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ydpl8s
Trad climber
Santa Monica, California
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jun 22, 2010 - 02:35pm PT
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Just saw that a climber fell 80 ft to his death on the Yellow Spur in Eldo.
http://www.dailycamera.com/news/ci_15345623
Bad news, my heart goes out to his family and friends!
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steelmnkey
climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
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Jun 22, 2010 - 03:16pm PT
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Speculation over on mountainproject.com is saying he had two pieces pop and the rope "broke". Likely cut on something, but who knows. All speculation for now. A guy who seemed to be there said the rope was severed about three feet from his harness.
Condolences to family and friends.
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climbrunride
Sport climber
Purgatory
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Jun 22, 2010 - 03:17pm PT
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SH#T! This sucks.
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John Mac
Trad climber
Littleton, CO
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Jun 22, 2010 - 03:24pm PT
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From an eye witness reported over on mountainproject, the rope broke about 3 feet before the harness.
Very sad and tragic to hear this today. Seems to be another summer with a run of accidents at Eldo.
Deepest sympathy and condolences to familes and friends..
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flakyfoont
Trad climber
carsoncity nv
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Jun 22, 2010 - 03:39pm PT
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RIP to the climber,
and condolences to the families involved.
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powrslave
Sport climber
Denver
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Jun 22, 2010 - 04:42pm PT
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The rope broke three feet from the harness? Two pieces popped out and the rope broke?
I hate hearing about these kinds of accidents through media reports. They fail to give any kind of details. Who, what, when, where. They have it all covered except, regarding climbing stories, the what is really lacking.
Coverage like this causes the average, uninitiated reader/viewer to see climbing as a more dangerous sport than it really is.
First of all, it is incredibly rare that a rope would break. Even if said rope is not sharp edge rated. Secondly, tow pieces pulled out...there is noway to even begin to speculate what the actual cause is. Usually it is human error of some kind and I do not say that in a condescending way. I have only heard of one case in my life of a rope breaking and it was an oil contaminated rope in a gym setting. No doubt the UIAA will get their hands on this rope and do some lab analysis to see why it failed, if it really did, in fact, fail.
Condolences abound to the family btw. I didn't know the climber that fell.
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maldaly
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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Jun 22, 2010 - 04:54pm PT
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Ouch. My thoughts and condolences go out to him, his family and friends. Let's all climb safe out there...
Mal
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Anastasia
climber
hanging from a crimp and crying for my mama.
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Jun 22, 2010 - 05:03pm PT
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Condolences.
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Jun 22, 2010 - 05:06pm PT
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Very very sorry to hear this.
It's tough when one bad thing happens, but four in a row?
(fall, piece, piece, rope) wow.
This is a description of P1 from MP.
P1 direct-Scramble onto it and arrive shortly at some caked-on chalk and pin scars below a break in a long roof band. This was Kors original start; it is 5.10 and protects with tricky small stopper placements.
Does that sound right, and where this occured?
or:
P1 standard-a much easier start ascends a short dihedral 20 ft. to the right. Cut back left, then climb further up huge holds over the exciting roof, and head right to a tree belay-5.9 (about 30 ft. of elevation gain).
Some of the comments below that news story are from some real fools.
My condolences to the climber's friends and family.
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TripL7
Trad climber
san diego
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Jun 22, 2010 - 05:19pm PT
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I am really sorry to here of this, peace and prayers going out to his loved one's.
Please be X-tra careful this summer everyone!
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Crimpergirl
Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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Jun 22, 2010 - 05:22pm PT
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News like this is always terrible. Condolences to the climber's family and friends. :(
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Dick Danger
Trad climber
Lakewood, Colorado
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Jun 22, 2010 - 05:23pm PT
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Very sad news. Condolences to his family and friends. May he RIP.
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troutboy
Trad climber
Newark, DE
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Jun 22, 2010 - 05:38pm PT
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First: Condolences to family and friends of the deceased.
Second:
I have only heard of one case in my life of a rope breaking and it was an oil contaminated rope in a gym setting.
There are documented cases of ropes breaking due to loading over a "sharp" edge, including one last year at Seneca Rocks, WV.
TS
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Dirka
Trad climber
SF
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Jun 22, 2010 - 06:21pm PT
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Blessings to the family
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Crimpergirl
Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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Jun 22, 2010 - 06:59pm PT
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A name has been released. From the Denver Post:
"The climber, identified as 39-year-old Joseph M. Miller Jr. of Lafayette" Co...
Very sad.
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Lynne Leichtfuss
Trad climber
Will know soon
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Jun 22, 2010 - 07:02pm PT
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Man, I can't imagine. Death is the ultimate finality. When it happens there is no more time spent on this planet......with yourself or loved ones or friends or anyone or thing.
