Over the weekend, on August 24, a 50-year-old male climber from Kansas took a 60-foot-fall from a cliff in Boulder Canyon, dying from injuries sustained. Authorities were notified of the accident when a group of climbers flagged down a driver in the “Bell Buttress” area. That person was then able to drive to cell reception to call for help at approximately 11:17 a.m.

The location of the climber was determined to be in “The Bowling Alley” area, having landed on a ledge after the fall.

A Boulder County Parks and Open Space ranger was the first to respond to the scene, arriving at 11:25 a.m. The climber was unresponsive and pronounced deceased at 12:14 p.m.

It was later determined that the accident occurred after the deceased male had completed a climb called “Cosmos” with his climbing partner. The two were walking along the cliff at the top of the route looking for a good spot to descend. The unidentified male took a look over the cliff to scout when the rock he was standing on gave out, sending both him and the rock to the ledge below.

Mountain Project doesn’t list a route called “Cosmos” in Boulder Canyon, but it does list a route called “ Cosmosis.” This route is a 5.10a difficulty level (intermediate), in the same area where the accident occurred. It’s located in the Bell Buttress area, which is just down the road from “The Bowling Alley” area, which also does not have a listed route called “Cosmos” on Mountain Project. Once we can confirm more about the specific route being climbed when the accident occurred, we’ll update this piece.

When walking and climbing along cliffs and river banks, it’s always important to be aware of the stability of the ground beneath your feet. Accidents can always happen to anyone at any skill level, though exercising caution can help eliminate some of the risk.

Editor’s Note: Here’s a  quick piece regarding why we’ve decided to include accident and death coverage in our collection of content.