Adam Campbell’s gripping recollection of his near-death climbing accident

Canadian trail runner Adam Campbell recounts his harrowing fall at Rogers Pass in the Selkirk Mountains that nearly cost him his life.

Accomplished trail and mountain runner Adam Campbell is on the road to recovery after a near-death rock climbing accident on the Selkirk Mountains on Aug. 30. The 37-year-old was out in Rogers Pass in British Columbia with friends (and elite ultrarunners) Dakota Jones and Nick Elson, who helped save his life. Campbell broke his pelvis and spine at the T8-T11 vertebrae and suffered “severe lacerations and soft tissue injuries,” which required eight hours of surgery to repair. The three were covering 14 peaks through Rogers Pass in “fast style,” meaning that the trio were relatively light on gear. As Campbell was scrambling up an area he reached for a rock, but it was loose which caused him to fall 200 feet. His helmet, which was destroyed, helped save his life.

“I was conscious the whole time,” describes Campbell. “Nick was able to call 911 and there was a search and rescue training mission in the area. I was transported in a special air ambulance and treated on the road before getting to Kamloops.”

While at Royal Inland Hospital, he suffered post-surgery complications and his “entire digestive system shut down.” His stomach swelled to five times its regular size and his hemoglobin dropped significantly. According to Campbell, his doctor told him that it was one of the few such instances they’ve seen in 30 years.

Campbell notes the silver lining though saying that during the trip, he reconnected with friends with whom he had lost touch. His father f lew in from Thailand, his brother from West Africa, and the family was by his side throughout his time in hospital. Campbell also recognized the tremendous support he has received from the running community. His social media posts have been inundated with well wishes.

Still though, he realizes how close he came to being paralyzed or dead. “It was a matter of inches,” he says. “I could have fallen on a different rock, the search and rescue team could have been delayed.” In addition to having Elson and Jones nearby, certain pieces of gear helped save his life including a helmet, emergency beacon, bivvy sack and a jacket to keep warm.

The Alberta resident says that, as a physical person himself, one of the toughest parts has been having physical capabilities be taken away. “You feel this sense of vulnerability,” says Campbell. During his hospital stay, Campbell did lots of writing and drawing, which he describes was very in the moment and a way to release some of the emotions he was feeling.

“I have had a strange relationship with vulnerability most of my adult life, ignoring it, denying its existence within me, fearing that it will hold me back from exploring my physical limits and suffering emotionally for that denial because it is inherently dishonest,” Campbell wrote on Instagram. Outlining the emotions he felt in the hospital including being mentally drained, confined to a hospital room, and celebrating each small victory as if it were a milestone, he admits, “I am my vulnerabilities.” The Rogers Pass trip was the first time he has travelled with Jones and Elson and Campbell recognizes how vital they were in getting him to safety. “They were such rock stars,” Campbell says. “So knowledgeable and calm throughout the process. They knew exactly what to do.”

“The short-term goals include setting myself up at home,” Campbell says of what’s next. “I’ve been recovering well but not sure what that means long-term. I’m taking any pressure off the table and let it come day by day.”– TH