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aldude
climber
Monument Manor
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Shoulda had a Stratos 10m...
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jstan
climber
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That's OK
My browser would not open either of them.
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GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
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Written well and very objectively. A good incident report.
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August West
Trad climber
Where the wind blows strange
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If these experienced fit guys were simulclimbing very easy ground and someone slipped or blew a foothold on well traveled rock in the valley then that's just an awful mistake, not reckless imo.
Let's face it, everyone of us who have lead long trad routes have run it way the f' out on occasion on easy terrain, or climbed over suspect gear when nothing else fit. We've all effectively free solo'd from time to time with psychological crap pro on easier pitches.
These guys weren't grinding the crack in squirrel suits at 140...
It could happen to any of us, so accept that and move on.
Condolences to their families....
I'm with you on that. Multi-pitch rock climbing is an inherently risky environment and just like car accidents, things can go south.
I used to make a point to read the ACC Accidents in North American Mountaineering each year. Maybe things are different now, but my memory is that accidents from falls on easy terrain were relatively rare. Injuries from rock fall and weather issues dominated. Falls on hard terrain where gear pulled seemed to come up a lot.
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Jon Beck
Trad climber
Oceanside
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That report was really hard to read. Saw an interview with Tim's wife on LA TV last night (Fox I think), her name is JJ and she came across as remarkably strong, Tims children are fortunate in that respect.
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jstan
climber
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I too used to read the AAC accidents. The best one told of a climber who fell the full height of Tahquitz and who "would have survived had he been wearing a helmet."
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JLP
Social climber
The internet
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as Wells climbed towards Mammoth Terraces, Cannon heard a thud. I don't get this - what was the thud - something came loose - something from above hit - or ? Was this the reason for the fall, or did the thud really happen after he fell?
He stopped briefly after falling 60m - any idea why?
The account seems pretty poorly written to me - but I also get it that it all probably happened very fast and things might be getting lost in translation.
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Misha
Trad climber
Woodside, CA
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This is a terrible tragedy. My deepest condolences to the affected families and friends. Our tribe lost two giants.
Unfortunately, I didn't get to know Tim in person, but Jason was an old friend, and one of the strongest, most committed climbers I've ever met. Simply put, he was a mountain machine. While he is known in this community for his Yosemite big wall exploits and Eldo speed climbing, one of his days in the hills truly blew my mind. Years ago, he "day-hiked" the full NE Ridge of Mt. Williamson. That wasn't enough for him, so he also climbed the East Ridge of Tyndall on the way back from Williamson. He didn't climb for sponsorships or publicity. He was deeply inspired by mountains, ultra competitive, confident in his abilities and willing to push beyond what most people thought possible. His competitiveness extended to his driving -- in addition to his climbing speed records, he may also hold the record for the fastest drive from the Bay Area to Yosemite Valley :) Most importantly, he was a wonderful person, a dear friend, a son, a husband and a father. I will miss him dearly.
As much as I'm tempted to speculate about what happened to these guys on EC, I will let the professionals conclude their investigation and share the facts before I apply my own judgement. Rest in peace
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GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
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It's an objective breakdown - he heard a thud, anything else is speculation. If you want speculation, see the other 180+ posts.
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BigB
Trad climber
Red Rock
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I don't get this - what was the thud - something came loose - something from above hit - or ? Was this the reason for the fall, or did the thud really happen after he fell?
He stopped briefly after falling 60m - any idea why?
