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reyzell
Social climber
CA
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Jun 18, 2007 - 12:15pm PT
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I witnessed this tragedy. I was on the bottom left of half dome trying to hide my backpack when I looked up and saw a young asian man sliding down. He was seated on his rear with his feet in front and hands to the side and I could hear his sneakers skidding as he tried to stop.
He was sliding in my direction and I ran toward him thinking maybe I could do something but he hit the ledge and started tumbling out of control and fell right over the side.
When I climbed out of the saddle and got to the top I could see he landing in a crevice a ways down and two other people climbed down to him where he later died.
It was heartbreaking to see. The girl he was with was shaken up horribly and the guy he was with showed no emotion.
A few pics I took here:
http://travel.webshots.com/album/559503394PPnTVQ
show the fall from the poor guy's perspective (number 92) and show his friend looking at the helicopter after he died (number 99).
If only we were required to harness ourselves to the cables... :(
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Matt
Trad climber
State of Mind
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Jun 19, 2007 - 02:51am PT
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everyone knows there are too many damn people om the planet anyway, an it's only getting worse, so why do we need to remove all the risk from every action that anyone might possibly take?
truth is, if you polled the people headed up there and asked if they prefered a safer route up HD or a soda machine at the base of the cables...
EDIT- i posted that comment before the one above appeared. obviously i was being somewhat sarcastic, but my condolences of course go out to the victim's family and friends.
going into wilderness involves risks.
anyone can easily see that the cables ascent involves risk.
perhaps we ought to revive the discussion about signs at every cliff that warn of rockfall?
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Chaz
Trad climber
So. Cal.
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Jun 19, 2007 - 04:14am PT
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It's one thing to complain "there are too many damn people om the planet anyway", but it's another to have the courage of your convictions and schedule an appointment with Dr Kervorkian and DO something about it.
Little bit of *ChickenHawk* there in you, Matt?
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Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
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Jun 19, 2007 - 06:01am PT
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Off topic
Chaz, I think Matt was being a bit tongue in cheek on what he posted.
Little bit of *ChickenHawk* there in you, Matt?
Takes one to know one, eh Chaz (heh heh).
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climbrunride
Trad climber
Durango, CO
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Jun 19, 2007 - 06:48am PT
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Those pictures are crazy! It looks like the lines going to the summit on Everest, only worse. Ridiculous. I never realized that "climbing Half Dome" was such a "thing". After seeing those crowds, I'm surprised that deaths are not a daily occurrance up there.
Then again, I'd probably go up there too, if it just wasn't so darn far to walk.
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Anastasia
Trad climber
California
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Jun 21, 2007 - 11:10pm PT
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I am more scared going up those cables then climbing the face of Half Dome. Repeat! I am more scared of those dang cables than climbing a sheer face! Now when I had to climb down with a pig on my back, I felt very silly for I had to clip in. Looking back on my decision, I now consider it to be the smartest climbing move I have ever done.
I wish more people could have the chance to do the same.
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Tom
Big Wall climber
San Luis Obispo CA
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Jun 22, 2007 - 05:05am PT
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I once wrote Lincoln "Link" Else, when he was the Valley climbing ranger, about the HD cables. My vision of all those people crowded together, trying to move up/down past immobile groups, going outside the cables to pass, was:
The crowds on the cables look like the run-up to the 'Christmas Tree Falls Over' scene from the original Poseidon Adventure movie: a disaster in the making.
I thought a third cable, to provide two traffic lanes, UP and DOWN, would increase both safety and tourist throughput.
His reply to me was PURE GOLD:
As a Park Ranger, his job is to preserve the Park in its natural state. A second Half Dome Cables lane (what about four lanes, for the Labor Day rush-hour?) would pervert the entire concept of preserving the National Park System in a natural state.
Link suggested a better idea might be to eliminate the cables altogether.
And, after all, freeing that face is only about 5.6. Making it harder would not only reduce traffic, but also make the summit that much sweeter for those who attain it.
It's suppose to be hard. The hard is what makes it great. If it was easy, everybody would do it." - Jimmy Dugan
In the meantime, if I ever summit Half Dome again, I will want to time my descent to either early morning or late night full moon.
Hand-traversing down and around a near-catatonic mob, outside the cables, is no way to end a fine ascent.
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wildone
climber
The Astroman of 5.9
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Jun 22, 2007 - 05:21am PT
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Werner, look what you did! You are a bad, bad, man. (j/k)
NO-ONE DIED ON HALF DOME TODAY. Werner was pulling your leg.
Diabetic at top of Illilouette falls, threw up a Dr. Pepper on the helo ride down to the meadow. Had "forgotten" his needles, and decided to hike anyway.
We pay the costs.
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tonym
climber
Oklahoma
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Jun 22, 2007 - 11:17am PT
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"Link suggested a better idea might be to eliminate the cables altogether".
Hey Tom, I'm for removing the cables as well. Most hikers’ contribution to the summit of Half Dome is leaving trash and feeding the fat Marmot who resides up there.
A couple weeks ago my partner and I were working on getting our time down on the reg. route so we had the opportunity to see the mass crowd of hikers all over the summit and on the cables. On one of our top outs we saw two hikers making their way down the ledges just above the last 5.7 pitch. They were wearing gloves, no harness and obviously oblivious to the danger of falling off the ledge and taking the 2000' foot ride to the base. Another pair of hikers were just inches away from my fixed line that my partner was jugging, had the line popped over a flake or ledge it would have whipped and knocked them off their feet sending them off the face.
It's pretty bad up there and the majority of the hikers are clueless as to the dangers they put themselves in whether it be on the summit or on the cables.
Pull the cables and eliminate the crowds and yes there will be a few idiots who decide to go for the top without the skill required to climb 5.6 but hey that then falls under the "natural selection" topic.
~TM
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dougs510
Social climber
down south
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Jun 22, 2007 - 11:44pm PT
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I found the best way down was outside the cables. First, facing the cables you spread your arms out and grab the things... then turn around and grab them backwards... repeat until the decent is finished... flipping around and around... lot's of fun
As far as assending... outside, hand over hand is the best way to beat the crowds.
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