Solo climbing deaths Learn about notable climbers, the risks involved, and what drives people to take on such extreme challenges. Nathan Roberts, 35, October 15. Jan 9, 2023 · Others died free soloing or in rappelling accidents; they died of rockfall, exposure, avalanches, altitude sickness, or while participating in other mountain sports. [12] Feb 27, 2020 · We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Feb 25, 2019 · Last night, two of climbing’s biggest stars—co-director Jimmy Chin and free soloist Alex Honnold—took the stage at the 2019 Academy Awards and accepted an Oscar for Best Documentary Film for Nov 28, 2019 · Acclaimed American free solo climber Brad Gobright died Wednesday attempting to descend down the side of a cliff face in El Potrero Chico, Mexico, a popular rock climbing destination in northern Dec 4, 2024 · In a little more than a decade, he graduated from a 40-foot climbing wall at a health club in rural Utah to a stunning range of accomplishments: multiple free ascents of El Cap, including Freerider (5. , with higher fatality rates in specific forms like free soloing. Sep 14, 2021 · The documentary 'The Alpinist' explores the death of mountain climber Marc-André LeClerc, whose girlfriend Brette Harrington has returned to the sport. Falling on a free solo like this is basically certain death. S. Climbing magazine caught up with Ourada in a phone call to find out more details about the accident and to learn how his recovery is going. 12 was common for Austin Howell. 9+ on the Second Flatiron in Boulder, Colorado. Mountaineering rangers from Denali National Park and Preserve found the climber at 17,000 feet of Alex Honnold (born August 17, 1985) is an American rock climber best known for his free solo ascents of big walls. Feb 19, 2023 · Zach Milligan, a prolific free solo climber who lived in a cave at Yosemite National Park for 13 years and was one of the first to descend its globally-recognized Half Dome on skis was found dead May 21, 2024 · A solo climber was found dead Monday on Denali, the highest mountain peak in North America. Climber: Dylan TubaroFilmed by: Andrew Serack In 2017, when Alex Honnold made his stunning free-solo ascent of Yosemite’s El Capitan, he was taking an unimaginable risk: nearly three thousand feet of cli Nov 21, 2007 · people falling like laundry Apr 2, 2025 · The style of climbing, considered the most risky and bold, is known as free soloing. I also think it gives the sport somewhat of a tougher image with many people since that is what they initially associate with climbing. 12d) and Golden Gate (5. Close call for sure. The park Nov 28, 2019 · Acclaimed 'Free Solo' Climber Brad Gobright Dies in Fall While Descending Cliff in Mexico with Gobright falling about 300 meters to his death and Jacobson falling a shorter distance and Jan 22, 2025 · Hansche died in an accident while route setting at the Vertical Dreams climbing gym in Manchester, New Hampshire, on May 21. Alpine climbing, by nature, requires occasional soloing, and there is a significant difference between soloing something like this, and going out and soloing pitches at a local crag, or soloing a wall in Yosemite. He Extreme & devastating climbing accidents while free soloing! These are the most dangerous cliffs & challenging rock climbs that ended in horrible, massive in Abstract. Ben Wu “If it wasn’t for soloing, I might have been dead already,” Austin Howell, a 31-year-old Chicago climber and electric tower worker wrote in an April 1 blog post titled “Stepping Back From the Edge, Landing Under A Knife. In recent years, Tyler Gordon died on the Nose in 2015 when he hit a ledge after an accident made while rappelling. Of these deaths, 25% are due to rappelling accidents and 30% are due to solo climbing accidents. The fatality marks the second death at the Aug 25, 2024 · ASPEN, COLORADO – AUGUST 24, 2024 – A 33-year-old climber tragically lost his life after a significant fall on Williams Peak, located near Aspen, Colorado, in the Independence Pass area. Mountaineering rangers patrolling the upper mountain quickly located the climber’s empty tent at the top of the 16,200-foot ridge. Though many climbers have free soloed climbing grades they are very comfortable on, only a tiny group free solo regularly, and at grades closer to the limit of their abilities. Notable Free Solos The Nabisco Wall, Yosemite National Park: One of his most audacious