According to a press release from the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, a climber fell an estimated 20 to 30 feet on March 6 in Gregory Canyon. The climber was bouldering at the time, a style of unroped climbing that involves complicated climbs up typically shorter routes.

The fall occurred on Amphitheatre Trail. The fallen climber was rescued by dispatched personnel from Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, Rocky Mountain Rescue Group, City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks, and the City of Boulder Fire.

The reason of the fall was determined to be a slip and injuries sustained were described as non-life threatening and back-related. The climber had to be carried back to the trailhead from the area of the fall, after which the climber was transported to a hospital.

While neither climber’s name nor age have been released, the release confirms that the climber was a male in his twenties.

Rock climbing is a sport that can have varying degrees of risk depending on what safety measures are being taken. Most bouldering is much safer, as most bouldering routes never get close to 20 to 30 feet. Some might consider this to be something more similar to free solo climbing, a style of climbing that’s been stirring a buzz among the non-climbing crowd thanks to Oscar-winning  Free Solo.

If you’re out there doing any sort of climbing, be aware of the risks and be aware of what safety measures you’re opting to use and ignore. Have fun, but exercise caution and be responsible. Everyone comes to the rock wall with a different degree of skill. If you see someone else doing something, don’t assume that means that you can or that you should.