Team Geared Up

DUBLIN, IRELAND (Team Geared Up) - RTE News are reporting one of the worlds top free solo climbers has fallen off a cliff face 21m into the sea off Valencia Island in Kerry. Hopes look very unlikely he’ll be alive as he fell yesterday.

All we know:

• From United States
• He is understood to be one of the leading free solo climbers in the world.
• Gerry O’Brien of Valentia Coastguard said it was very unusual for people to be rock-climbing in that particular area.

We’ll bring you more as we hear it. His identity is unknown, but the Irish climbing community must know whoever it was was in the country.

UPDATE: More details coming in…

• believed to be in his thirties
• finished a climb with another man when he slipped
• Name confirmed as Michael Reardon by climbing.ie

Now it clicks. Michael had been to Ireland a few years ago and I remember him climbing or at least asking for solo advice around Dalkey Quarry.

Here’s a video including the dalkey shots from January:

Michael has been featured a number of times on Team Geared Up, as most recently putting up a new potential E7 route in the Burren a few weeks ago. It’s desperately sad it’s ended this way. Our thoughts are with Michael’s family & friends, a large number of which are in the Irish climbing community.

Update: Latest report in. Michael was washed off the base of a sea-cliff after potentially slipping on some seaweed after a successful climb.