Do hikers fall off cliffs?

[Feral Nature]

I have been watching endless AT you tube videos and some of the hikers look scary-close to falling off the mountain trails. So does this ever happen? I did a search and could not find anything. I am not super-graceful and want to know if fat ladies fall?

[Red Hat]

Yes, fat ladies, skinny ladies, and everything in between, falls on the AT. Fortunately, we don't usually fall off cliffs. When it is treacherous, I may crawl on my hands and knees, or butt scoot across the difficult area to keep from falling. My worst fall was on slick rocks in a flat area, but I just cut my head.

[harryfred]

Agree with Red Hat. The worse places to fall it seems as if we don't. Now trip over a rock on a long, wide, flat, straight, trail yeah we've all done that. GO FIGURE

[Feral Nature]

Well, falling on my butt is perfectly ok and so is crawling in mud. I just don't want to fall off a steep trail to ultimate doom lol! Red Hat, you know I'm only used to sand hills, living where I do and only twice have we had bad ice on the front porch. Not real used to walking on anything I can fall off of, except maybe the porch itself.

[weary]

I have been watching endless AT you tube videos and some of the hikers look scary-close to falling off the mountain trails. So does this ever happen? I did a search and could not find anything. I am not super-graceful and want to know if fat ladies fall?

Well, I only rarely fall -- maybe once or twice in two decades, and never off cliffs -- people who use expensive hiking sticks seem to fall more often, judging from the posts on White Blaze. But I suspect that the sticks entice folks to go too fast for conditions. My single walking staff offers no such enticement. But even Leki users fail to fall off cliffs very often -- like almost never.

So whatever, when you come to a cliff -- there are a few on the trail -- just hold onto whatever vegetation and nearby rocks you can find, as well as your sticks, of whatever kind, and you will be okay.

[Feral Nature]

weary, interesting about the staff. I shepherd my herd of goats with a long walking staff that I made myself. I was thinking of how ideal that would be for me on the AT. But I don't think I could get it on Greyhound. Hummm maybe I could mail it. That staff has mojo!

[CowHead]

only if you step off one

[elray]

I've fallen into a creek several times but never a cliff, not to worry.

[weary]

weary, interesting about the staff. I shepherd my herd of goats with a long walking staff that I made myself. I was thinking of how ideal that would be for me on the AT. But I don't think I could get it on Greyhound. Hummm maybe I could mail it. That staff has mojo!

I've carried my staff on several flights. I just pretend to be old, and they let me on. I suspect it helps that my stick is not terribly big in circumferance. The rule, I'm told, allows sticks that are needed for walking. Well, mine aren't needed for all walking -- just walking near cliffs, and of course, muddy and rough trails.

[Lone Wolf]

I have been watching endless AT you tube videos and some of the hikers look scary-close to falling off the mountain trails. So does this ever happen? I did a search and could not find anything. I am not super-graceful and want to know if fat ladies fall?

not off cliffs but y'all fall trippin' over roots and such

[birchy]

Only cliffs within 10 miles of a BAR

[birchy]

Agree with Red Hat. The worse places to fall it seems as if we don't. Now trip over a rock on a long, wide, flat, straight, trail yeah we've all done that. GO FIGURE

ALCOHOL IS ALWAYS INVOLVED....lol

[weary]

not off cliffs but y'all fall trippin' over roots and such

That's my advice also. Though I would add, avoid enticing attractions along the trail. I remember trying to get the attention of a very attractive female hiker only two decades younger than me, and failed to keep watch of the trail. I carried the scar on my forehead for several weeks -- not exactly the attention I had been seeking.

[Feral Nature]

I've carried my staff on several flights. I just pretend to be old, and they let me on. I suspect it helps that my stick is not terribly big in circumferance. The rule, I'm told, allows sticks that are needed for walking. Well, mine aren't needed for all walking -- just walking near cliffs, and of course, muddy and rough trails.

I will have no trouble pretending that I am old. Thanks for the tip about traveling with your staff, I will see what kind of rules Greyhound has as that is the way I will be traveling to Georgia.

