Ice Fall; Butt Slide

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Chris Cunningham

Trad climber
San Francisco
Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 9, 2013 - 01:17pm PT
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=3d6_1362797536
ec

climber
ca
Mar 9, 2013 - 02:16pm PT
'just think...that was the easy part!

Yikes!

 ec
tradmanclimbs

Ice climber
Pomfert VT
Mar 9, 2013 - 02:33pm PT
What a wanker. that dude had zero buisnes being up there unroped without a guide. Annother vote for simply dial 911 the moment you see a go pro on a climbing helmet cause you just know there is gonna be a wreck.....
tuolumne_tradster

Trad climber
Leading Edge of North American Plate
Mar 9, 2013 - 03:07pm PT
dude's lucky he didn't catch his crampons and break his ankles
Studly

Trad climber
WA
Mar 9, 2013 - 03:45pm PT
That guy so lucky to be alive. His ass must hurt like hell.
Capt.

climber
some eastside hovel
Mar 9, 2013 - 07:40pm PT
All hail tradmanclimbs.He is not a "wanker" and would not be there,unroped without a guide.Also,apparently he is impervious to falling ice.
tradmanclimbs

Ice climber
Pomfert VT
Mar 9, 2013 - 08:02pm PT
Trust me on this one. that guy was a total wanker who does not know how to even hold his tools. I knew that guy was going to come off way before the falling object hit him. BTW when you are climbing and you get bombed, sink your tools, make yourself small, hunker up looking down, hang on and hope it hits your pack or helmet and take your lumps. Done it thousands of times. letting go and trying to catch it is butt ugly stupid wanker move..
tradmanclimbs

Ice climber
Pomfert VT
Mar 9, 2013 - 08:14pm PT
Eric showing proper form while getting bombed...
rockermike

Trad climber
Berkeley
Mar 9, 2013 - 08:26pm PT
been there; done that. Soloing Great White Icicle outside of Salt Lake. What is it, maybe 400 feet of moderate water ice, but falling on it would be way bad. Anyway, something biggish flew off the top, took a bad hop, and missed my face by millimeters only to whack my shoulder pretty damn hard. Maybe even skinned my nose as I jerked by head to the side. Anyway, I held my ground but learned a lesson. Climbing can be dangerous....

We were all wankers once. Some still are...
bhilden

Trad climber
Mountain View, CA
Mar 9, 2013 - 08:28pm PT
Agree with 'tradmanclimbs.' When there is falling ice from above you set your tools and lean into the slope to make yourself 1) as small as possible and 2) a low aspect ratio so if something does hit you it does so as a glancing blow and not 'head on.'

Of course, we will never know if the ice would have hit him or not, but very poor reaction by the climber.
tradmanclimbs

Ice climber
Pomfert VT
Mar 9, 2013 - 08:32pm PT
I live eat and breathe ice in the winter. Soloing had a good chunk hit above my ear but below the coverage of my POS half dome and split my skull to the bone. Never let go or even let it mess with my zone. topped out and hiked back to the van for medicinal whisky and home brewed butterfly stiches.. Been hit and bruised or taken it on the lid or pack too many times to even begin to count....
tradmanclimbs

Ice climber
Pomfert VT
Mar 9, 2013 - 08:34pm PT
just from what you see of his hands and breathing he does not look solid. feels weak. no buisness soloing.
The Call Of K2 Lou

climber
Squamish
Mar 9, 2013 - 08:41pm PT
Good thing the nitro didn't explode!
ms55401

Trad climber
minneapolis, mn
Mar 9, 2013 - 08:45pm PT
looked like he tried to Dikembe Mutumbo the falling ice
RDB

Social climber
wa
Mar 9, 2013 - 11:08pm PT
I believe the guy broke both ankles if not legs as well.
Hooking a crampoin will do that every time given enough speed and leverage.

I wouldn't get too uppity though. Next piece of ice might well knock your own soxes off.

photo courtesy of Will Gadd

Nice shot of a tiny bit of spin drift. If it were serious you wouldn't even recognise a climber in there. Which isn't anything close to chunks of ice. Of course we all recognise that, right?

winter conditions...the kind we climb in on occasion
johnkelley

climber
Anchorage Alaska
Mar 10, 2013 - 12:08am PT
Here's a few Steve Stein took of me on the North Couloir of Yukla.



philo

Trad climber
Is that light the end of the tunnel or a train?
Mar 10, 2013 - 12:19am PT
Great sequence of shots there John Kelly.
I can't believe your belayer had the stones to keep shooting.
tradmanclimbs

Ice climber
Pomfert VT
Mar 10, 2013 - 07:50am PT
Sorry I don't have a better photo for you. 99.9% of the time I am the one on the sharp end not takeing photos..