The account seems pretty poorly written to me - but I also get it that it all probably happened very fast and things might be getting lost in translation. Pure speculation...
maybe the thud was a piece that pulled when the rope first came tight also briefly holding him at 60m before pulling off the other climber
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nordicgal
Social climber
LA
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Hi, I found this earlier in Axle's post: I was in the meadow to watch what I hoped would be a nose speed attempt, and at about 6:30am we saw a very fast party of 3 moving up freeblast. They quickly made their way above the half dollar and I would look over their way occasionally to check their progress. At around 8:10 or 8:15am, I heard multiple people yelling loudly in a back-and-forth manner from the heart ledges/mammoth terraces area, which drew my attention. I then saw what looked like a haul bag drop from that area, impact the wall, and start to accelerate downwards. Two other dark objects were falling with it, and there was a rope connecting them. In the moment I assumed it was a series of haul bags, because I could clearly hear what I thought was the sound of polyurethane or durathane coated fabric running against the granite. I wasn't clear on what exactly I saw and it wasn't until later that I learned of the loss of life.
This guy saw three things fall, I hope it can be ascertained what the object was....
Sincere condolensces to the families.
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Moof
Big Wall climber
Orygun
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I'm sure half the speculation, if not more, will turn out to be full BS when the final report comes out. I am sure my own speculation is mostly BS.
Strong climbers were apparently soloing or at least running it way out on easy ground while seemingly taking their ropes for a walk. Soloing has no margin for error, regardless of the grade. Even if the rope hadn't severed, the leader falling with no pro for even a fraction of a pitch is going to be fatal more times than not. For whatever reason on this outing the second got dragged along for the ride.
The leader's death can be understood from the perspective of taking risks to move fast, and a freak mistake/accident costing a loss of life. The second however should have been in with a bombproof anchor and should have survived no matter what happened to the leader. Someone on the team was negligent in that regard.
Somehow a haul bag got dropped nearby, but seems to be absent from some of the reporting. I am still quite confused by how all this went down.
Awful all around.
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axle
Trad climber
Durham, NC
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Hi,
To clarify, I am not confident that I witnessed a haul bag falling, only that, in the moment, it appeared so. Given the relative physical scale and time-frame involved in unexpectedly watching this event from El Cap meadow with the naked eye, my initial reaction was that I thought I was witnessing a series of haul bags coming off. It sounded like that as it came down and made sense given the shouting that immediately precluded it. It is very possible that no haul bag was involved, and that confirmation bias affected my subsequent observations as the event unfolded. I apologize if my statements were misleading; I was just trying to relay what I saw or perceived to see.
I am hopeful that YOSAR will write a detailed accident report once the facts are known.
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Emon
Trad climber
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Deepest condolences to the family and friends of Jason and Tim.
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nordicgal
Social climber
LA
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Thanks Axle, I'm just trying to put everyone's information together -- thank you!
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JLP
Social climber
The internet
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Somewhere in the mix was a pack with enough water for 3 for a 90 degree day.
The pitch Jason fell off was over 70m if you combine the last 2 before Mammoth, so there would likely be some simul climbing.
I don't think Jordan saw much if he was still below the Half Dollar, which he nearly had to be if he waited until Prince pulled up the rope. You can't see much of the upper pitches until you exit the Half Dollar chimney. I think that's why his account lacks detail.
I hope to learn more, but I'd guess at this point either Jason slipped, or Tim lost control of the bag, somewhere in the middle of the last 2 pitches.
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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Reading that accident report (professional work, James) shivered me to the core. Stirs the ashes of all the close calls I had while climbing at a level so very far below these guys. As Rich mentioned, for some reason, possibly the speed and level of immersion we can now intake so much grim data also deepens the level of introspection. I might not go so far as Jstan did is saying any endorsement makes me culpable, but right now I'm sure glad my daughters never liked rock climbing. It's starting to feel radioactive. At least my long held conviction that the more extreme, the better.
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AP
Trad climber
Calgary
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Is it any worse than was?
Maybe we have more people in the world=more people climbing=more people climbing at high standard=more accidents
I think back to a few climbs I did in the 80's and realize that even if I could dial back 30 years in my body I wouldn't do them.
How many of the BITD California stories involved stupid incidents where one different beat of a butterfly's wings would have resulted in a coffin and not a great story?
Too many good people have left us in the last few years
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SuperTopo on the Web
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Actor Lee Strasberg, in a role based on Meyer Lansky
Let us know!