Assuming the Risk of Open and Obvious Dangers of Climbing Gyms

This article analyzes "McGarry v. Philly Rock Corp." On March 16, 2011, Rebecca McGarry and her husband went to the Philly Rock Corp. (PRC) indoor climbing gym where they had twice climbed previously. The couple decided to try bouldering, a style of climbing lower to the ground in which the climber uses bouldering pads instead of ropes, harnesses, and belay devices. After watching her husband climb the bouldering wall, Rebecca McGarry took a turn. After climbing about 4 feet up the wall, McGarry let go of the wall and jumped to the ground. When she hit the ground, she rolled her ankle and heard a cracking, crunching noise. As a result of the fall, McGarry broke her ankle, which required several surgeries and more than a year of physical therapy to recover fully. McGarry claimed that PRC was grossly negligent in their duty to instruct her in the proper way to use the bouldering wall and failed to warn of the dangers of using the bouldering wall. This case provides several examples of risk management implications relevant to climbing facility managers and owners for patrons at their bouldering walls.