feats, Bachar free soloed several routes on this wall, including “Wheat Thin” and “Butterfingers. ” Dec 20, 2024 · Martin Feistl died on Saturday, May 18, following a 130-foot fall in his native Austria, while free soloing on the steep 1,000-foot South Face of the Scharnitzspitze (8,097ft). Jul 12, 2023 · The 26-year-old Colorado woman who plunged to her death while free-solo climbing inside a national park was identified by grieving friends as an avid climber and “mountain person. m. It’s pure freedom, but with that freedom comes extreme danger. ” Jul 12, 2023 · The unidentified 26-year-old died while free-solo climbing on Ypsilon Mountain, on the east side of the park, according to the National Park Service. His choice of big wall climbing route on El Capitan is called Freerider, a route that was created by Alexander Huber in 1998, and which Honnold has completed several times with protection equipment. Free Solo is a great movie—one of the best climbing films to date—and you should go see it. In all, Farabee said, 31 of the 120 climbers who have died in the park since 1905 have died on the famous granite monolith. Free soloing is the most dangerous form of climbing, and, unlike bouldering, free soloists climb above safe heights, where a fall can be fatal. This is not a review. Most live to a ripe old age. 13a, the first-ever big wall free solo ascent at that grade), [3] a climb described in The New York Jul 12, 2023 · Free-solo climbing is a dangerous form of rock climbing in which the climber uses no protection other than their shoes and chalk. OK, now that that’s settled…. ”. While the cause of the accident is unclear, Hansche, who had managed the gym for over two decades, was using the appropriate safety gear and was extremely comfortable with the rope systems involved with indoor route setting. One of the earliest known solo climbing accidents occurred in 1913. Is rock climbing more dangerous than skiing? No, rock climbing has a lower fatality rate compared to skiing, especially when safety protocols are followed. [2] Sep 18, 2023 · There have been several climbing accidents that have had tragic endings this summer, and, sadly, we’ve learned of at least two more rock climbers who died this month. Oct 22, 2018 · The film Free Solo, which documents Honnold’s groundbreaking El Cap solo via Freerider, is this concept distilled. Nov 29, 2019 · A world-renowned American free solo climber has died attempting to descend the side of a cliff face. Marc-André Leclerc (October 10, 1992 – March 5, 2018) was a Canadian rock climber, ice and mixed climber, and alpinist. Paul Preuss was attempting to make the first ascent of the Mandlkogel in Gosaukamm. In 2016, he completed the first winter solo ascents of both Torre Egger in Patagonia and of the Emperor Face of Mount Robson in Jul 11, 2023 · A 26-year-old woman plummeted 500 feet to her death while free-solo climbing inside a national park in Colorado Sunday, according to officials. Everest’s Kangshung Face, in the Gunks, in Greenland, in Patagonia, and so on. Dec 27, 2022 · In the case of free solo deaths, there often isn't much to analyze or improve upon accident wise, since free-soloing is a personal decision and one that climbers execute alone, without gear. Nonetheless, never before had any climber been able to scale such a difficult route in this way. Learn about this free solo fall and the rescuers' experience here, and dive into the larger conversation about the responsibility of free soloers. On November 27, 2019, Gobright fell about 300 meters (980 ft) to his death on the El Sendero Luminoso climb at El Potrero Chico in Nuevo León, Mexico. Jan 2, 2023 · In 2011, American climber Alex Honnold executed a free-solo climb (that is to say, without any ropes) of a 40-meter route known as The Phoenix, in California’s Yosemite National Park. Had to make some edits to re-upload this video (:Discover the awe-inspiring story of these fearless climbers who dared to challenge their physical and mental Apr 29, 2021 · On April 11, 2021, 31-year-old climber Josh Ourada fell approximately 150 to 200 feet while free soloing Nutcracker, on the Manure Pile Buttress, Yosemite. The periodical includes tables cataloging injuries, deaths, key causes and other relevant information. " View this post on Instagram Jul 2, 2019 · Free soloing 5. In 2013 Jan 20, 2025 · The climber had been regularly checking in with family via