Ice Fall; Butt Slide

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hamersorethumb

Trad climber

Menlo Park, CA

Mar 19, 2013 - 12:48pm PT

I'm not an ice climber so I can't judge the climber's wisdom or foolishness but here is an interview with the climber in question. He does not come off as a "wanker" or fool, read it and judge for yourself.

http://www.thebmc.co.uk/helmetcam-slide-snowdonia-accident-llanberis-mountain-rescue

tradmanclimbs

Ice climber

Pomfert VT

Mar 19, 2013 - 01:21pm PT

Reading that report completly confirms my assement of the accident. My apologys for being a wise ass about it. My poor choice of words/gallows humor rant was brought on entirely by the Go Pro factor.

GDavis

Social climber

SOL CAL

Mar 19, 2013 - 01:23pm PT

once you post the go pro footage it's open season;)

Glad he is OK. Also glad he caught it on camera.

was brought on entirely by the Go Pro factor.

I read it as frustration with a culture more interested in showing their friends how bad ass they are, versus assessing an appropriate route based on skill and experience. But I got thick skin...

edit - woah, read the interview.

...Even though I’d been practising self arrest earlier in the month...

...If you had the day again, would you have done anything differently?
This is a difficult question. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. I think I’d have preferred to have my technical axes rather than walking axes on the steeper harder ground.

Yup. The problem was definitely the axes. Return that sh#t to REI son, get yourself some 2013 Cobra's and a pair of five fingers!!!

Ghost

climber

A long way from where I started

Mar 19, 2013 - 02:06pm PT

How can there be no mention in that interview/analysis of the fact that soloing on ice when other parties are above you is not the best choice of things to do on a winter day?

It's about as safe as soloing a loose rock climb below a bunch of other climbers.

tradmanclimbs

Ice climber

Pomfert VT

Mar 19, 2013 - 03:15pm PT

#1 Never climb ice under annother party. I you want to solo with your best budd that is fine but stay side by side. Do not let one climber get far enough ahead of the next climber to let the dinner plates pick up speed. If the climb bottlenecks at a difficult section find a sheltered place and anchor yourself in if possible. If not possible or nessicary to anchor then bury your axes, hunker down and hide behind your pack and helmet.

#2 The handeling of the axes is shaky. Not solid. you need to be solid to solo. Climbing for a great number of years is no gaurentee that you are solid. There are folks who have never lead anything harder than 4 who are solid. There are also kids who have led 5+ and are completly sketchy. Only alive through blind luck. There are folks who have climbed for decades who are sketchy and folks who have only climbed a few years who are solid. Solid is a state of mind combined with good technique and competence. Some have it. Some do not.

#3 treat the snow sections of a gully climb with as much if not more respect than the ice sections. Solid ice is your friend. Snow is the white death.

#4 never solo with unfamiliar equiptment. It can add a full grade or more to the climb.

#5 Never climb ice under annother party.

Ghost

climber

A long way from where I started

Mar 19, 2013 - 03:17pm PT

I would add another rule:

#6 Never climb ice under another party.

and possibly also a seventh

#7 Never climb ice under another party.

Beardymike

Mountain climber

Bath

Mar 19, 2013 - 03:30pm PT

It's an awfully high horse you sit on isn't it. The guy made a mistake and got lucky. God forbid you ever make a similar mistake. This had nothing to do with strength. Parsley fern gully is shallow enough that you can stand in balance pretty much anywhere on it. It caught him by surprise and that really is the end of it. You can't always react the way the text book tells you to... Unless of course yourre you I.e. a superhero.

tradmanclimbs

Ice climber

Pomfert VT

Mar 19, 2013 - 03:36pm PT

The guy made a go pro video of his wreck and it went viral. WTH do you expect?

Accidents are rarely a single mistake. usually it is a combination of mistakes that cumulate in an accident.