soloist falls from Fairview Dome 7/9/2011

Discussion Topic

Return to Forum List

This thread has been locked

Messages 1 - 20 of total 30 in this topic

<< First | < Previous | Show All | Next > | Last >>

Clint Cummins

Trad climber

SF Bay area, CA

Topic Author's Original Post - Jul 11, 2011 - 04:16am PT

He fell from the first pitch of the Regular Route, and lived.
Fell into the moat between snow and rock, and walked out on his own.
A bit shaken up but apparently not (seriously) injured.

I heard this from a couple of guys who were waiting to do the route on Saturday, but eventually gave up due to a slow party above them. We talked with them at the base of Serenity Crack late in the day.

Rhodo-Router

Gym climber

wussing off the topout on Roadside Attraction

Jul 11, 2011 - 04:32am PT

"I planned that!"

healyje

Trad climber

Portland, Oregon

Jul 11, 2011 - 05:26am PT

Jeebus! It suddenly seems like it's raining climbers. WTF!

donini

Trad climber

Ouray, Colorado

Jul 11, 2011 - 08:33am PT

Regarding free soloing- falling early is often the best strategy.

Dick Erb

climber

June Lake, CA

Jul 11, 2011 - 10:01am PT

Good advice, Jim.

bob

climber

Jul 11, 2011 - 10:08am PT

For the million times I have gone up that thing without a rope I occasionally wondered (looking down from higher up on the face) if one would simply slide down if they blew it on that greasy ass first pitch. Now I guess we know.
Yuck.
Glad the individual is ok. I don't think a whole lot of soloists who've fallen get to chat about it later. Though, I do know a few! :)

So, who is the lucky surfer?

Bob J.

Wade Icey

Trad climber

www.alohashirtrescue.com

Jul 11, 2011 - 10:10am PT

What, no Pads?

pud

climber

Sportbikeville & Yucca brevifolia

Jul 11, 2011 - 10:22am PT

Having coffee on a cool and beautiful morning, I hesitated to open this thread not wanting to start the week thinking about another climbing tragedy.
Glad the dude(?) is relatively ok.

Bob,
At an average of 1hr per solo, it took you 114.15 years to solo that thing a million times.
Way to go old man !

bob

climber

Jul 11, 2011 - 10:33am PT

Alright, alright. I gave an inflated number of times I've soloed it, but I guess you get the point.

Its simply very important for me that you know how cool I am.

I know its probably easy for most minds, but are you a math man? Obviously, I'm not. :)

Bob J.

philo

Trad climber

Somewhere halfway over the rainbow

Jul 11, 2011 - 10:36am PT

Regarding free soloing- falling early is often the best strategy.

Is that dry wit or wry wit?

Mr_T

Trad climber

Northern California

Jul 11, 2011 - 12:32pm PT

" heard this from a couple of guys who were waiting to do the route on Saturday, but eventually gave up due to a slow party above them."

They watched a soloist crater, stuck around to finish the route, then gave up because the team above was too slow?

aspendougy

Trad climber

Los Angeles, CA

Jul 11, 2011 - 02:02pm PT

There is a story of a WW II Russian aviator who fell out of a plane. He hit tree branches first, then a snow bank, and he lived. So, when you free solo, just make sure you have a nice fir tree directly below, with 20 ft. of snow underneath.

ß Î Ø T Ç H

Boulder climber

bouldering

Jul 11, 2011 - 02:39pm PT

"Soloist" is being too complimentary, no?

nutjob

Gym climber

Berkeley, CA

Jul 11, 2011 - 02:56pm PT

Last week, while hanging out right at the base of the water streaks on Lembert Dome, I dissuaded some non-climbers (i.e. zero roped experience, no knowledge of 5.whatever ratings) from soloing up... saved ST from another falling thread!

pud

climber

Sportbikeville & Yucca brevifolia

Jul 11, 2011 - 03:30pm PT

Vesna's got 'em beat.

Twenty-two year old, Vesna Vulovic, was a flight attendant on Yugoslav Airlines DC-9 enroute from Stockholm to Belgrade. A bomb, which may have been planted in the front baggage compartment of the plane, exploded onboard when the aircraft was at 33,330 ft. Vulovic was in the tail section that fell to Earth. It landed at just the right angle on a slope of snow covered mountains. She was the only survivor among the 28 passengers and crew. She broke both her legs and was paralyzed from the waist down. She was in a coma for 27 days. Her recovery took 17 months. She continued to fly with Yugoslav Airlines for 20 more years.

She holds the world record, according to the Guinness Book of Records, for surviving the highest fall without a parachute: 10,160 meters (33,333 feet).

Clint Cummins

Trad climber

SF Bay area, CA

Topic Author's Reply - Jul 11, 2011 - 03:54pm PT

> They watched a soloist crater, stuck around to finish the route, then gave up because the team above was too slow?

I believe they were waiting at the base when he fell.
They said they looked right at him when he was leaving and looked shaken up but was able to leave.
I don't know if they actually started up the route, or how long it was between when he fell and they left.
It could kinda deflate one's enthusiasm, no?

neebee

Social climber

calif/texas

Jul 11, 2011 - 04:25pm PT

hey there say, all... yeah, i was afraid to open and read this too, but i know how important it is to support others, after, but still... could have been very sad, :(

glad to hear he is uninjured and could go home...

also, say, pud:

thanks for the story about vesna....

Gal

Trad climber

a semi lucid consciousness

Jul 11, 2011 - 04:29pm PT

well I'm glad the person is ok. I wonder if that will change their whole perspective on soloing forever? It would for me. I doubt we will hear from this person, though it would be great to hear their thoughts on the matter.