Steve Smith
In July 2005, six Mountaineers from several different branches set out to climb Sharkfin Tower in the North Cascades National Park. In what was the national park’s worst multi-fatality incident, the group experienced a series of events that resulted in three fatalities and one serious injury, plus trauma for the survivors.
Thanks to heroic efforts from other climbers, park rangers, and SAR team members, a helicopter rescue and recovery followed the incident. The incident made national news and sent ripples throughout The Mountaineers and the larger climbing community.
On April 4, 2025, The Mountaineers Tacoma Program Center will host a special Leadership Development Series presentation to honor the memory of those lost in the incident and revisit the details to keep the lessons learned fresh and relevant for today’s climbers.
Learning From Loss: 20th Anniversary of the Sharkfin Tower Incident
April 4, 2025
The Mountaineers Tacoma Program Center
(2302 North 30th Street)
The spirit of the evening will be about putting ourselves in the shoes of the climbing party and understanding how their decisions made sense to them at the time. In addition, we will identify what can be learned from this event to help future climbers, and foster continued healing and recovery from the tragedy.
All are welcome to attend and participate in this interactive session. The lessons learned from this event extend beyond technical mountaineering and are valuable for any Mountaineers members regardless of your activity of choice. We recognize that there may be participants who are personally connected to these climbers, or who have been personally affected by the incident. We ask that all participants come in the spirit of learning in order to respectfully and humbly engage with the details of the incident, as well as its implications for today’s climbers.
About the presenter
Steve Smith is a risk management consultant at Experiential Consulting, LLC, and a former staff member in the Mountaineers Adult Education department. He is the author of Beneficial Risks and has a background working in various outdoor education programs over the past 30+ years.
Photo Courtesy of Steve Smith.