Climber dies on Yellow Spur

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Watusi

Social climber

Newport, OR

Jun 22, 2010 - 11:38pm PT

God Bless!

johnboy

Trad climber

Can't get here from there

Jun 22, 2010 - 11:54pm PT

So sorry to hear of this.

My condolences to all family and friends.

neebee

Social climber

calif/texas

Jun 23, 2010 - 12:29am PT

hey there say, all... it is very sad to hear this and not be able to help the family some how... :(

prayers for all the loved ones, of this climber... and heartfelt concolences to you at this sad and very hard time in your life...
:(

Jan

Mountain climber

Okinawa, Japan

Jun 23, 2010 - 12:31am PT

My condolences as well.
May time help to heal your grief.

Brokedownclimber

Trad climber

Douglas, WY

Jun 23, 2010 - 04:07pm PT

I just returned home from Boulder last night, and just saw the report of this tragic accident. My heart goes out to his family and loved ones and I offer my heartfelt condolences.

Eldorado is an area where this type of accident may occur, as it is "ledgey" and there are many spots where a rope can be cut or snapped over an edge. It was my "home area" for many years; falling there is NOT a good option.

SteveW

Trad climber

The state of confusion

Jun 23, 2010 - 09:58pm PT

My condolences to the climber's family and friends.
Sad

duke of puke

climber

boulder, co

Jun 26, 2010 - 11:07pm PT

Well, figured I chime in with what I know. Have you ever put in a piece where the biner just barely clears outside the crack? If you fall on that, the force down then acts almost a scissors as it tries to go back into the crack as the rope is pinched against the edge of the crack. Not sure where the piece failure comes in, I think that's a red herring of news reporters. Rope cuts. Another thing not to take for granted. Edges, edges everywhere!.. Careful out there!

bsquare

Big Wall climber

Logan, UT

Jun 28, 2010 - 01:40pm PT

I used to climb in Eldo quite a bit back in the 80s and 90s. Yellow Spur was one of my favorites. I have seen rope cuts due to falls but typically from the second not completing the exit moves onto the ledge on the first pitch. Cut ropes are a terrifying possibility but fortunately fairly uncommon. A simple gear placement once on the ledge minimizes the potential. The fixed pin around the corner to the left under the ledge is good for the leader but not satisfactory for the second.

Of course, this does not explain what happened in this case. All of us want to believe that these things can be avoided or at least minimized. Learning from mistakes is ideal but not always possible. Things happen and we are left with the results.

With deep respect to the individual, his family and friends, it is tragic to lose a person with such passion for life. Honor him by living as he would encourage us to live were he still physically with us.

My sympathies to the family.

Michele

Trad climber

Boulder, CO & Joshua Tree, CA

Jun 30, 2010 - 12:10am PT

Incredibly sad. No further details on how the rope was severed have become available. It was a bad few days in Eldo, with 5 accidents within 10 days.

thebravecowboy

climber

The Good Places

Dec 14, 2015 - 11:28pm PT

sadness for the precious passage.

and a recognition of the feldspar edges a rope is dragged about.

Elcapinyoazz

Social climber

Joshua Tree

Dec 15, 2015 - 07:34am PT

Makes you wonder why twins/double rope systems aren't more popular in the U.S. at some areas.

I can count the times I've used doubles or twins on rock routes (std deal for ice), on one hand, and that was purely for rope drag on wandering lines or multi-tiered (or even just one big one with a headwall above) roofs.

I attribute that mostly to cultural reasons - when we learned there was nothing more than a cursory mention of doubles/twins, and certainly no practice belaying with two ropes. If we'd started climbing in Great Britain, doubles would probably be second nature.

Reilly

Mountain climber

The Other Monrovia- CA

Dec 15, 2015 - 07:45am PT

^^^^ Having climbed a lot in Europe, and with Europeans here, I feel naked with a single,
especially in the mountains. At JTree or Yosemite not so much.

tradmanclimbs

Ice climber

Pomfert VT

Dec 16, 2015 - 02:55pm PT

Single rope for single pitch. doubbles for multi pitch is my prefered deal.

jstan

climber

Dec 16, 2015 - 03:31pm PT

By the time I got to climb in Eldo, I don't think I was paying attention. Have to agree with ElCap here. Two ropes work just fine with a waist belay. I never used a belay device.

johntp

Trad climber

socal

Dec 16, 2015 - 03:39pm PT

Never used doubles. Confuzzles me. It makes sense but just not what I grew up with.

StahlBro

Trad climber

San Diego, CA

Dec 16, 2015 - 03:40pm PT

I ran into an issue at JT last weekend where I had to yard a bunch of rope to try and make a clip way above my head while hanging on a 2 1/2 finger crimp. If I blew the clip, it would have been bad (landing on jagged flake stick out). If I had another rope to clip so I didn't have to yard an additional 6-8 feet, it would not have been as big a deal. I am actually considering a double for rock now.

Larry Nelson

Social climber

Dec 16, 2015 - 04:12pm PT

Several years ago a dear friend died from the rope being cut over an edge in Alaska.
Ironically, I climbed with him a couple months before in Josh and for 10 days we used double ropes just for fun and practice.
We talked about making double ropes our standard...but...
It woulda saved his life that day in Alaska.

Such sad news, condolences to family and friends.

enjoimx

Trad climber

Yosemite

Dec 16, 2015 - 05:52pm PT

Wow "never used a belay device" and "doubles for multipitch"....there ARE a bunch of old geezers on this site!

Grigri and single skinny ropes have proved super light and fast and more than adequate for me over the last 11 years of "trad" climbing.