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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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May 20, 2013 - 01:23pm PT
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it re-sets the bar of what can come loose.
Well, eventually it is all gonna go. For the relatively few times I've climbed
in Yosemite I've had two very close ones. One I was at the last hanging
belay just below Sickle Ledge when I heard a shout above. I looked directly up
and saw at least two refrigerator-sized blocks tumbling through space from
the Grey Bands directly towards us. I yelled down to Lasse, who was jugging,
to make himself very small. They hit at the 'bridge' of the Nose and exploded
into many microwave-sized blocks. A number passed just behind my head
and I felt the wind. You know they are big when they make a low sucking sound.
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sharperblue
Mountain climber
San Francisco, California
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May 20, 2013 - 01:23pm PT
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so sorry to hear the tragic news this morning; sincerest condolences to all involved directly and in the rescue/recovery. It's a stunningly beautiful day out there; don't forget to lie on your back and feel the sunshine on your face
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Don Paul
Big Wall climber
Colombia, South America
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May 20, 2013 - 01:25pm PT
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Something big came loose, though. There was a large rockfall seen by many people. Something cut his rope, either pinched by the block, or just cut it over an edge although my guess is that it was severed by the block. He probably broke his back when he came to the end of the haul line. They'll do an autopsy and should be able to determine that. I always tied in to the haul line and always used an old lead rope for a haul line.
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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May 20, 2013 - 01:25pm PT
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Condolences to those who will miss the fallen one.
I was almost there myself with Riley on Zodiac a few years ago. Another tiny inch here or there and no Baba on this planet. There was no predicting that the block was remotely loose. Sometimes it happens because it happens and the results are up to God/Chance.
Our story
http://www.yosemiteclimber.com/Zodiacarmandaleg.html
Peace
Karl
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David Wilson
climber
CA
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May 20, 2013 - 01:31pm PT
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So sad, my condolences to the families of the deceased and everyone involved. It really is a worst nightmare scenario.
I'm glad Jim, George and Mark and everyone else below were ok.
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nature
climber
Boulder, CO
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May 20, 2013 - 01:32pm PT
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I spent the weekend climbing with a good friend and once again feel really inspired to climb. Then I wake up to this. A quote from my teacher comes to mind - "The finality of the mortal is an invitation to live".
in 1993 I was humping loads at the base of EC when a huge block missed me by 4 feet. That helpless feeling you'll never forget. It would have killed me instantly.
The tribe will never get use to events like this. We know it's part of the deal. It's been four years or so since I've been this inspired to climb. This will shake many of us to the core. But monkeys have to send!
Offering my deepest condolences to his family and friends.
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Norwegian
Trad climber
the tip of god's middle finger
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May 20, 2013 - 01:37pm PT
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with a dynamic haul line,
the leader could clip it into
a few good pieces on the pitch
and therefore have some redundancy.
the second would have to keep ahead of
the bag though.
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Fletcher
Trad climber
The great state of advaita
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May 20, 2013 - 01:38pm PT
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Thank you Nature. That means a lot.
Eric
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nature
climber
Boulder, CO
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May 20, 2013 - 01:41pm PT
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the quote from my teacher?
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TomCochrane
Trad climber
Santa Cruz Mountains and Monterey Bay
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May 20, 2013 - 01:45pm PT
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Claire Mearnz and I were on top of Dolt Tower in early spring of 1985 when a huge rock fall came down directly all around us from somewhere near the summit. My estimate was the load would have at least filled a big Mac dump truck. Rocks were bounding all around us, too numerous to try dodging.
There was another party of two passing us, just starting the next pitch from Dolt Tower. It is unimaginable how we all got by with no injuries.
In the silence that followed we were all looking around at each other in the morning sunshine with wordless stunned awe. Only one word was spoken, by one of the other climbers, "Nightmare!" Then he just continued climbing.
And the day was so beautiful...There was nothing we could do about it. We all just took a deep breath and continued on with our day.
It's one of those moments I think about when waking up to a new day in the sunshine...
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Hummerchine
Trad climber
East Wenatchee, WA
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May 20, 2013 - 01:47pm PT
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Nauseating to hear this, feel horrible for all involved.
I have never liked the use of static lines in climbing...I can think of a few ways they can kill you, and I like having a spare lead rope along. In fact, on an ascent of The Shield years ago we brought two Stratos cut-resistant ropes, one for hauling. We brought way too much gear, used the lead rope as an extension over a ledge. The friction of a knot against granite nearly cut the rope through, I feel certain the Stratos saved our lives. We had to cut that rope and switch it with the haul rope, which saved our ascent.
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TomCochrane
Trad climber
Santa Cruz Mountains and Monterey Bay
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May 20, 2013 - 01:53pm PT
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http://www.mymotherlode.com/news/local/2099669/Rock-Climber-Dies-In-Yosemite.html?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=News
Yosemite - El Capitan
Enlarge
May 20, 2013 09:55 am
B.J. Hansen, MML News Director
Yosemite, CA -- A Montana man died from injuries sustained in a rock climbing accident over the weekend.
