OBJECTIVE: To describe rates and patterns of rock climbing rescue incidents, morbidity and mortality in Boulder County, CO. METHODS: Rocky Mountain Rescue Group incident reports from 1998 to 2011 were reviewed to provide a 14-year statistical account of rock climbing incidents. RESULTS: Rock climbing rescues in Boulder accounted for 428 of a total of 2198 (19.5%) mountain and wilderness rescue victims. Most rock climbing victims were male (78%), and 46% of victims were between the ages of 20 and 29 years; most rock climbing incidents occurred on weekend days (median time of 3:30 pm) during the spring, summer, and autumn. Technical roped climbers accounted for 58% of climbing victims, whereas unroped climbers accounted for 34%. Belay incidents accounted for 12% of climbing victims, whereas rock fall incidents accounted for 4.5% of victims. Most victims were uninjured (43% stranded or lost), whereas lower extremity injuries were the most common injury (29.5% of injured victims). A total of 5.5% of climbing victims were fatally injured (23 victims: 5 from lead falls and 9 from unroped falls). CONCLUSIONS: The occurrence of rock climbing-related rescue victims comprised one fifth of all rescue victims in Boulder County. A large fraction of incidents and fatalities resulted from unroped climbing. Incidents of lost or uninjured stranded climbers and belay incidents account for more than half of victims, which can likely be prevented by gaining appropriate experience, seeking local information, and applying some simple safety measures for control of rope belays.
OBJECTIVE: To describe rates and patterns of rock climbing rescue incidents, morbidity and mortality in Boulder County, CO. METHODS: Rocky Mountain Rescue Group incident reports from 1998 to 2011 were reviewed to provide a 14-year statistical account of rock climbing incidents. RESULTS: Rock climbing rescues in Boulder accounted for 428 of a total of 2198 (19.5%) mountain and wilderness rescue victims. Most rock climbing victims were male (78%), and 46% of victims were between the ages of 20 and 29 years; most rock climbing incidents occurred on weekend days (median time of 3:30 pm) during the spring, summer, and autumn. Technical roped climbers accounted for 58% of climbing victims, whereas unroped climbers accounted for 34%. Belay incidents accounted for 12% of climbing victims, whereas rock fall incidents accounted for 4.5% of victims. Most victims were uninjured (43% stranded or lost), whereas lower extremity injuries were the most common injury (29.5% of injured victims). A total of 5.5% of climbing victims were fatally injured (23 victims: 5 from lead falls and 9 from unroped falls). CONCLUSIONS: The occurrence of rock climbing-related rescue victims comprised one fifth of all rescue victims in Boulder County. A large fraction of incidents and fatalities resulted from unroped climbing. Incidents of lost or uninjured stranded climbers and belay incidents account for more than half of victims, which can likely be prevented by gaining appropriate experience, seeking local information, and applying some simple safety measures for control of rope belays.
Authors: Henrik C Bäcker; J Turner Vosseller; Lorin Benneker; Markus Noger; Fabian Krause; Sven Hoppe; Moritz C Deml Journal: Eur Spine J Date: 2019-03-18 Impact factor: 3.134
Authors: Sebastian Frederick Bigdon; Verena Hecht; Paul Gilbert Fairhurst; Moritz C Deml; Aristomenis K Exadaktylos; Christoph E Albers Journal: BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil Date: 2022-05-01
Authors: Martin Faulhaber; Elena Pocecco; Martin Niedermeier; Gerhard Ruedl; Dagmar Walter; Regina Sterr; Hans Ebner; Wolfgang Schobersberger; Martin Burtscher Journal: BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med Date: 2017-12-07
Authors: Simon Rauch; Bernd Wallner; Mathias Ströhle; Tomas Dal Cappello; Monika Brodmann Maeder Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2019-12-27 Impact factor: 3.390
Authors: Christopher Rugg; Laura Tiefenthaler; Simon Rauch; Hannes Gatterer; Peter Paal; Mathias Ströhle Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2020-10-19 Impact factor: 3.390