Climber falls, dies at Garden of Gods

Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Aug 26, 2004 by DEEDEE CORRELL THE GAZETTE

A 20-year-old Colorado Springs man fell 30 feet to his death Wednesday at the Garden of the Gods after he slipped and his climbing equipment came loose from the rocks.

Mark Peter Heinmets was taken to Penrose Hospital, where he died of internal injuries.

His death was the first in the city park this year.

Heinmets' father is Jaan Heinmets, the executive director of a coalition of evangelical churches called The Net, which has helped organize Easter sunrise services at the Garden of the Gods.

Heinmets and two friends were climbing on the Three Graces rock formation about 1 p.m., apparently inserting their own climbing gear as they ascended. One of Heinmets' companions was belaying him.

Heinmets had placed a "cam," a climbing device that anchors a rope, into a groove in the rock, and was climbing when his foot slipped. As he fell, the cam popped out of the rock, and Heinmets plunged to the ground.

Park officials allow proficient climbers with gear to scale the rocks after they register.

Heinmets had registered at the park's visitor center before climbing, Colorado Springs Fire Lt. Brian Keys said.

The rock at the Garden of the Gods is a soft sandstone that presents particular challenges, said Rick Geiman, who published a climbing guide to the park in 1999 and owns the Sport Climbing Center.

It's rare that the permanent climbing protection placed on routes in the park fails, he said.

Temporary devices can be less reliable, especially because recent heavy rains have softened the sandstone, Geiman said.

"Once you understand it, it can be just as enjoyable as the hardest granite," he said. "It's important to understand what you're getting yourself into.

Fatalities among experienced climbers using appropriate gear at the park are rare, Geiman said.

In May, a 17-year-old amateur photographer was paralyzed in a fall at the Garden of the Gods. The boy lost his footing as he climbed Gray Rocks to get a picture and fell at least 50 feet.

In April, an 18-year-old Fort Carson soldier plunged 400 feet to his death as he scaled a rock formation in North Cheyenne Canyon. The soldier, who had recently returned from Iraq, was climbing the Pinnacle without ropes when he lost his grip and fell.