About

Over four years ago, I read “Touching the Void” and I was always intrigued by situation hikers find themselves in and the incredible things they do to stay alive.

This blog is about learning from other people’s mistakes, so you don’t make the same ones.

“Better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the grey twilight that knows not victory nor defeat”

Gear that Rocks


Osprey
Atmos



Mammut
Mammut Pulse



Petzl
Petzl Spirit



Black Diamond
Black Diamond Carbon Fiber Probe



Montbell
Montbell Ultra Light

Rock Climber Injured on Camelback Mountain

Who: A 26-year-old man
Where: Camelback Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona
His mistake: None here. Just bit off something bigger than he can chew
What happened: A man was free climbing a section of the mountain. He was not using ropes, but it is unclear if he was wearing a helmet. During his ascent, the man lost his grip and [...]

Caver Stuck Upside Down For More Than One Day Dies

Who: 26-year-old John Jones
Where: Nutty Putty cave, Utah
His mistake: He ventured into an area where he shouldn’t have been
What happened: A man was caving with 11 other family members and friends in the Nutty Putty cave, Utah. Children in the group along with some other adults decided to explore the wider, safer areas of the [...]

Rock Climbers Stranded by Darkness, Snow and Ice

Who: 26-year-old Joseph Leonhard and 28-year-old Justin Seweryn
Where: Yellow Spur Route, Eldorado Canyon State Park, Colorado
Their mistake: Poor planning
What happened: Two climbers rock climbed the Yellow Spur Route, a 10a route in Eldorado Canyon State Park. The men were able to complete the long, hard route, but on their descent, they ran into some trouble [...]

Stranded Rock Climbers Rescued at Pinnacles National Monument

Who: Two male climbers
Where: Condor Condiment, Pinnacles National Monument, California
Their mistake: Bad timing
What happened: Two rock climbers attempted to ascend the “Condor Condiment,” a 500-foot route at Pinnacles National Monument.

During their climb, the sun began to set and they were forced to climb in the dark. At 6 p.m., the climbers didn’t feel safe climbing [...]

Rock Climber Injured by Falling Rock

Who: A British man
Where: Hagar Qim, UK
His mistake: Bad luck.
What happened: A man was rock climbing on Hagar Qim when a large rock above him fell and struck the man. The climber took a fall and suffered a severe head injury. Authorities said the man’s rope caught his fall, but he was still semi-conscious and [...]

Injured Rock Climber Dies Waiting For Rescue

Who: A 36-year-old woman
Where: Obelisk Mountain, southeast of Wishon Reservoir
Her mistake: It’s unknown. Not much is reported.
What happened: A 36-year-old woman and two friends went rock climbing on Obelisk Mountain, somewhere under the summit. During their trip, the woman fell an unknown distance and was severely injured. One of the other climbers stayed with the [...]

Rare Rescue Technique Used to Save Two Climbers

Who: Two students, not much more is known
Where: Grooved Arete, Snowdonia, UK
Their mistake: Looks like they bit off more than they can chew
What happened: Two climbers were ascending the Grooved Arete route on Snowdonia in the UK. For some reason, the climbers became stuck on the route. It is unclear if they had no gear, [...]

UPDATE: Rock Climber Dies on Chinamans Bluff

Who: 26-year-old Matthew Byron Allison and 37-year-old James Briscall
Where: Chinamans Bluff, New Zealand
Their mistake: Bad rope luck
What happened: This is an update of the rock climbing death of a man who was on Chinamans Bluff in New Zealand. The two rock climbers have climbed in the area before and are experienced rock climbers.

After a day [...]

Rock Climber Dies at Base of Chinaman

Who: A 26-year-old male
Where: Chinaman’s Bluff, Dart River Valley, Queenstown, New Zealand
His mistake: It’s unknown
What happened: Two rock climbers were spending the day at Chinaman’s Bluff, a popular rock climbing area in Queenstown, New Zealand. It is unknown what kind of trouble the men ran into, but friends reported them overdue the same night when [...]

Rock Fall Injures Climber on Mt. Whitney

Who: Two men
Where: East Buttress route (5.7), Mt. Whitney, California
Their mistake: Bad luck
What happened: Two climbers were on their final push to the summit of Mt. Whitney on the East Buttress route, a 5.7 scramble/climb to the peak of the mountain. While the men were on a ledge at 13,500 feet, a large rock fell [...]

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