Dude had a go pro on his head which increased his chances of falling by at least 200% Then there is the britt factor. Britts on ice= annother 200% increase in the odds of an accident.
Sierra Ledge Rat

Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
Mar 10, 2013 - 08:18am PT
Did you catch the part at the end where he reaches up to check if his GoPro is still there?
couchmaster

climber
pdx
Mar 10, 2013 - 09:40am PT
Haha JohnKelly, I saw your first photo and thought...wow, that looks like a serious natural funnel hope that the rocks are frozen in solid and before the thought had finished scrolled into your next shots.....

Great photo sequence.


Looks like the definition of what "ButtHurt" is. You can't really tell how hard the snow is. It doesn't look like the gopro fella did any end over end cartwheels. Probably means it wasn't as steep as the camera lets on, as bad as that was, if he'd come off higher up it looks like it would have been much much worse. Dayam.

Buddy at work was showing me one of 2 guys who'd climbed to the top of a steep Mountain to ski off it, one dude appears to fall off before he can get his skiis set and the ensuring tumble misses the couilar it looks like they'd been thinking of, flies down a rocky headwall and really looks bad. But the guy is setting up at the end of it.
philo

Trad climber
Is that light the end of the tunnel or a train?
Mar 10, 2013 - 11:35am PT
Gotsta have priorities.
tradmanclimbs

Ice climber
Pomfert VT
Mar 11, 2013 - 07:07pm PT
Don't let the wankers give you a bad impression of ice climbers. It's not like we are all gumbys falling off easy climbs...

Here are some first class wankers ignoring common sense and belaying in the bomb zone of a totally baked out climb. this climb was in full sun most of the day. a huge part of the climb fell down while this guy was leading and 20 min later everyone is still standing under the chopping block and the leader is still climbing the unsafe route....
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
Mar 11, 2013 - 07:49pm PT
^^^^ Doods were desperate seeing as how the entry period for the Darwin Awards
was about to close.
Roots

Mountain climber
SoCal
Mar 11, 2013 - 07:57pm PT
According the article I read, he broke an ankle. -Not fun to watch.
tradmanclimbs

Ice climber
Pomfert VT
Mar 11, 2013 - 08:09pm PT
Any of you guys read Joe Simpsons book? seriously, britts should not be allowed to own ice climbing equiptment.. It's dangerous stuff.....
dee ee

Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
Mar 11, 2013 - 08:24pm PT
How far did he go?
Will_P

Trad climber
Melbourne, Victoria
Mar 11, 2013 - 08:29pm PT
Gee you must be a real hardman, Tradman. Tell us more about your stoic nature while slagging off others. I think you've read too many of Tami's alpine cartoons and treid to model yourself on them.
tradmanclimbs

Ice climber
Pomfert VT
Mar 11, 2013 - 08:47pm PT
the britt thing is a joke. Read Joe Simpsons books. he fell off of almost everything he climbed.. read Hammish McGuiness book Call Out. There seems to be an ungodly number of rescues over in scotland. Many of them Britts. Both the victims and the SAR teams seem to be blind drunk in many of them...
bajaandy

climber
Escondido, CA
Mar 11, 2013 - 09:42pm PT
d00d is famous now... vid clip just made the CBS evening news.
philo

Trad climber
Is that light the end of the tunnel or a train?
Mar 12, 2013 - 01:57am PT
d00d is famous now... vid clip just made the CBS evening news.

Wow I didn't know they had a stupid human tricks segment.
Blakey

Trad climber
Sierra Vista
Mar 12, 2013 - 04:30am PT
Tradman is sooooo right, we Brits are all crap.

Another primo example!:

http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=67896

We clearly just shouldn't be let out without supervision.

Steve
tradmanclimbs

Ice climber
Pomfert VT
Mar 12, 2013 - 06:43am PT
One of my best partners is a Britt and way better climber than myself yet seems to attract johnny law, avalanches, Failed bolts W/groundfall, post climbing auto wrecks and fires w/ dubious circumstances ;)
Blakey

Trad climber
Sierra Vista
Mar 12, 2013 - 07:23am PT
^^^^^

That's irony old chap.....