I care about the mechanical details of what happened because they may save a life. But even more I care about the people who are alive that will suffer the loss of the one they so loved and cared about.
Loved Ones, Family, Friends.....we care. We support you totally in your time of pain and grief. If anyone of us here on this forum can be of any help at all in any way....Please let us know. Tears, Prayers and Love...lynne
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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Jun 22, 2010 - 07:10pm PT
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Rest in peace, bro...may God bless you and yours.
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cowpoke
climber
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Jun 22, 2010 - 07:31pm PT
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very sad.
sincere condolences to his family and his friends.
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noshoesnoshirt
climber
Arkansas, I suppose
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Jun 22, 2010 - 07:37pm PT
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RIP.
See you there brother.
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wbw
climber
'cross the great divide
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Jun 22, 2010 - 11:18pm PT
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I'm very sorry to hear about this.
Did the Yellow Spur just a couple weekends ago for the 8th or 10th time. It takes some strategy to manage a single cord on that second pitch. It first climbs way left of the belay, and then passes a little funky Eldo bulge/overhang going slowly back right, with some slippery holds in a steep corner. I can't figure out how the cord would fail 3 feet from the harness on a fall that apparently loaded the system after about forty feet, unless the rope went over the edge somehow at that overhang.
That's not the only pitch on the route that gives pause every time I do it.
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Watusi
Social climber
Newport, OR
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Jun 22, 2010 - 11:38pm PT
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God Bless!
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johnboy
Trad climber
Can't get here from there
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Jun 22, 2010 - 11:54pm PT
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So sorry to hear of this.
My condolences to all family and friends.
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Jun 23, 2010 - 12:29am PT
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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...
:(
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Jan
Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
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Jun 23, 2010 - 12:31am PT
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My condolences as well.
May time help to heal your grief.
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Brokedownclimber
Trad climber
Douglas, WY
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Jun 23, 2010 - 04:07pm PT
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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.
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Jun 23, 2010 - 09:58pm PT
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My condolences to the climber's family and friends.
Sad
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duke of puke
climber
boulder, co
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Jun 26, 2010 - 11:07pm PT
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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!
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bsquare
Big Wall climber
Logan, UT
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Jun 28, 2010 - 01:40pm PT
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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.
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Michele
Trad climber
Boulder, CO & Joshua Tree, CA
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Jun 30, 2010 - 12:10am PT
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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.
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thebravecowboy
climber
The Good Places
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Dec 14, 2015 - 11:28pm PT
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sadness for the precious passage.
and a recognition of the feldspar edges a rope is dragged about.
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Elcapinyoazz
Social climber
Joshua Tree
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Dec 15, 2015 - 07:34am PT
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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.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Dec 15, 2015 - 07:45am PT
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^^^^ 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.
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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Dec 16, 2015 - 02:55pm PT
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Single rope for single pitch. doubbles for multi pitch is my prefered deal.
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jstan
climber
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Dec 16, 2015 - 03:31pm PT
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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.
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johntp
Trad climber
socal
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Dec 16, 2015 - 03:39pm PT
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Never used doubles. Confuzzles me. It makes sense but just not what I grew up with.
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StahlBro
Trad climber
San Diego, CA
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Dec 16, 2015 - 03:40pm PT
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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.
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Larry Nelson
Social climber
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Dec 16, 2015 - 04:12pm PT
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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.
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enjoimx
Trad climber
Yosemite
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Dec 16, 2015 - 05:52pm PT
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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.
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guyman
Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
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Dec 16, 2015 - 06:21pm PT
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Doubles Kick ass in the mountains ......
pretty easy to use IMHO.
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jstan
climber
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Dec 16, 2015 - 06:24pm PT
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there ARE a bunch of old geezers on this site!
11 years?
Check behind your ears. Still wet I'll warrant.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Dec 16, 2015 - 06:31pm PT
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I wouldn't have wanted to do this pitch with a single. After this pic it
zigzagged all over the place taking advantage of what manky pro there was,
and none of it was great. With a single you would only have been able to
utilize about half the available placements and probably would still have
had horrendous rope drag.
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Dec 16, 2015 - 10:56pm PT
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Yellow Spur has this rope cutting potential in multiple spots on the route where you go over ledges or turn corners. It happened last in 2010 on the second pitch. Some routes around the country are just that way even though they get climbed thousands of times. Kind makes the case for having a couple of unicore ropes in one's quiver for such routes or for when one feels the necessity for doubles (I see Beal makes bot 8.1 and 8.6 doubles).
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LOWERme
Trad climber
NM
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Dec 16, 2015 - 11:23pm PT
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I never used a belay device.
Word
Let a friend use my new lead line on Hair Lip (Suicide). She fell at the crux and sliced halfway through a Bluewater 11 mil, about 4 ft. out from the figure 8 tie-in.
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