Woman killed in 5 meter fall at Leeuwarden indoor climbing center

A climber died on Monday evening in a fall from a height of about 5 meters at the indoor climbing center Klimcentrum Noardwand in Leeuwarden. She was an experienced climber in the company of two other experienced climbers. How many people were in the climbing center when the accident happened is unclear.

A spokesperson for the Dutch climbing association NKBV said that an investigation on the site showed that the climber probably had not properly attached herself to the rope, which went unnoticed during the mandatory inspection. “You always climb with two people - a climber and a checker. They always check each other’s ropes very consciously. We call that the partner check. Something probably went wrong somewhere in this process.”

Despite the fatal accident, indoor climbing is not an unsafe sport, the spokesperson said. “In thirty years of indoor climbing in the Netherlands, this is the fourth fatal climbing accident. It is terrible, but this is not a more dangerous sport than sports like cycling or horse riding.”

The police are investigating whether the principle of due care was violated and whether someone acted culpably. There will also be a meeting in the climbing hall on Tuesday morning, which Victim Support will also attend.

The victim's identity was not released at the request of her loved ones.