred. The 67-year-old male was reportedly hiking, climbing and camping in the area of the Middle St. Greg Murphy On the morning of June 2 at 8 a. After a remarkable Jan 5, 2021 · Tom died in an accident at a popular sport-climbing crag in Boulder Canyon, Colorado, on May 28, 2020. Jan 15, 2025 · 32-year-old Michael Gardner was killed in a climbing accident while attempting a new route on Jannu East’s immense North Face. One climber dies and another sustains serious injuries in climbing accident at Eldorado Canyon State Park Boulder County, Colo. Rocky Mountain National Park has released a press release about a fatal accident. Jul 11, 2023 · The Boulder, Colorado woman, who was climbing with a 27-year-old man, lost grip while scaling Four Aces of Blitzen Ridge at the Rocky Mountain National Park, the National Park Service said in a Climbing has become an increasingly popular sport, and the number of accidents is increasing in parallel. Mar 24, 2025 · A Golden man fell to his death while climbing with friends and family in the Bouler Canyon area over the weekend, county officials said Monday. The park said that a 26-year-old female from Boulder died after she fell around 500 feet while “free-solo climbing on the Four Aces of Blitzen Ridge on Ypsilon Mountain on the east side of the park. BOULDER, Colo. Jul 31, 2024 · Grand County Sheriff’s Office/Courtesy photo The Grand County Coroner’s Office has identified the deceased male who was found in Lone Eagle Peak area as 23-year-old, Boulder resident Peter Kubiniec. people falling like laundryNo description has been added to this video. Injury in Bouldering versus Rope Climbing[2] Belaying (as well as finding a reliable belay partner) is an additional skill required when climbing with ropes. 0 “Call YOSAR!” Jordan Cannon shouted to Jeremy Schoeborn at approximately 8 a. 4 ridge on Ypsilon Mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park. According to a press release from Boulder County, the surviving climber was in his 20s, while the deceased was in his 30s. Jul 31, 2024 · A 23-year-old Boulder man was identified as the overdue climber who was later found dead near Lone Eagle Peak on July 23. The community mourns and stresses safety in climbing. The male was found unresponsive after what appeared to be a fall from 20 feet and died from his injuries. Dec 27, 2022 · Katie and I climbed once or twice after her accident, but climbing, once a defining force in her life, slipped away. The post notes that Gardner lost his father in a climbing accident at age 16, describing that loss as the "moment that reset the way he viewed the mountains," as well as one that "guided his trajectory ever since. Dec 19, 2024 · The Boulder County Coroner's Office has not released his name as the office notifies family first and waits for them to confirm the man's identity. " Aside from mountain climbing, Gardner was known to Jul 4, 2025 · Since 1970, Climbing Magazine has been the voice of the climbing world, publishing climbing news, interviews, features, opinions, and advice. Dec 27, 2022 · In 2002 I shattered and dislocated my heel bouldering in a climbing gym. Friends of the hiker searched the Jul 10, 2023 · A park release said a 26-year-old female from Boulder died after falling approximately 500 feet while climbing on Ypsilon Mountain's Four Aces of Blitzen Ridge, which is about 10 miles northwest 4 days ago · Every year, the DAV and KLEVER publish accident statistics for German climbing and bouldering halls, and in 2024 for the first time also for Austria. Mar 15, 2025 · Climbing etiquette isn’t just about respect—it’s a core part of bouldering safety. Jan 20, 2023 · Kaylene Baker and Josh Baker spent the day climbing in Big Timber, Montana, on June 30, 2018. At about 9 p. Mar 24, 2025 · A Golden man died Sunday afternoon after falling in The Riviera climbing area west of Boulder. Vrain trailhead, near the Camp Dick Campground located at 50,000 Aug 28, 2024 · A 33-year-old mountain climber has tragically died in Colorado after taking a 50 to 100-foot-fall on the rugged and technical Williams Peak in the Aspen area. ” After the day at Thompson Creek, the cuts healed, though scar tissue clumped the slice in my fingertip. Mar 24, 2025 · A climber died in Boulder on Sunday after sustaining injuries in a fall in the 33700 block of Boulder Canyon Drive, which the Boulder County Sheriff's Office said was the Riviera climbing Jul 11, 2023 · A 26-year-old woman from Boulder, Colorado, died after falling approximately 500 feet while free-solo climbing a ridge in the state’s Rocky Mountain National Park on Sunday, the park said. In 2014, a man died while climbing indoors at the Boulder Rock Club. Other friends nearly paralyzed because of inattentive belayer decking them. The woman’s climbing partner, who was uninjured and called for help on his cellphone, was hoisted off the ridge by a Colorado Air National Guard helicopter Sunday night. Jul 25, 2024 · News: Outdoors Experienced climber falls 800 feet to his death on ridge near Telluride, sheriff’s office says Climbing magazine publishes a yearly tribute to climbers who die every year, and a quick online search of climbing accidents turns up multiple news reports of incidents in just 2021 alone. On Monday, the Boulder County Sheriff's Office also found a man who died while hiking near the Second Flatiron. Authorities said there has been a sharp increase in the number of climbing deaths this year. She had helped me discover hiking and pushed me to try the climbing gym.