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Roxy
Trad climber
CA Central Coast
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Sep 27, 2011 - 10:00pm PT
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great report with pics!!!!!!
go YOSAR!!!!!
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Ricky D
Trad climber
Sierra Westside
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Sep 27, 2011 - 10:04pm PT
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Cops got a tube gun that fires beanbags with pretty darn good accuracy.
Rig a 20 pound line with an open face casting reel and you're golden.
Beats throwing the damn thing.
Have Werner call Fatty for a 20% discount.
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Sep 27, 2011 - 11:06pm PT
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Amazing. Glad to hear the fellow had his thumb reattached successfully.
It's even better they had rescue insurance.
Top rate photos and commentary, Tom. Really, really appreciated.
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the Fet
climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
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Sep 27, 2011 - 11:17pm PT
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Top notch rescue and report!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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WBraun
climber
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Sep 27, 2011 - 11:18pm PT
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So next time you get pissed at LEO rangers in the valley .....
Just remember .... it was LEO rangers that were hanging on the end of that rope below that chopper.
The pilot was unreal to keep the ship steady for that long.
Truly a phenomenal heroic successful rescue pick-off from a difficult location on El Cap.
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le_bruce
climber
Oakland, CA
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Sep 28, 2011 - 01:00am PT
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So amazing, so many questions.
Tom, do you have a shot that includes the helicopter while the two LEOs were at the belay and attached to the line? I'm not really able to wrap my head around how close the bird must have been to the wall.
Hovering that close, in unpredictable wind, and with people pulling the bean bag line in toward the wall, a small force but essentially cranking the entire fuselage closer to the face, a force with you have to counteract by pure stick work? Incredible confidence and skill by the pilot.
Not to even mention the amount of trust put into both the LEO's and the climbers... They must have had an airtight game plan with the climbers before tossing them the line? Putting that line in their hands was courageous as hell.
Final thought: look at that beautiful chimney feature in the 6th shot that the helicopter's nose is pointing at. Is that on any existing route? A beauty.
Thanks much, Tom. Exciting stuff, impressive, wild.
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pc
climber
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Sep 28, 2011 - 01:05am PT
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Great rescue and fantastic report Tom!
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Mike Bolte
Trad climber
Planet Earth
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Sep 28, 2011 - 01:09am PT
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incredible and great photos Tom!
Sully: I laughed out loud. Good one.
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ontheedgeandscaredtodeath
Trad climber
San Francisco, Ca
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Sep 28, 2011 - 01:21am PT
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Great shots and great job by all involved.
Why so much risk for a thumb? Lots of blood loss? Shock? Not judging, just wondering.
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Dr.Sprock
Boulder climber
I'm James Brown, Bi-atch!
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Sep 28, 2011 - 01:22am PT
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grat coverage, that lens is amazing.
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Lennox
climber
just southwest of the center of the universe
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Sep 28, 2011 - 01:33am PT
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Beautiful shot of the dangling rangers and the king kong chimney!
Lots of Badassadness out there on the ground, on the cliff and in the air.
Best wishes for a speedy, successful recovery for Michael's thumb.
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Dudeman
Trad climber
Idaho/Beyond
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Sep 28, 2011 - 02:39am PT
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Thanks for sharing! Great pics!
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Sep 28, 2011 - 04:00am PT
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stick rudder and collective going same time..Probably the hardest thing to do with a heli especially up against a drafty wall...Pilot be BADAZZ.
I'm surprised in this day and age with such expensive machines that they don't have a computer assist for hovering, sorta like anti-lock brakes or something.
Kudos Tom. Best documentation of such operation ever
Glad things worked out as well as possible...Ouch
Peace
Karl
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Sep 28, 2011 - 04:12am PT
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Holy shite! That would suck! Heal up guy and props to the chopper crew, LEOs, and YOSAR.
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Sep 28, 2011 - 04:35am PT
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hey there say, thanks for sharing...
so very glad it was not worse...
and, it is a very grateful, thankful, and forever honored thing for each rescue, done by these folks, to get settled safely on the ground...
:)
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Sep 28, 2011 - 04:41am PT
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hey there say, werner:
wow, as to this quote of yours:
So next time you get pissed at LEO rangers in the valley .....
Just remember .... it was LEO rangers that were hanging on the end of that rope below that chopper.
The pilot was unreal to keep the ship steady for that long.
Truly a phenomenal heroic successful rescue pick-off from a difficult location on El Cap.
i will never cease to be amazed at how helecopters can do what we've seen-and-heard on such rescues... in some ways, it is almost like the PILOT has a TIGER in his hands... match that to the outside conditions and situations, and i just am so thankful folks have these wonderful successes--may the good lord continually be with you all, in all that you folks do ...
tom, the picture come in slow but i really enjoyed your work...
:)
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Crimpergirl
Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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Sep 28, 2011 - 08:26am PT
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Good healing Michael. And agreed Werner - the LEOs rock. Thanks for the work you do!
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The Alpine
Big Wall climber
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Sep 28, 2011 - 10:23am PT
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Tom - submit that stuff to the New York Times!
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