It would be rude of me to suggest that as a nation 'you don't do irony' so for now it's just you ;-)

BTW, Doug Scott fell on a mountain, broke his legs and had to crawl down - he's crap as well.....

Steve
Blakey

Trad climber
Sierra Vista
Mar 12, 2013 - 07:28am PT
I'm on a roll now....... Shackleton - What a wanker!.....

Steve
Enty

Trad climber
Mar 12, 2013 - 08:14am PT
Hey Blakey - if you want to know the true definition of wanker:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyyE7RoGRsc

E
Blakey

Trad climber
Sierra Vista
Mar 12, 2013 - 08:18am PT
Hi Craig,

I'm guessing that's not so work safe so I'll check it out tonight.....

Steve
Norwegian

Trad climber
the tip of god's middle finger
Mar 12, 2013 - 08:33am PT
this tradman punk
is quite the pompous asse.

its entertaining though to
watch him stroke his swollen ego
in front of god and everyone,

pitching us always sweet, always (copyrighted)
glossies of his ever-valiant,
and supremely first-rate mountain escapades.

you, tradman own the mountain home,
sittin on your self-annoited thrown.

we wankers are just bumblin around
trying to keep pace with you 'trend setters,'
throwing our heads right in the path of ice-fall.

not tradman, no.
he can go all zen whenever and
just disappear hisself
with cool and calm control.
Enty

Trad climber
Mar 12, 2013 - 09:26am PT
Hi Craig,

I'm guessing that's not so work safe so I'll check it out tonight.....

Steve

Totally safe Blakey - a proper wanker on El Cap........

E
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
Mar 12, 2013 - 10:54am PT
Shackleton was a wanker - he lost his ship. That is an automatic court martial in the Royal Navy and even the US Navy.
Blakey

Trad climber
Sierra Vista
Mar 12, 2013 - 01:19pm PT
^^^^^

Will due respect to former colleagues........

'and even the US Navy'. Is that because they have so many ships they don't know when they've lost one, or that they are just massively 'shite'? ;-)

Steve
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
Mar 12, 2013 - 01:28pm PT
Blakey, just having you on, mate. As an old USN apologist I can sympathize
with your lot still being sore about our un-sporting 'frigates' in 1812. ;-)
Blakey

Trad climber
Sierra Vista
Mar 12, 2013 - 04:02pm PT
No offence taken or intended ;-)

We are drifting off topic here Reilly, but as a riposte, I thought it was the French Navy that did for us in that little war, and that we were somewhat distracted at that juncture by what was going on in Europe!

No offence taken or intended ;-)

Steve

Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
Mar 12, 2013 - 04:22pm PT
If this 'topic' had any real value I would agree with you but I think our
nautical drift is more interesting. It is well known that the War of 1812
is little known, cared about, and certainly not taught in Blighty so I can
understand your wish to think that it were the Frogs who done ya for. But,
being well-versed in the subject, I can assure you that in single ship actions
we had the better of you with only the one glaring exception that being when
HMS Shannon had her way with our Chesapeake. ;-)

In order to appease the on-topic mavens I offer a pic of my luverly back
side poised over what your lot so quaintly are given to calling a 'gully'.
I am happy to report no butt-sliding occurred.

Dirka

Trad climber
Hustle City
Mar 12, 2013 - 05:29pm PT
But what a video!
Blakey

Trad climber
Sierra Vista
Mar 12, 2013 - 06:26pm PT
Reilly,

I have in my possession a book (Rik Winfield) that lists all French 50 Gun ships laid between 1688 and 1750, Very interesting. As is The Command of the Oceans, by Rogers - You've probably read the latter?

