Cherokee Rock Village of Alabama Turns Deadly for an 18-Year-Old Climber

A tragic accident has struck the climbing community, claiming the life of an 18-year-old climber, Yutung “Faye” Zhang, while she was climbing at Cherokee Rock Village in Alabama. The young climber, a student at the University of Georgia, lost her life in a devastating fall.

Deputy coroner Blake Madaris confirmed the victim’s identity as Yutung “Faye” Zhang from Minnesota. The Cherokee County coroner’s office expressed their gratitude to all the first responders who assisted in the challenging and lengthy recovery process.

Cherokee Rock Village Climb devours an 18-year-old Georgia student

According to Greg Trevor, a spokesperson for the University of Georgia, Faye Zhang was a first-year student at the school. The tragic incident deeply saddened the university community. Trevor extended their deepest sympathies to Faye’s family. He is the spokesperson of the university. The university pledged to provide counseling and support to all community members affected by her passing.

The heartbreaking incident occurred during a climbing outing. Faye Zhang fell approximately 30 meters due to an accident at the anchor. The details surrounding the fall were shared by Zhang’s belayer, June, on the Mountain Project, shedding light on the unfortunate chain of events.

Faye was climbing on a top rope, with the other climbers leading the route. She was in the process of cleaning the quickdraws as she ascended. The group had placed an extra locker on the top anchor for her to use when she reached the top. They took this precaution to ensure safety, even though the likelihood of the mussys coming unclipped was highly improbable. June emphasized that everyone in the group had communicated and demonstrated the procedure to Faye when she was on the ground. Faye was confident about her task, which involved removing a locker and leaving the mussys clipped.

However, during the process of lowering, a tragic turn of events occurred. The rope loses weight, and Faye is no longer clipping through the mussys. She fell, along with her belayer, who also sustained injuries. Despite immediate assistance from trained climbers and a physician who happened to be in the vicinity, the outcome was tragically irreversible.

An Irreversible loss 

Zhang’s father, Pingchuan Zhang, also expressed his gratitude for the support and prayers from the climbing community. He shared that Faye, a freshman at the University of Georgia, had texted her family on the morning of the incident about the enjoyable breakfast prepared by the trip organizer. Faye had only recently begun climbing outdoors and was on her second such climbing venture.

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The climbing world mourns the loss of Faye Zhang. Our heartfelt condolences go out to her family and friends during this difficult time. Faye’s tragic accident serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of safety in climbing and the tight-knit, supportive community that surrounds it. 

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