Yosemite officials report that Mason Robinson was climbing El Capitan with a friend on Sunday morning and he fell 230 ft. Robinson's rope did eventually catch him, but unfortunately he died from injuries sustained in the fall. Yosemite emergency crews were notified at 9:15am. Robinson was climbing on a rock, and officials believe the weight of his body pulled it loose and caused a rock slide.
Yosemite officials did not have the age of Robinson as of early this morning. His climbing partner was not injured.
Written by BJ Hansen
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Fletcher
Trad climber
The great state of advaita
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May 20, 2013 - 01:54pm PT
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Yes, Nature, the quote from your teacher for sure. But the general positivity of your spirit as well.
Eric
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lubbockclimber
Trad climber
lubbock,tx
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May 20, 2013 - 01:56pm PT
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Sad day for all. Sincere condolences.
We all know this is part of the game though. Me and my wife witnessed a horrible accident our first time ever climbing outside. We were at Enchanted rock, never climbed a day outside before this. We wondered up on a pair leading a long 5.9 slab route. After a short chat they offered a top rope on the route. We both cruises it and moved on climbers left and got on a easy multipitch sport route. As I'm bringing her up and just as she anchors in at the belay we notice somebody else has reached the top of the previous route we climbed. He sets up his rap leans back and falls to the bottom. He had forgotten to clip the rope and only clipped his belay device. He was dead at the scene. We both carry this with to this day and will likely never forget. You can never be too careful rather raping or climbing. Please be careful out there. So sorry to hear this. Positive vibes
to all involved from Texas.
Max
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steveA
Trad climber
bedford,massachusetts
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May 20, 2013 - 02:16pm PT
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So sorry to hear this news.
I'm glad Jim, George and Mark are O'K.
I never mentioned this on S.T. before; although Werner mentioned the accident
on another thread, since he sat next to me on the helicopter ride down from Half Dome.
I had a cam pull on me, which was wedged in a flake, about 6 pitches up the RNWF of Half Dome. I took a nasty fall shattering bones in my foot etc.
After rapping one pitch, my son and I heard a very faint yell of "rock". We looked up and saw what looked like a watermellon size rock heading straight for us. It was knocked off by another team near the top.
We were VERY lucky that we were positioned under a small overhang, when this bomb exploded right over our heads, hitting where we would of been, if I hadn't taken the fall.
In hind-sight it was good that I took that leader fall!
This unfortunate climber on the Muir and myself both had cams pull, placed behind flakes. I'll be back on The RNWF again in 3 weeks, and will keep this tragic accident in the back of my mind.
Be careful out there!
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jmarty
climber
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May 20, 2013 - 02:23pm PT
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Truly sad and tragic for our community. Condolences to the friends and family of the deceased and his climbing partner.
~5:00 PM, as we were watching from the meadow, a HUGE rockfall event occurred on the left side of El Cap, huge blocks breaking off and raining down into the trees below. It looked like these blocks broke off from up and left of the "heart". Hard to tell from that distance, but these blocks were very large, VW Bus sized.
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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May 20, 2013 - 02:39pm PT
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Turned out my co-worker was in El Cap meadow around 5:30pm yesterday. She saw a helicopter in the meadow but did not know what was going on. Her husband saw a body dangling from the rope right at the top of El Cap, which was hauled up and disappeared (was hauled up probably) from the view shortly. They did not know he was dead (they did not have binoculars, are not climbers and have no clue how people get up to the top). She started asking me if when we climbed El Cap a helicopter takes us down, than I had to explain what happened. She started crying. Sad day to be there, hope everyone who witnessed this event are not only physically, but emotionally OK.
Originally I was supposed to climb the Nose with my friend Hamik and a few others (who were up there on the Nose yesterday, and hopefully psychologically ok to finish today), but since I been up it twice this year I decided to do something else. Glad I was not there yesterday. I would not take it very well. Last week a Russian climber dies on Everest, now this. Damn.
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philo
Trad climber
Is that light the end of the tunnel or a train?
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May 20, 2013 - 02:39pm PT
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His climbing partner was not injured.
Some wounds are not visible and take a lifetime to heal.
Deepest condolences to family and friends.
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Don Paul
Big Wall climber
Colombia, South America
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May 20, 2013 - 02:48pm PT
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jmarty, that's a weird detail. The time of the rockfall you saw matches but left of the heart is really far from the top of the muir route. Donini's group was at the base of the nose and got rockfall all around them, so maybe that detail isn't right? But you saw the rockfall - are you sure of where it was? If there were microbus sized blocks coming down, there should be scars or at least something obvious missing. You don't think its possible those blocks came from the upper Muir? It's right next to the Nose.
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