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kennyt
climber
Woodfords,California
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That sucks.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Clear Creek is almost entirely a sport climbing venue. Sounds like a lowering mishap.
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WBraun
climber
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"They reached the climber and got him off the mountain within an hour,"
Mountain ..... ?
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Yeah Werner, everything in Clear Creek is minutes from the road.
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rlf
Trad climber
Josh, CA
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I'll be curious to hear what the cause was. Lowering accidents seem to have become common place these days.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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A woman i knew was killed in a lowering accident in Clear Creek and Phil Powers, a very experienced climber and ED of the AAC, was badly injured in Clear Creek, again, from a lowering mishap.
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Big Mike
Trad climber
BC
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My condolences to family and friends. His kids were with him. How tragic!
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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KennyT....the two accidents i reported were from miscommunication; they thought they were going to be lowered and leaned back with no one on the other end of the rope. If he fell 60 feet it is unlikely that the rope was not long enough.
Most of the routes there are less than half a rope length.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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That's what i thought....so sad and so avoidable.
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WBraun
climber
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The same accident happened here in Yosemite 2 different times that I know of.
It happened to Chappy on this forum years ago.
I happened to some euro guy on Lazy Bum a few years ago.
Both survived, although the euro was pretty fuked up because he hit the ground.
Chappy was super lucky because his beleyer Bruce Hawkins (RIP) miraculously was able to stop Chappy with his bare hands after falling the full pitch .....
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Big Mike
Trad climber
BC
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So horrible. I never ever say safe or secure unless i'm going to rap. I allways make my belayer keep me on belay unless i say those things. This is exactly what happened to wendy too!! So sad. Be vigilant friends!
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Nobody wants to lose Chappy, one of the best dudes out there.
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GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
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Was sport climbing in Owens on friday, whenever I am in a controlled comfortable environment with friendly bolts I try to keep in mind what can happen to even very skilled/safe climbers. Condolences to friends and family, risk is ever-present so give it as much respect as possible.
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rlf
Trad climber
Josh, CA
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Very sad to hear.
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Dropline
Mountain climber
Somewhere Up There
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My practice is to keep a hand, or both, on the brake side of the rope until I can see the belayer's hands and see that I am on belay. There have been too many accidents like this over the years, including two personal friends. Both survived although with grave injuries.
Condolences to the family.
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BASE104
Social climber
An Oil Field
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In sailing, the end of the anchor line is called, "The Bitter End."
That is where the phrase came from.
You always tie off the bitter end or you will lose your anchor sooner or later. Why don't people tie a figure eight on the end of the rope every single time?
That is another sailing rule. Tie a figure eight in the end of every line. As far as I can tell, it is the only common use for a figure eight in sailing..to keep a line from sneaking through a cleat and going flying in the wind out of reach.
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harryhotdog
Social climber
north vancouver, B.C.
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I know of two top level super safe climbers with 20 years experience at the time. Climber gets to top of one pitch sport route and says "OK" expecting to be lowered. Belayer takes him off thinking he meant off belay because he's not a sport climber.. Climber weights the rope and starts the free fall. Belayer quickly grabs the rope before climber picks up speed.Got to HAND it to the belayer,he made a mistake but was on the ball,watching and pulled off a miraculous save.
When not tied in I always put a knot at the end of my rope and other peoples also. I personally know of countless mishaps regarding rope going through belayers device on one pitch routes that were longer than expected when lowering. Hopfully the 70m rope will help on that one.
Totally attentive mono-focused belaying seems to have gone the way of the Dodo bird especially at sport crags. When was the last time you saw belayer checking knots and harness of climber and climber checking belay device and harness of belayer? I'm already teaching this and all the proper commands and responses to my 4 and 6 year old so it is ingrained.
Don't pretend to yourself it can't happen to you or for that matter you have never made a serious stupid error. Perhaps you were lucky and it didn't bite you that time.
Despite trying to play it safe all the time I fall into this catagory.
I feel so sorry for him and his kids to have this terrible accident. Must be very hard for the son.
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kennyt
climber
Woodfords,California
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from 60' you can see what each other is doing. without saying a word if need be
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Sport climbing becomes too casual. Ordinarily there is little danger, hence the guard goes down.
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johntp
Trad climber
socal
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FK!
Why do people have these communication errors? Shouldn't it be discussed before the leader leaves the ground / belay?
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