[Bati]

You might want to search a bit more and perhaps not limit it to the AT.
For example:
http://web.archive.org/web/200107111...cs/06Gorge.htm
to quote from this article dated in 2000 (some fatalities would be climbers, not just hikers and campers):
Richardson said the gorge averages about two fatalities a year from cliff falls.
Since 1960, rescuers in the gorge which has more than 500,000 visitors each year have made more than 1,300 rescues of hikers and climbers.
More than 50 people have died as a result of falls, while hundreds of others have been hospitalized or permanently disabled.

or from 2009
http://www.wkyt.com/wymtnews/headlines/39644197.html which says: Officials say the older man may have been hiking by himself when he fell 175 feet to his death.

or from 2010 in Western NC
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?se...ate&id=7487428 which says At least four people have died this year by either falling over waterfalls or other incidents in the U.S. forests in western North Carolina.

or from 2010 in Western NC
http://www.digtriad.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=143041 which says At least a dozen people have died in waterfall-related accidents in Western North Carolina since 2001.

or from 2010
http://www.100peaks.com/2010/02/17/t...-pines-cliffs/ which says: She may have been hiking at night, since she was found with a flashlight that was turned on.

or from 2010
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/outp...uz-island.html which says: Several of his companions witnessed his fall.

or from 2010
http://articles.sfgate.com/2008-04-1...hiker-hillside which says: died Monday after falling over the cliff, and her hiking partner was injured when he attempted to rescue her

or from 2011
http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/1...ed-off-olomana which says: friends mourned the hiker who died when he fell 150 feet off the Olomana Trail.
and so on...

Basically, the odds are slim compared to dying in a car wreck, but, YES, hikers can and do die in falls. Not all involve alcohol, though a high percentage seem to.
Not all involve people who left the trail to get a better photo etc., but many do. Some were solo hikers, others had friends who couldn't help them (or got injured trying to). Some were dead before help arrived, some died instantly, some died despite emergency airlifts.

Remember, the cliff doesn't need to be all that high to kill you, especially if you don't happen to land on a soft surface or in an emergency room.
And if you're doing something extremely dangerous, like driving to a trailhead, buckle up!

[rainmaker]

I will have no trouble pretending that I am old. Thanks for the tip about traveling with your staff, I will see what kind of rules Greyhound has as that is the way I will be traveling to Georgia.

Neither does Weary. The man is at least as old as dirt.

[Feral Nature]

Bati, thanks for the extensive answer. I was mainly wondering about the AT. I have some problems with my knees so I am a little over-concerned about how well I can perform (keep from falling and killing myself).

[Sierra Echo]

Only when pushed!

[10-K]

If you hike, you will fall. Where you end up depends on where you fall. I slipped on some acorns last year and had it not been for a root I would have went down a scary looking embankment and most likely been injured.

I've fell a lot on ice and had some close calls there too.

[WingedMonkey]

I didn't fall, I was pushed. Crossing Franconia Ridge. Nice big sign as you approach the ridge trail, "do not attempt in bad weather". Well when I started across it was beautiful, and I was expecting some fine views.
Somewhere about the "to far to turn around" point the cold wind and rain from hell came up. One of those rain blowing at 90 degrees type winds. We all advise to get off of a ridge in bad weather, there was no where to get below, and hiding behind rocks didn't work. Managed to catch my pack cover just before I lost it and stuff it inside.
Got almost to the end of the ridge and WHAM, down I go about 12 feet to some rocks below. Was totally lifted off my feet. Hit my face on the rocks but was too cold to tell if I was injured. Stopped for water before the shelter and continued to try and feel my numb face for blood.
Got to Garfield campsite just at dark, seems I disturbed the caretaker that had to leave his tent to collect my money. Looked at me strange when I handed him my light and asked him "is my face bleeding?". It wasn't.
It was one of my best trail memories. And yes, I was Winged Monkey before I flew off that ridge.