Rock Climbing Accidents

We all know climbing is dangerous which makes it no surprise that rock climbing accidents do happen.

Although climbing accidents are inevitable it is always a sad time when we find out about a climber being injured or even killed.

Check out this article on how to stay Climbing Injury Free

Recent News

Todd Skinner dies on Leaning Tower

Update on John Bachar Accident

Since we know that rock climbing is extremely dangerous we must take every action we can to protect ourselves while we climb. The most important thing is every climber needs to understand that they are responsible for their safety and their climbing partners safety.

So what causes most rock climbing accidents?

Typically climbing accidents can be attributed to one of these few things:

Overconfidence You've been climbing with more experienced climbers than yourself and you think you know more than you really do. So when you go out on real rock you overestimate your knowledge and ability.

Carelessness When you just start climbing you are very detail oriented you always are double checking everything you do. You check your knot several times, making sure your belayer is setup properly, your harness is double backed, etc. Once you start gaining more experience people start to get careless with these things and that is when accidents happen.

LuckBad luck that is, you know sometimes you just get caught in a bad storm, a hold breaks, or you get hit by falling rock or someone's gear.

These risks can be minimized, but are typically out of your control. To minimize them be sure to plan ahead, know the weather reports, wear helmets, and do not climb below another party.

So what is there to learn from this?

Take your safety into your own hands and please don't be a careless climber.

Have fun and climb safe.

Climbing accidents can be no joke, every year countless people are injured climbing.

Do you have a personal climbing accident story to share? Have you read about or recently heard about a climbing accident in the climbing news or climbing community?

Share it with your fellow climbers.

Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...

1000 Miles with a Broken Leg 
Near the end of a typical climbing day at Devil's Lake State Park in Wisconsin, I wandered off to do some bouldering. After being satisfied with a little ...

Accident Report For Timothy Garland 
On February 21, 2003, Timothy Garland (24) climbed Magic Light in the Overboard Area of Smith Rock State Park. Magic Light is a bolted route rated 5.12b,...

My Brothers Fall 
About three years ago my brother fell rock climbing. He had climbed many times before but this time he did not use safety gear.

He was with a group ...

Michael Reardon Taken out to Sea by Rogue Wave in Ireland 
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The Destination Was the Accident! 
When I was a teenager, my scout troop engaged in a lot of informal rock and mountain climbing, mostly freehand without much formal equipment. We lived ...

Yosemite Climber Peter Noble dies  Not rated yet
A rock climber who died in Yosemite National Park over the weekend has been identified as Peter Charles Noble, 44, of Oakland, the Tuolumne County Sheriff'...

Ice Climbing Accident and How to be Safe  Not rated yet
On Oct. 27th, while ice and mixed climbing, a friend of mine came very close to experiencing a life changing accident. As he re-lead a mixed line, he fell ...

60 foot fall  Not rated yet
My friend and I were rappelling down a steep cliff in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

I had just tied off my 7/16” rope and put my harness on. I ...

Climber Dies from 200 ft Fall in Poke-O-Moonshine  Not rated yet
CHESTERFIELD, N.Y. (AP) _ An experienced climber Dennis Luther died after falling about 200 feet from an Adirondack rock-climbing route on Sunday, according ...