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Cooker
Mountain climber
LA, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Oct 25, 2011 - 10:08pm PT
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Any more info on this?
Rock climber seriously injured at Joshua Tree National Park
Officials were investigating Tuesday how a rock climber plunged 25 feet in an accident at Joshua Tree National Park.
Yosuke Komiya, 36, who was visiting the park from Japan, plunged down the face of Cyclops Rock on Sunday afternoon, the park said in a statement. He sustained severe head injuries and was airlifted in serious condition to Desert Regional Hospital in Palm Springs for treatment.
A preliminary investigation by park rangers found that Komiya may have been hit by the second member of his team who fell from his lead position. That person was uninjured, officials said.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/10/climber-injured-joshua-tree-park.html
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Chicken Skinner
Trad climber
Yosemite
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Oct 25, 2011 - 10:12pm PT
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It could happen easily. Leader falls and swings into the belayer knocking their head into the wall.
Ken
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Gary
climber
From the City That Dreams
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Oct 25, 2011 - 10:14pm PT
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One guy had started on lead, didn't want to finish and built an anchor. The other guy led up, placing three pieces of pro. He fell, zippered his three pieces, fell past the belayer and ripped the anchor out.
He was about 10 feet off the ground when the anchor went, so he wasn't too badly injured. The belayer came off from 30 feet up, no helmet, severe head injuries.
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zip
Trad climber
pacific beach, ca
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Oct 25, 2011 - 10:15pm PT
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Gary,
thanks.
do you know what route it was?
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Gary
climber
From the City That Dreams
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Oct 25, 2011 - 10:28pm PT
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Zip, Fowl Foul is the word on the street.
Hopefully the injured will be OK. What a nightmare scenario.
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zip
Trad climber
pacific beach, ca
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Oct 25, 2011 - 10:41pm PT
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Gary,
ok, bummer.
hope they heal quickly.
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Crimpergirl
Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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Oct 25, 2011 - 11:19pm PT
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Yowza. Terrible. Healing wishes to both climbers.
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Brokedownclimber
Trad climber
Douglas, WY
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Oct 25, 2011 - 11:49pm PT
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I hope they heal well and quickly; it's a bummer to get hurt!
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Elvis Leg
Trad climber
Dallas, TX
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Oct 26, 2011 - 01:17am PT
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Can some of you out there with more experience comment on how common it is to zipper pro like that? I feel like I have read about several accidents recently where more than one piece failed.
I have been climbing since '99. The majority of my experience is on multi pitch moderate routes on granite. I am confident in my ability to place effective pro gained from my experience. However I have rarely fallen on gear. Consequently my placements are almost never actually tested.
I specifically was wondering about cases when placements have failed and what indicators might be apparent before the failure.
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Oct 26, 2011 - 01:21am PT
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hey there say, all.... very sorry to hear this bad news... :(
wish i had seen it sooner, though, i will be praying now...
sure hope he's made it this far...
please let us know how he is doing, if anyone can...
prayers for his family, too, they must be very worried....
god bless...
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karodrinker
Trad climber
San Jose, CA
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Oct 26, 2011 - 01:31am PT
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elvis, go fall on some gear and find out.
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bergbryce
Mountain climber
South Lake Tahoe, CA
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Oct 26, 2011 - 01:31am PT
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I would assume that any pieces that are poorly placed can "zip" out. The first piece placed above a belay needs to be able to withstand a downward as well as an upward pull. If the leader falls, when (if) the belayer catches him/her there can be a significant upward pull that if a piece cannot withstand an upward pull, it can "zipper" or pull out from the bottom. Same goes for ensuing pieces closely placed above the belay, or that could be impacted by an upward pull.
Imagine a nut or several in a row, slotted in from the top, receiving a strong upward jolt coming from the belayer end of the system. If the first one went easily, all that stress in the system will easily be transferred to the next piece and if it is a poorly placed cam, or another nut easily slotted in from the top, it too has the risk of "zippering".
To prevent this, you need to place a piece or pieces that can withstand an upward as well as a downward pull. A decently placed cam above the belay usually does this pretty well.
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Elvis Leg
Trad climber
Dallas, TX
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Oct 26, 2011 - 10:39am PT
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Yeah I know I need to practice falling. My favorite climbing author Arno Ilgner would agree. But I thought I would see what y'all have seen in the real world not just theory. The upward pull scenario is instructive. I once I was yanked five feet off the ground by someone thirty pounds lighter than me.
ps. I highly recommend "The Rock Warrior's Way" by Arno Ilgner. That book has improved my climbing more than any other single factor.
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stevep
Boulder climber
Salt Lake, UT
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Oct 26, 2011 - 11:24am PT
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Exactly what Cragman said. The best way to learn good pro is to follow someone who is very experienced. You learn what good placements look like, and you can also see the balance between placing pro and saving energy by runnning it out a bit.
Very few trad climbs have pro so bad that zippering is likely when the pro is well done.
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fear
Ice climber
hartford, ct
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Oct 26, 2011 - 11:27am PT
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Bad things happen to great climbers too... We don't know anything about the experience level of these guys so let's not call 'em "noobs" yet..
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John Butler
Social climber
SLC, Utah
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Oct 26, 2011 - 11:32am PT
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Hope he heals. Bad enough to be hurt... even worse to be banged-up thousands of miles from home.
Something doesn't make sense. Why not get lowered from 30 feet and let the other guy lead it? Could they have been practicing anchors/changeovers down low?
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klk
Trad climber
cali
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Oct 26, 2011 - 11:33am PT
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truth is, although folks think of jt as a great place for beginning and intermediate climbers, and it feels friendly because you have short climbs and blue skies, it's not a really good place for beginners.
the rock is typically marginal, placements are often limited and complicated, and there are very few routes in which you ever really get out of groundfall range.
sorry to hear about this accident.
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Gary
climber
From the City That Dreams
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Oct 26, 2011 - 11:37am PT
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the rock is typically marginal, placements are often limited and complicated, and there are very few routes in which you ever really get out of groundfall range.
True indeed. Seems like the crux for a lot of climbs at Josh is down low, right off the ground before you can even get a piece in.
The beginning leader really has to pick his routes carefully. The Eye, for instance, is not much of a route for a new leader, IMHO, 5.1 though it may be.
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happiegrrrl
Trad climber
www.climbaddictdesigns.com
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Oct 26, 2011 - 11:38am PT
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It sounds very tragic. Best wishes for recovery and many more climbing days ahead for the people involved, and strength for those waiting as the injured one goes through this.
Like many areas, Joshua Tree has a learning curve on pro, no matter what level one leads at.
...and remember that this thread will likely be read by people who know and love the parties involved. Think about if the words you write would be similar to what you would say in person.
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alleyehave
Trad climber
San Diego, CA
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Oct 26, 2011 - 12:34pm PT
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I don't think I understand this scenario well. For those with the limited information you might have, please correct me if wrong.
Leader climbs 10ft on a presumedly single pitch route
Leader does not want to continue and builds anchor in place
Second starts climbing and becomes new leader
New leader places 3 pieces, falls, rips 3 pieces and blows anchor causing a ground fall??
amiright?
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