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cupton
climber
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Topic Author's Original Post - Oct 20, 2008 - 02:38pm PT
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Yesterday, 10/19/08, two climbers were hurt on Tahquitz. Shaun was up about ten feet leading the first pitch of Angels Fright when he fell, pulled the one nut he had placed as pro, and pulled his unanchored belayer, Rick off the ledge. They both tumbled about 30ft down the fourth class ledges before stopping.
I was going up to solo The Trough and randomly happened upon them about 30 minutes after the accident. There was an EMT from Santa Barbara SAR on-scene and between the two of us we packaged up the belayer using the pre-placed litter and convinced Shaun to sit and not try to walk out on his own. Rick, the belayer had serious head trauma with a 3-4 inch laceration above his right eye and uneven grip in his hands. Shaun was complaining of difficulty breathing and had what the medic described as "rice crispies" on his back but was ambulatory. We rigged a lowering system and got a group of climbers together to act as a carryout team for Rick when fire arrived and immediately made the call to fly both patients. Riverside SO dropped a medic and we sent Rick in the litter first then a second helicopter came for Shaun. From the time of the accident they were in the air in about 2.5 hours.
Thanks to all the climbers who helped out. I wish a speedy recovery for both Rick and Shaun.
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steelmnkey
climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
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Oct 20, 2008 - 02:49pm PT
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Good on ya for being there and providing good support for those guys. Hope they heal up okay.
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looking sketchy there...
Social climber
Latitute 33
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Oct 20, 2008 - 02:53pm PT
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Good job everyone who helped. Maybe my sense of it is wrong, but it seems that the number of accidents at Tahquitz and Suicide has been particularly high this season.
Be safe out there.
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GDavis
Trad climber
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Oct 20, 2008 - 03:00pm PT
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Definitely seem so. Also seems that most have been very very lucky. I believe one on suicide had the SAR training around the corner, and the others that fell 100+ feet and had minor injuries, all things considered.
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Crimpergirl
Social climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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Oct 20, 2008 - 03:11pm PT
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Heal fast guys! We'll be thinking about you.
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Lynne Leichtfuss
Social climber
valley center, ca
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Oct 20, 2008 - 03:15pm PT
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Ditto Crimpergirl.....And Best Wishes and prayers for you both. Lynne
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Oct 20, 2008 - 03:21pm PT
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Best wishes and hope it's only minor stuff.
Get better soon!
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stevep
Boulder climber
Salt Lake, UT
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Oct 20, 2008 - 03:49pm PT
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Glad it wasn't worse, and best wishes to those involved.
At the risk of jumping the gun on analysis, some of this seems to echo the accident at Suicide a short time ago. Both seem to have fallen onto the belay while off the ground.
Reminder to folks -- always place a really bomber piece as soon as possible above the belay.
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Mr Knucklehead
Mountain climber
a place where you can still get a cheap haircut
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Oct 20, 2008 - 05:24pm PT
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Hoping everyone heals quickly and a tip of the hat to Mr. Cupton for jumping in there. It's been awhile, but I seem to remember a chockstone about 6 ft up that could be slung from the ground - seemed bomber to me.
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JuanDeFuca
Big Wall climber
Stoney Point
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Oct 20, 2008 - 07:15pm PT
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Better to just free solo the thing, look at the total lack of pro in the first 20 feet.
Juan
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Oct 20, 2008 - 07:28pm PT
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I hate to read about stuff like this - best wishes for a speedy recovery to both.
As for the rest of you wankers who sometimes do stupid things like this, and who think you can climb something with ONE FREAKING NUT between you and a huge groundfall, think again.
Learn how to properly place pro, and DO IT. Your belay anchor should be one hundred percent redundant and multi-directional, with a minimum of three pieces bombproof pieces of [natural]gear. No way should a person stand on a ledge without being fully secured. And if the climbing is sketchy, place two or even three pieces of gear, and if you can't do so safely, then back off the route and climb something else within your limits.
How many accidents like this have I read about this year, where properly placing pro would have prevented the injuries? Use your heads, guys - climb safely or go back to the gym.
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cupton
climber
Where the past and future meet
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 20, 2008 - 07:44pm PT
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Thanks for the photo Juan but I feel I need to clarify that Rick and Shaun were on a variation that starts just up and left from your photo at a large pine tree. They were both on the lower ledge just below the people in your photograph when I found them.
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Prod
Big Wall climber
A place w/o Avitars apparently
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Oct 20, 2008 - 07:53pm PT
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Good going on the rescue help.
Speedy recovery to the climbers.
PTPP, Good advice.
Prod.
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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Oct 20, 2008 - 08:29pm PT
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First things first, my best wishes to the injured climbers. I have been there myself and have been fortunate enough to recover. After recovery you can call it a learning experience.
Cupton, they were on a variation? As I recall, the first thing left of Angels Fright is the first pitch of Jonah (about 5.10a or b?)
I think there is another possibility in there before you go up the ledge to Devil's Delight. Gotta go find my guidebook I guess...
Folks, set a belay anchor on exposed ledges. Puleeze.
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Batrock
Trad climber
Burbank
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Oct 20, 2008 - 08:34pm PT
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Good job guys.
Rice crispi sound= sub cutaneous emphysema. This can be bad, air escaping into skin from a possible pneumo thorax.
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cupton
climber
Where the past and future meet
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 20, 2008 - 08:36pm PT
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They fell from the finger crack behind the large tree just up to the left of Juans photo. I don't know the name of the climb.
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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Oct 20, 2008 - 08:47pm PT
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The crack behind the large tree, which is up on a higher ledge than the start of Angels Fright is called Devil's Delight. It is an athletic 5.10a. If that is where they were, and they fell down the ledges below (which seems weird - especially the belayer being pulled - because the tree is in the way) they are indeed lucky to be alive.
Perhaps after a time one of the actual participants will tell us what happenned and where they were.
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JuanDeFuca
Big Wall climber
Stoney Point
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Oct 20, 2008 - 11:11pm PT
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This is like the 4th time both climbers have based out at Taqhuitz.
The Step
Long Climb
Tr
Get better fast.
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guyman
Trad climber
Moorpark, CA.
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Oct 21, 2008 - 12:08am PT
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One must climb with great care!
Best wishes guys, heal up.
GK
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Jess O
Trad climber
California
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Oct 22, 2008 - 08:09pm PT
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Shaun's injury was a pneumo thorax. I was there that day, and Cupton was great. They were very lucky to have two SAR people nearby, as were the folks on Suicide who Clark Jacobs helped. We can't count on that kind of luck- let's all be safe out there. Double-check everything, and anchor your belayer, even on a flat ledge.
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