Red Rock death is a reminder of dangers of rock climbing

Jace Radke

Monday, June 10, 2002 | 10:06 a.m.

The dangers of rock climbing were illustrated in a tragic way last week when a noted climber fell to his death at the Red Rock National Conservation Area.

Climbers who visit the world-class rock faces at Red Rock say the possibility of a fall is a natural element of the sport. But climbing experts and rescue officers say recreational climbers can minimize much of the danger by taking a series of precautions.

"The danger is a part of it," said Adrian Crandall, an officer in the Metro Police Search and Rescue unit who has 14 years of climbing experience. "One day you can feel really good out there, and another time you can be constantly worrying."

Crandall said the sport is similar to other activities that have an element of danger, such as auto racing.

"Those guys go around (the track) at 200 mph, and that would probably scare me out of my britches," Crandall said.

Veteran climber Randal Grandstaff, 44, fell about 150 feet to his death Wednesday afternoon at Red Rock. Grandstaff, owner of Sky's the Limit climbing school, was the first hiker or climber to die at Red Rock since March 1999, according to Metro Police Search and Rescue records.

A 23-year-old woman was found dead at the bottom of a 100-foot cliff on March 24, 1999. On March 6, 1999, a 27-year-old ice climber fell 40 feet to his death at Mount Charleston.

Metro Police still investigating what caused Grandstaff's fall this morning, but it appeared to be an accident, police said.

The Clark County Coroner had not released the cause and manner of Grandstaff's death this morning, and funeral services were scheduled for today at 2 p.m. at Palm Mortuary, 1325 N. Main St.

Metro search and rescue officers are called out more than 200 times a year, and many of those calls originate from Red Rock or Mount Charleston, where hikers and climbers can become lost or injured.

While the danger of climbing will always be evident, there are precautions that climbers can take, Bureau of Land Management climbing ranger Jed Botsford said.

"I think communication is the most important thing for climbers," Botsford said. "If you have someone with you looking out for you and checking your equipment, you'll be better off."

Although there are many different types of climbing, most require two people, Patrick Putnam, another BLM climbing ranger, said.

"I've been climbing for 20 years, and whenever I go out I always have another climber with me," Putnam said.

Grandstaff had been climbing with a student from his school for three days in Red Rock when he fell.

Other safety tips that the rangers suggest are checking equipment, knowing the area of the climb well and carrying water.

"We would certainly recommend that anyone who hasn't done climbing before take a class or go out with a qualified instructor they trust," Botsford said.

There are thousands of climbs to choose from in Red Rock for virtually any level of climber. Red Rock uses the Yosemite system to gauge the level of a climb, with 5.0 being the easiest and 5.15 being the toughest in the world.

"We've got climbs ranging from 5.0 to 5.13 at Red Rock," Botsford said. "We have European climbers that come here in the winter, because they can't climb in the snow during their winters.

"There is a lot of variety, and there aren't many places with the height that our climbs offer."

Some of the routes available at Red Rock top out at 2,000 feet. Some of the hikes and climbs require overnight camping and a BLM permit to be completed.

"With the permits we have an idea of where the climbers are and where they were planning on going," BLM spokesman Phil Guerrero said. "If something does go wrong, it makes it easier to find them."