Saudi Arabian World Cup climber Sara Qunaibet was the victim of improper use of a Petzl GriGri by a professional coach. She suffered two broken feet and a broken back but could have easily died, especially considering she fell from just below the top anchors and landed beyond the pads.
The incident occurred last year, before the French rounds of the IFSC World Cup held in July 2024. But video of the accident just surfaced. It’s a powerful reminder of the importance of proper techniques and equipment protocols.
Petzl specifies a particular technique for feeding slack for its GriGri, and as always, the brake hand must control the brake strand of the rope. This video and detailed analysis by the narrator reveal that the coach blatantly ignored these rules and committed several other significant errors.
Ironically, the route was an easy warm-up for Qunaibet, and the accident occurred during a test fall that many climbers do to mentally prepare for lead climbing during the training session. And — grab your seat — two other professional coaches were present, one chatting with the belayer the entire time Sara was climbing.
Warning: The video may be disturbing to some viewers.
