Washington climbing accident

His climbing gear was still in his backpack. Take extra care to assess the ground near the edge of a cliff. Loose rock, dirt, water and foliage all pose hazards that are easy to overlook. When approaching the edge of a cliff to set a top-rope, consider building a natural anchor above on safer ground—use webbing or cord around a thick, well-rooted tree or stable rock, or build an anchor with trad gear, if possible.

Pro Pulled, Air Guitar 5. He was leading Air Guitar, a foot 5. Kropp was near the top of the route when he fell some 60 feet to a rock ledge. Though wearing a helmet, he sustained fatal head injuries. During the morning and early afternoon that day, Kropp and his partner took turns leading sport routes. Although Kropp looked solid in the crack he told his partner that he found the climb challenging.

Kropp then decided to lead Air Guitar. Kropp started up the route, placing, in order, a small nut, two micro cams, and three small to medium cams. He fell near the top of the climb, the crux, shortly after placing a three-inch cam. That cam pulled, and the wire-gate carabiner clipped to the rope on the next cam broke, causing Kropp to fall to the ledge. Analysis: This accident resulted from a series of combined incidents.

They don't include all - only select ones submitted by Mountain Rescue groups and individuals. Why would anyone enjoy perusing a list of people who died doing something they loved? Ya, its kind of weird. On one hand maybe the data can be of use read help to others who chose to do the same thing.

On the other hand, what other hobby makes such a list? As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide. Sailing and boating have similar lists. I wish they didn't happen but I do want to know about accidents. I want to do my risk assessment, and not be over optimistic during decision making. Some of these people were very experienced yet perhaps did not feel like they were taking as big a risk as they were.

Others were not experienced and also probably did not intend to risk their lives. I'd like real information on a few of them, rather than what we get from the media. Accidents on North American Mountaineering publishes detailed accounts of the accidents based on first hand reporting and analyzes whether mistakes contributed. I like to know about what kind of mistakes kill people.

Some routes and peaks are dangerous even if you do everything right--I like to know about those and avoid them. In regards to those of you who choose to risk it all 'out there'. We all have to go beyond the veil sometime. I tell friends not to say: "Don't get hurt". But rather if I have to go ask that I go all at once. Like a lot of you; I have stories, that to this day, I would much rather hear, than tell.

And I believe we all know that death is not the 'worst case scenario'. Climb on! For some day that will be true. Seattle Mountain Rescue publishes a monthly newsletter that usually lists the incidents for the previous month.

Names and injury details are omitted and this would only cover the missions that group is involved in. The level of detail depends on who's writing the report. I don't know about the worst year for accidents, but this article was in the February, issue of Off Belay.

They did not normally publish a summary like this. Al Errington was a long-time member of SMR. There may be some OCR typos in here. The harrowing incident unfolded on Saturday when emergency dispatch with Custer County Search and Rescue received a call that a man — identified as Washington-based pastor Jeremy Fuerst — was overdue in returning from a solo climb from Crestone Peak and Crestone Needle, Custer County Search and Rescue revealed in a news release.

That's when they spotted Fuerst, "roughly feet below the traverse between Crestone Peak and Crestone Needle. However, due to the dangers of the area's "steep, technical terrain," emergency responders were not immediately able to recover Fuerst's body. Officials determined that it was best to resume the search and rescue mission the following day.