Climbing Accident in Wyoming

On August 30, 2013, 25-year-old Salt Lake City climber and Black Diamond employee Kevin Volkening, affectionately known among friends and partners as “K-Bone,” was killed in a climbing accident in Clark’s Fork, Wyoming. Kevin was climbing with several friends on the moderate final pitch of a route, when a block he was standing on gave away, causing him to fall approximately 50 feet and strike a ledge. HIs partner and two friends were able to get to him quickly, but Kevin was already gone. He was wearing a helmet. Search and Rescue was called and they were able to retrieve Kevin’s body from the canyon late that night.

Kevin had been a member of Black Diamond’s Quality Assurance team at the company’s Salt Lake City headquarters for the past year and a half. He spent years living in Bozeman, Montana and climbing in Gallatin Canyon before moving to Salt Lake City to work at Black Diamond and be closer to his favorite climbing area, Indian Creek. Kevin was always smiling, always willing to help out and always…ALWAYS psyched to climb. The tag line from his personal blog reads “I LOVE to climb…everything,” and it was true-from rock and ice all across the Western US and alpine routes in Alaska, to local bouldering and training at the gym-Kevin was a climber, and shared his positive energy with everyone, whether they tied in with him or not. Kevin leaves behind a wife, sisters, parents, and a huge community of friends who were positively affected by his never-ending passion for the climbing life. We will miss his infectious smile, his super-stoked attitude, and even his sizable collection of wolf T-shirts. Rest in peace Kevin.