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Posidave
Trad climber
New Joisey
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Topic Author's Original Post - May 19, 2014 - 04:49pm PT
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Got a text from a friend telling me Richie Copeland was involved in a climbing accident today and may have passed away.
Looking to see if anyone knows any details or if they can confirm it even happened.
Yosemite, Kings Canyon/Sequoia would be my guess as to where the accident took place
Thanks,
Dave Owens
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DaveT.
Big Wall climber
Mammoth Lakes
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May 19, 2014 - 05:04pm PT
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Unfortunately it seems to be true.
Damn he was a great guy. One of the best ever. See you on the other side amigo.
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RP3
Big Wall climber
Sonora
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May 19, 2014 - 06:08pm PT
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All I know is it was on Liberty Cap. This is really terrible news. BE SAFE PEOPLE.
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Rollover
climber
Gross Vegas
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May 19, 2014 - 06:31pm PT
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Sad and tragic..
RIP Richie and condolences to and friends and family.
One year to the day since Mason passed away.
Weird and sad coincidence.
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E
Ice climber
mogollon rim
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May 19, 2014 - 06:49pm PT
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Damn, another one for the golden hall
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Hoots
climber
Toyota Tacoma
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May 19, 2014 - 06:51pm PT
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Rich was one of those great ones in a cast of characters that only the Valley can create. Sad to hear this, RIP Rich.
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Heisenberg
Trad climber
RV, middle of Nowehere
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May 19, 2014 - 07:03pm PT
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I met Rich in 2002-2003. Super friendly and helpful at the time for a nOOb climber to the valley. I remember him working at the Ford factory assembling cars. Told me about the time he attempted to climb Mt. Hooker mid winter and had an epic on just the approach. Lost contact with him and heard thru the grapevine about a broken neck from a skydiving incident when the packer forgot to open and quarter the slider. Then there's the time he went to repeat Atlantis ( Dave T. route) fell and busted his ankle/leg? Self rescued
Last time I saw him was April 28, 2014 hiking loads to the BASE of El Cap. He still had the same excitement about climbing and enthusiasm as when I first met him. We chatted about climbing and I joked with him I wasn't hard enough to climb with him. He laughed and said he'd take the hard pitches. He just loved to climb.
I'm pretty sure the next day on pitch 3 it was him I heard harassing us from the meadow. After the summit we ran out of time and days and never got to catch up more.
Condolences to friends and family.
See ya on the flip flop Richie.
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j-tree
Big Wall climber
Typewriters and Ledges
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May 19, 2014 - 07:24pm PT
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I met Richie for the first time while I was soloing a route last month. He came zipping by on some fixed lines while I was lead and scared the crap out of me. We had a great conversation about the West Face of El Cap where'd he'd been spending time and his upcoming projects. Never met anyone so stoked and sunburnt at the same time. Talk about an instantly likable guy. He was super stoked on his 300lumen headlamp, "the nighttime is daytime now"
Hope there's virgin granite where he is now.
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Posidave
Trad climber
New Joisey
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Topic Author's Reply - May 19, 2014 - 08:01pm PT
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Don't know exact details. But he was climbing with a partner and the guy went to go get more water he came back to find Richie had fallen. (I assume soloing)
J-tree he bought that lamp on the way to
My first time to Yosemite. He sandbagged me into climbing Pineline at 2am telling
Me it was the 5.0 scramble to the nose. He showed me Every secret spot to dirtbag and not get caught. The whole trip he told me that my 5.9 gunks climbing and v5 onsights were good enough and that we were just going to solo the 4 days we were there. Walked me thru my first mental breakdown on after six when we soloed it.
We woke up a night after drinking and he had a glow in the dark nalgene to pee in. He forgot it back at Montecito and bought a new one at REI. I was running around before sunrise and came to wake him up. He sits up and takes a giant swig of What he thought was water. He made this face and swallowed it. "Richie did you just drink your piss bottle?"
"Yeah buddy I did." Shrugged his shoulder and moved along with his day.