But they aren't as interesting as your photo, from your position it surely must be Gardyloo Gully..... Most folks take their pants off first though ;-)

Steve

EDIT. I forgot about the vid. I watched it this evening - Can't see what the fuss is about, that's how I usually go about jugging.
Jon Ratcliffe

Trad climber
UK
Mar 12, 2013 - 07:28pm PT
Tradmanclimbs you are soooo hardcore you cheat death, please tell us more of your epic trad solo stories they 're amazing! I bet you have a massive rack
RyanD

climber
Squamish
Mar 12, 2013 - 09:55pm PT
Meh, bouldering is way cooler & better than this any day.
Beardymike

Mountain climber
Bath
Mar 13, 2013 - 07:33am PT
Hark at you Tradman with all the right lingo. You should appoint yourself 10 points for learning to speak proper English and use the word wanker. I suppose you'd call Mick Fowler, Stevie Haston, Dave Macloed and chaps like that noob, accident, prone wankers who know nothing eh? Oh and then of course there was Tom and Pete who apparently fell off everything they set their sights on. Oh no, hang on a second. What's that you say? Oh they spanked you at your own game? Oh I see. And as for shite food, jeez - coming from you lot that really IS an insult. At least it seems to be putting off enough people to be behind you in the fatty stakes...

http://www.planetmountain.com/english/News/shownews4.lasso?l=2&keyid=34188
http://www.climber.co.uk/categories/articleitem.asp?item=296
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNRIA7ckJeE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT8A6Y7MwnA
http://sonictheplumber.com/opinions/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/polls_FatAmericanFlagShirt_4637_312260_answer_1_xlarge1.jpeg
Beardymike

Mountain climber
Bath
Mar 13, 2013 - 08:21am PT
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA you're a card...

http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=49308
orle

climber
Mar 13, 2013 - 08:27am PT
Yeah, but what have you ever done on grit?
Beardymike

Mountain climber
Bath
Mar 13, 2013 - 08:31am PT
Not much. But I've done a bit on the Mot.
sowr

Trad climber
CA
Mar 18, 2013 - 03:19pm PT
Parsley Fern is a pretty basic gully - kind of an introduction for a lot of people, usually not a lot of ice, and if you're lucky good hard snow.
ashtond6

climber
Northampton
Mar 18, 2013 - 03:47pm PT
your an idiot, it's a grade 2 gully... And basically a steep snow plod, tonnes of those routes can be done around Wales and Scotland with just a single axe. You wouldnt think twice about climbing terrain like that in the alps unroped. He was just very unlucky.
Terri Payne

Trad climber
Purcellville, VA
Mar 18, 2013 - 06:14pm PT
Lucky he did not slash his own throat, dem tools is sharp.
tradmanclimbs

Ice climber
Pomfert VT
Mar 18, 2013 - 06:49pm PT
Not bad luck. poor form, not strong enough and a bad decision.
healyje

Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
Mar 18, 2013 - 09:21pm PT
A bitd Philly street saying about covers it: "f*#k around, f*#k around, lay around and bleed."
tradmanclimbs

Ice climber
Pomfert VT
Mar 18, 2013 - 09:47pm PT
You can bash me as much as you want but the video does not lie. when you see a strong competent climber soloing grade 2 gully they do not look like that and they certainly do not go over backwards trying to catch falling ice.
ExtraBlue

Ice climber
the ford VT
Mar 18, 2013 - 10:10pm PT
Tradman
A Is a badass climber.
B Is right.
Waide Lewis

Trad climber
Sacramento, ca
Mar 18, 2013 - 11:22pm PT
This is what happens to guys with lots of experience and over confidence...
Had 2 guys near Donner with 30 years experience die in ava's this year in the same weekend.It's easy to relaxed and over confident especially somewhere you have climbed numerous times before.. Watch your criticize...that might be you an some passive overconfident day..
tradmanclimbs

Ice climber
Pomfert VT
Mar 19, 2013 - 07:21am PT
No one is immune to a fall. the thing that got me going is obviously A. the go pro. 95% of the time we see a go pro ice climbing video it is a wreck. the way he holds his tools is a bit shaky. Not strong and confident the way you need to be if you are going to solo. The leaning back and trying to catch the ice trick is counter to everything a solid climber does in that situation. BTW you can be experienced yet not solid. Yes it is not cool to bash someone who gets hurt but on the other hand once you post the go pro footage it's open season;)

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.
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
Mar 19, 2013 - 03:43pm PT
SuperTopo - where it isn't politically correct to post your opinion unless
it is Kumbaya Approved.

Tradman, didn't you know that?
tradmanclimbs

Ice climber
Pomfert VT
Mar 19, 2013 - 03:50pm PT
http://willgadd.com/category/blog/
philo

Trad climber
Is that light the end of the tunnel or a train?
Mar 19, 2013 - 04:04pm PT
Front pointing a Class 2 snow gully and trying to catch a falling ice chunk = ugly glissade. He was clearly out of his league.



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