Derek Hersey

Derek Geoffrey Hersey (26 October 1956 – 28 May 1993) was a British rock climber who specialized in free soloing, and was for many years an active participant in the Boulder, Colorado climbing scene in the United States.

Climbing career Originally from Stretford, Greater Manchester, England, Hersey was based in Colorado, United States, and referred to Eldorado Canyon as his 'office', where he could be seen on any day of the week, if not on a road trip to Yosemite National Park or elsewhere. He also referred to Boulder, Colorado's Liquor Mart as 'The Shrine', and described his climbing-chalk bag as 'my bag of courage'. Hersey was featured in Climbing Magazine and posthumously in the film Front Range Freaks. He was tall and weighed . Few climbers have tried to repeat his achievements, which include many of Colorado's hardest traditional routes.

Hersey's efforts to push the limits of free soloing earned him the nickname "Dr. Death". Hersey was perhaps best known for his exploits in Eldorado Canyon, but his résumé included many other challenging ascents (and descents). He fell several hundred feet to his death. The search for Hersey's body was featured in a report on the CBS News programme 48 Hours.