We took a sled out to a climb in kings and
Since I was the third party he made me
Tow behind on my snowboard. Got to the base and my
Legs were so beat I had to Watch them climb it.
Hands down one of the most stoked dudes I ever met no matter how bad the situation was.
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SoccerGeek
climber
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May 19, 2014 - 08:42pm PT
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I am not a climber, but I knew Rich (the Dude) from his summer job at Montecito Sequoia Lodge. We met for at least a week for the last 6 years. He taught many of us old fat couch potatoes the basics of scrambling, took us to see Peregrine falcons on his time off, and was a joy with our kids.
I've never met a warmer, friendlier person, so happy to share his skills with whomever he met. RIP.
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Logdog
climber
Yosemite/ Truckee
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May 19, 2014 - 08:50pm PT
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Love you Richie.
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elcap-pics
Big Wall climber
Crestline CA
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May 19, 2014 - 09:01pm PT
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I heard he fell on the approach to Libery Cap when some rocks he was standing on gave way beneath him. He was one of the brothers and a great friend. We here in Yosemite are crushed..... I'm at a loss for words... he was extremely well regarded here and wherever he went I'm sure..... He will be greatly missed as there was only one Richie......
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Reno, Nevada
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May 19, 2014 - 09:05pm PT
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Richie, what the f*#k, bro? You’re not supposed to make us cry. You were the one that made us laugh, at all times, even when sh#t was grim. We laughed our asses off hiding underneath a rain fly, smoking weed and getting pelted by baseball sized rocks… because you said, “It might be the last time we inhale that tasty green”. So many laughs together, so many adventures. Following you to the hospital after a hard opening broke your neck skydiving. We just laughed and I told you that you need to go West before that steel freezes to your bones in Chicago. F*#k! I could go on forever. You’ve inspired me and so many with your adventures, kind and focused spirit… focused on being true and loving life to the fullest. Love you bro!!!
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Leggs
Sport climber
Made in California
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May 19, 2014 - 09:13pm PT
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Terrible news...
My sincere condolences to family and friends of Mr. Copeland.
~peace, Lisa Mae
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Jingy
climber
Somewhere out there
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May 19, 2014 - 09:19pm PT
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My sincere condolences
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Reno, Nevada
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May 19, 2014 - 09:41pm PT
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Remember that time you bought 1k$ worth of fireworks across the border and we went back to Chi-Town. Your idea was to go the sketchy-ist neighborhoods and rage, have fun and make friends. I thought we were going to have to use the fireworks as weapons a few times. BUT, somehow you're good nature always soothed things and we prevailed. That was some of the wildest sh#t I've ever seen. You're not supposed to leave us bro!!!
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Davesinspace
Trad climber
Kings Beach, CA
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May 19, 2014 - 10:08pm PT
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FUUUUUUUUUCk! I have known Richie for 7 years working with him in kings canyon and sequioa. He was mine and so many others brother. One of my best friends. Last year he made me jug up to hart ledge for his 50th bday. He seemed to know everyone in the valley and my heart goes out to all of you who got the priviledge to climb with him and have him in your lives. Really tough to swallow this one....
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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May 19, 2014 - 10:11pm PT
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Damn....too often do we hear that one of us is gone, doing what they loved.
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Landgolier
climber
the flatness
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May 19, 2014 - 10:13pm PT
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Had to dig out my old login when I saw this. Richie, you were the best there ever was -- I can't think of a single second I spent with you that didn't feel like a constant party, whether it was rain or shine, chilling or suffering. You were one of the people who showed me how to get off my ass and go out there and get it, and I'll do my best to hold on to everything I learned from you. I'll never forget that grin that never left your face, and nobody ever said anything I believed more than when you'd say "Richie don't let go of the rope." Rest in peace, brother.
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Plaidman
Trad climber
South Slope of Mt. Tabor, Portland, Oregon, USA
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May 19, 2014 - 10:14pm PT
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Richie was the man loaned me gear and was always willing to answer questions I had.
So welcoming and really helped me out and inspired me.
All the best to friends and famlly
I will miss him, but he will live in soul.
Thx Richie for the good times.
Plaid
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