Sorting it out : Why Camelback Mountain seems to have so many climbing accidents
Camelback mountain is an incredibly popular mountain for Arizona hikers and climbers. In fact, the mountain’s Echo Canyon Trail is the most used trail in the entire state. It is easy to see why so many flock to it. It is conveniently in the middle of the city and gives a cool chance to get a powerful hike and then snag a nice view. Somehow though, these aren’t the stories we tend to hear in the news.
It seems that hardly half a year goes by without more tragic news about death and critical injury on the mountain. Often, we hear that these accidents are climbers. Just this month, a 17-year-old girl fell over 60 feet while rappelling on Camelback and was critically injured, but survived. Also this month, a hiker identified by officials as being in her 20s fell from 70 feet after she attempted to climb some rocks without any of the appropriate gear. These are just two examples in the last month, and there are many more from 2016 alone. Why is this happening? Is Camelback a dangerous mountain?
It can be a bit difficult to sort through some of this simply because details are often scarce on these incidents. Officials often withhold details that could violate the privacy of people involved. Obviously this is a good thing, but it also makes it hard to determine if they were experienced climbers or not. To make that more difficult, the local media is not always great at getting the details right, especially when it comes to explaining complicated climbing terms.
Here is that I think: Camelback is generally as dangerous or safe as most climbable rock, but suffers from its accessibility. Climbing is inherently dangerous, but the techniques used to make it safe are decades old and tried and tested extensively. At this point, in order for a fall to occur while using the appropriate climbing gear, it is probably either human error or rock failure. But rock failure is not necessarily that common, and typically does not cause serious injuries on Camelback’s climbing routes.
The one serious knock on Camelback is its rock quality. There is no denying that the rock on the mountain can be sketchy. Climbers should be aware of this and adjust their climbing accordingly. Don’t trust handholds or footholds you are not sure of.
Other than those rare cases though, human error is the primary cause of accidents of Camelback. It is so accessible that it attracts people who have no business free climbing or placing climbing gear, even. Just because it is in the middle of the city does not mean it can be disrespected. Climbers are always one serious mistake from disaster. Don’t become one of the Camelback statistics. Be smart about climbing. Only do it with the appropriate gear and experience, and with others who are also experienced. I promise you, if you don’t know how to do something, it isn’t worth the risk.
