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The Larry
climber
Moab, UT
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Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 25, 2013 - 03:12pm PT
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Evidently a 22 year old Salt Lake local died after attempting the Corona Arch rope swing with too long a rope. That's the second death out here in a week due to rigging failure.
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Mar 25, 2013 - 03:46pm PT
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BLM crackdown in 3...2...1...
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mechrist
Gym climber
South of Heaven
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Mar 25, 2013 - 03:52pm PT
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Dumb
Ass
Rigging
Errors
to keep kids off rope swings.
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abrams
Sport climber
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Mar 25, 2013 - 04:09pm PT
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wheres the video? If the go-pro survived the impact that will be
a nice testimonial.
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mechrist
Gym climber
South of Heaven
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Mar 25, 2013 - 04:33pm PT
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Knowledge and dues aren't always enough when "they" are hucking them self off sh#t.
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Mar 25, 2013 - 04:44pm PT
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I did a similar massive, ass-puckering rope-swing thing off a bridge in Oregon, outside of Bend, in the early 80's; scared the sh#t out of me and was, uh, "fun". But throughout all my years of climbing my first line of psychological defense was having the gear there for pro, but trying not to use it and never really trusting it -- just not falling was always my goal. I've taken my share of whopper whippers and done some hard routes with pathetic pro, but that was when I was a real heat-seeker, climbing full-time for years on end, and in the Zone as it were. Always hated and always nervvy on rappels, hanging belays, etc. With those big rope swings, the fear-to-fun ratio was way to skewed-- 90% fear, 10% fun -- so I never got into 'em. But oldschool playground swingsets? Yes! Better than meditation.
And Bungee jumping? Never. Ever. Period. A good book and a comfortable reading chair over that sh#t all day long.
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WBraun
climber
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Mar 25, 2013 - 04:48pm PT
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People do this type of rigging all the time and then forget about unforeseen dynamics that come into play when in actual use .......
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SCseagoat
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Mar 25, 2013 - 04:59pm PT
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Taken in November at Corona Arch, as said then I wanted to, but just couldn't do it....don't think I have any interest any more.
Sad, condolences to his friends and family..
Susan
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Mar 25, 2013 - 05:16pm PT
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Susan,
The BLM allows this to go on. They are crappy stewards. How can they protect our communally-held land letting idiots on arches which may have decided to give it up any day now? I don't get it.
"Just hold the match to the fuse, lady."
Jugheads.
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Captain...or Skully
climber
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Mar 25, 2013 - 05:28pm PT
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Natural Selection regulates this sort of thing.
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rectorsquid
climber
Lake Tahoe
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Mar 25, 2013 - 05:28pm PT
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There are probably an infinite number of ways do die on BLM land and if they get in the business of trying to regulate idiot, they will have a seriously difficult time of it.
As soon as someone trips and dies because they were running, should they outlaw running? Where is the line drawn and which deaths are okay?
Better to stay out if it and just let people make mistakes like they are sure to do everywhere all of the time. Government cannot make life safe and we all suffer when it tries.
Dave
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SCseagoat
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Mar 25, 2013 - 05:31pm PT
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I don't get it.
No easy answer there, Mouse. All about balance. The days we were out there the groups were having a wonderful time...but of course anything could have happened. Airplanes are not allowed to fly through it anymore.
Given the litigious nature of US...I'm sure we haven't heard the last.
As far as lighting the fuse, yep, I've been known to burn it at both ends.
rapping right next to Corona Arch
Susan
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Mar 25, 2013 - 05:32pm PT
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My point is that the arch isn't protected from idiots.
It may be that "los rinches" are called for, I'm not the one to say. But the arch isn't being protected, it isn't mandated like in a National Park or Monument. It's BLM. Maybe a concession?
The point is, there are experts and there are fools or just n00bs, if you will, who don't know beans about dynamics. In order to protect the arch, mind you, not the swingers. There's only one Corona Arch.
Draconian measures...
Any fool swings on my arch is gonna get flamed!
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Elcapinyoazz
Social climber
Joshua Tree
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Mar 25, 2013 - 05:32pm PT
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Wonder if they did a measurement and didn't account for rope stretch, or just tried to "eyeball" it or what?
Seems like you'd run a test with a haulbag full of rocks or something, or at the very least run the first couple jumps fairly short and gradually introduce more rope.
Condolences to the family, gotta be tough. In retrospect I feel pretty lucky to have lived through my late teens and 20s with some of the dumb stuff we did/tried.
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mechrist
Gym climber
South of Heaven
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Mar 25, 2013 - 05:36pm PT
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It is protected from idiots in planes.
What more do you want?
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#310
Social climber
Telluride, CO
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Mar 25, 2013 - 05:38pm PT
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for once it is not the BLM but the State of Utah:
"The arch is on property owned by the School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration. Earlier this year, the state ruled that because of the liability presented by the dangers of the rope swing, commercial companies could no longer take paying customers to the swing. Private individuals were still allowed, however, to swing on or climb the arch."
From the KSL news story.
with condolences to family and friends
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S.Leeper
Social climber
somewhere that doesnt have anything over 90'
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Mar 25, 2013 - 05:45pm PT
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I'm with BVB on this one...equipment is only for back up, not jollies.
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S.Leeper
Social climber
somewhere that doesnt have anything over 90'
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Mar 25, 2013 - 05:47pm PT
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you can't legislate stupid.
or morality
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