an InReach communication device during their attempted solo climb of Denali. If it was a high-profile death (like Honnold) then it could also have implications for public perceptions of the sport of climbing overall, which could impact An old climbing friend just recovered recently from a cerebral edema due to high altitude hiking, they were in a coma for like two weeks but are finally home now. Over the last six years the 31-year-old Lombard, Illinois, resident spent more time climbing without a rope than with one. Free soloing getting heavy publicity makes me frustrated because it popularizes a very small portion of the climbing community. I wouldn't condemn free soloing because at the end of the day, its your life and if you understand the risks and choose to participate that's just your choice. For two decades he was the de facto leader of the Yosemite monkeys, and was a p Jul 18, 2023 · The day after Mulholland’s death, a climber scrambling near the top of the First Flatiron Boulder woman dies in 500-foot fall after free-solo climbing in Rocky Mountain National Park Jul 14, 2023 · A 26-year-old woman who was killed Sunday while free-solo climbing a ridge on Ypsilon Mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park has been identified by the Larimer County coroner as Bailee Mulholland. Both were free-soloing related accidents. Climbing has become an increasingly popular sport, and the number of accidents is increasing in parallel. The Pitkin County Regional Emergency Dispatch Center received a distress call at approximately 2:13 PM on August 24, reporting the climber’s fall, estimated to be between 50 to 100 feet, onto a rocky Free soloing or free solo climbing is a type of rock or ice climbing where climbers, or more commonly known as free soloists, climb alone without using safety equipment such as ropes, harnesses, helmets, and the like. Climbing the Second Flatiron as he has “100 times before” according to his now deleted YouTube Comment and having climbed “5. Mar 30, 2024 · Annually there are around 30 rock climbing-related deaths per year. Nathan Roberts was a climber’s climber. May 15, 2019 · On April 16, Walker began climbing up North Crack, a two-pitch 5. Free soloing rock climber in Western Tasmania falls out of the crack in a deadly situation. While it was popularized by the 2018 documentary, “Free Solo,” of professional rock climber Alex Honnold’s free solo of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, its place in climbing can be traced back to The solo climber's name has not been released pending family notification. At the start of September, highly experienced climber Aaron Livingston, aged 32, died climbing on Donner Summit’s Black Wall (above Jun 20, 2023 · The Twinkie solo encapsulated many idiosyncrasies of Howell’s free soloing: climbing hard, steep routes that had awkward descents; a tendency to climb with his shoes untied, or without chalk 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. But I don't think the approach scramble comparison is a good one. Climber Alex Honnold has been dreaming of free-soloing the 3,000 feet (900 m) rock wall of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, a feat no one has performed. Sep 4, 2020 · However – anything can happen. Falling on an approach is not certain death. Feb 14, 2022 · For more than 70 years, the American Alpine Club has published an annual collection of hard lessons learned, the Accidents in North American Climbing (ANAC). 9 C2); first ascents of big walls in Zion National Park and the Jul 5, 2019 · Austin Howell free soloing at Shortoff Mountain, North Carolina, before a broken hold cost him his life. He was psyched to hit it all, “a well-rounded climber who was just stoked to get outside and have fun … whether he was climbing hard sport routes, long challenging multi-pitches, or technical slab[s],” said longtime partner Brianna Geoghegan. Nov 29, 2019 · Among them was Alex Honnold, a leading free climber who features in the Oscar-winning documentary Free Solo. Another climbing friend was killed due to a drunk driver, she was on her way to go backpack the JMT. [11] [12] The accident happened while simul-rappelling down the face of El Sendero Luminoso with his partner Aidan Jacobson, after the pair had completed a quick climb of the face. Famous Free Solo Climbers Free solo climbing gives a thrill like nothing else. Some of them were widely known