An accident report has been released by the Rogaland Alpine Rescue Unit (Rogaland Alpine Redningsgruppe), which describes the circumstances of the death of Stein-Ivar Gravdal and Bj?rn-Eivind ?rtun on February 7, 2012. The pair died while climbing a new route on the crag Kjerag in Lysefjorden. Their new route would have ascended the wall to the right of the route Fjordcruise.
The location of the accident. [Photo] From The RAR Accident Report
The accident report determines the pair were killed by rockfall when a large block was released, carrying both climbers away and severing one of their ropes. The pair were beginning their fourth pitch, a mixed pitch which would carry them onto ice higher up. The leader had moved above the belay by a few meters when he loosened a five ton block of rock which fell taking the pair with it. The pair fell between 50-60 meters on 80 degree ice and were stopped only when one of their ropes snagged. They likely died due to the rockfall, but would certainly have not survived the fall.