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Norwegian Search And Rescue Releases Accident Report

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.

Sources: BRV.no, Norsk-Klatring.no