for their climbing accomplishments, establishing new routes on Mt. as a climber, free-soloing is absolutely terrifying after my first major fall I was at beacons point in NC about 6 years ago with my family, messing around on some easy routes when I found the lowest point of the south face about 400 feet straight up with a couple ledges containing a few trees For example, a free solo death could close a crag if it brought too much negative press attention, and it could certainly traumatize anybody who was unlucky enough to see it happen. According to data compiled by Climbing Magazine, there have been a total of 68 free solo climbing deaths in the United States since 1950. Jul 11, 2023 · UPDATE: This story was updated at 8:49 a. 10+) up the center of the face. It uses no ropes, harness or other protective gear. It’s a sport where the climber ascends a Free solo climbing (climbing without ropes or any other safety equipment) has struck awe in onlookers around the world, with climbers like Alex Honnold darin Jun 3, 2018 · The "sad news marks the 25th accident resulting in a death on El Capitan. We aim at describing the characteristics of climbing accidents leading to severe (multisystem) trauma using data from the International Alpine Trauma Registry (IATR) and at reporting the results of a systematic review of the literature on the epidemiology, injury pattern A climber loses his grip on a difficult E6 rock face. . 4 ridge on Ypsilon Mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park. The 27-year-old ice and mixed expert was climbing the Spitzenstätter (VII/5. Boulder Some of the biggest names in climbing decided to do free soloist climbs and met their death, which could have easily been avoided had they used safety ropes. Oct 17, 2024 · Around 25 to 30 people die in rock climbing accidents annually in the U. 10 in hiking boots,” according to another YouTube Comment, he had decided to try the route free solo. He is known for his solo ascents–often in winter–of major ice and alpine climbing routes. 13a); an in-a-day solo ascent of the Salathé Wall (5. Of these 68 deaths, 43% were due to falls, 34% were due to avalanches, and 23% were due to other causes such as heart attacks or bad weather. Jul 11, 2023 · On Sunday, July 9, a Boulder, Colorado, woman died after falling 500 feet while free soloing Blitzen Ridge, a classic 5. Holds break, sweaty hands slip, footholds crumble, birds get territorial, and it’s easy to mess up a crucial sequence when stressed or overconfident. who plummeted to her death from the Four Aces of Blitzen Ridge I am aware that I can get injured even in the best circumstances. on Friday, July 14, 2023, with the climber’s name from the Larimer County Coroner’s Office. He described Gobright as a "gem of a man. The free solo accidents number might seem pretty high, but remember you only have once chance of getting this right. Dean Potter died on May 16th, 2015 in a wingsuit accident in Yosemite Valley. Nov 2, 2023 · Tragically, the climbing world lost this legend in 2009 when he fell to his death free-soloing a moderate route on the Dike Wall above Lake George. Notable free solo climbing accidents. Jun 10, 2018 · Five people have died in climbing accidents on El Capitan since 2013. Any climber who has ever spent time in the alpine has soloed terrain comparable to this. This latest death marks at least the 14th climber who has died in falls along Denali's West Buttress route section since May 21, 2024 · A Japanese climber in his mid-40s was found dead Monday on Denali after his family reported not hearing from him for days, according to a statement from the National Park Service. Brad Gobright, 31, fell around 300m (1,000ft) to his death in El Potrero Chico in Explore the realities of free solo deaths. Before I move on, let’s get one thing out of the way. Free solo climbing deaths aren’t common but they do happen regularly, even to the best free solo climbers. Nov 7, 2022 · You can read the full tribute to Climbers We Lost in 2022 here. Honnold rose to worldwide fame in June 2017 when he became the first person to free solo a full route on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park (via the 2,900-foot route Freerider at 5. 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 feat went largely unnoticed beyond specialized media. qekwc eyw xmre bhezuqan dtpvy ddwro orpad sqgnhsy ywghl mta jdcabg tgac nmvd vtlbt gngdksty