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On September 28, an experienced Korean climbing guide reportedly passed away in Yosemite, after rappelling off the end of his rope while descending from Sickle Ledge on the iconic El Cap route, The Nose (VI 5.9 C2 3000’).
Yosemite guru Tom Evans, author of the popular blog “El Cap Report,” broke the news of the accident on September 29. “He had several of his students with him on the route when he went down to fix lines to the deck and went off the end of his rope,” Evans wrote. “Ours is a close-knit climbing community here in Yosemite and we all mourn his loss and send condolences to his friends and family in this difficult time.” The Sickle Ledge, a platform and bivy site above the fourth pitch, is approximately 400 feet off the deck, and a popular probing point for climbers eying an attempt on El Cap.
In subsequent days, multiple individuals on Reddit and Mountain Project claimed to have witnessed the accident. One female hiker wrote, “he landed about [five feet] from me, my clothes, sneakers, gear were all sprayed with the ‘debris’ from his impact. It was horrendous.”
One climber who witnessed the fall and impact reported, “I was lucky enough to be shielded by some bushes just a few feet away from where he landed and [didn’t] have to see the result. My friend jumped towards it to try and help and retreated screaming so I focused my attention on her. I read about accidents like this many times (I’ve been climbing for 25 years) but I never imagined the violence of it, the speed, like a bullet, the sound.”
The American Alpine Club (AAC)’s annual “Accidents in North American Climbing” report indicates that approximately 30% of all climbing accidents occur while descending. Many of these—such as the 2019 death of professional climber Brad Gobright—involve climbers rappelling off the end of their ropes after neglecting to tie a stopper knot. Last year, Climbing digital editor Steven Potter wrote about seemingly “obvious” mistakes like these—poorly tied knots, improperly fastened harnesses—and how even the best of us (John Long, Lynn Hill, Todd Skinner, to name a few) aren’t above making them.
Climbing has yet to confirm the accident with the Yosemite National Park Service, nor has it been uploaded to the NPS Incident Reports compendium. This story will be updated when more information is available.
Climbing offers our condolences to the friends, family, and loved ones of the victim, as well as others who witnessed or were otherwise impacted by this tragedy. As always, readers affected by this or any other climbing accident are encouraged to visit the AAC Grief Fund’s Mental Health Directory, a digital platform designed to put climbers in touch with therapists, psychiatrists, counselors, support groups, and other mental health resources.