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karodrinker
Trad climber
San Jose, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jul 7, 2013 - 10:03pm PT
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Was at the leap today, unfortunately heard sirens and a helicopter. A woman pulled off a block and took a huge fall on the lower buttress. Anyone know her, is she ok?
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i'm gumby dammit
Sport climber
da ow
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Dammit, I haven't heard anything but have some friends that climb there regularly.
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mooser
Trad climber
seattle
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I'm trying hard to remember, but doesn't SP have some known loose stuf on it? Hope all turned out okay. I've participated in one helicopter evac there already from a young woman who took a whipper on The Line.
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Dr. Christ
Mountain climber
State of Mine
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I'm trying hard to remember, but doesn't SR have some known loose stuf on it?
I don't have to try to remember... every route at the Leap has some known loose stuff on it. What a pile.
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i'm gumby dammit
Sport climber
da ow
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the only loose stuff i saw on SP was midway up p2 where the corner veers off to the right, but i've only been once and at that point there are multiple options out to the left.
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karodrinker
Trad climber
San Jose, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 7, 2013 - 11:39pm PT
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She went right into the rotten gully according to an eyewitness. They were almost killed by the rockfall, broke trees. The victim was unconscious and got a heli ride out.
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i'm gumby dammit
Sport climber
da ow
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a boulder the size of a picnic?
and vibes. please get well.
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kaholatingtong
Trad climber
Nevada City
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but that protectionless 60 foot slabeasy for the "3rd pitch" was awesome! go left at the top people, and traverse left early! condolences to the victims and best wishes.
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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hey there say, oh my... sorry to be late to the taco, these last two days, :O
oh no... prayers and all, for her and for the family, and loved ones..
i have not yet read of the outcome, i hope all will get well for her...
got a grandkid here tonight, got to get off fast and sleep....
thanks for sharing, so folks can pray, and know how other are, as to
climbing buddies...
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i'm gumby dammit
Sport climber
da ow
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i think at that point she was off route a bit. i had a helmet cam on for that part of the climb and it shows some loose stuff. editing a little now.
video at half speed. at 16 seconds you can hear a noise just before i grab a flake. in real time the noise was simultaneous. the screenshot below is from the video looking to the right from the top of the left facing corner - https://vimeo.com/69869304
this is at the top of the corner. for her to get to those rocks and be in a position to fall that far she would have had to come up from below them, which means she would have had to have gone right before or right at the first belay. it could have been some higher rocks in the gully though
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HighTraverse
Trad climber
Bay Area
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karodrinker
How'd Callie and your Dad take it?
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Ed H
Trad climber
Santa Rosa
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We saw the rescue. She was right and down of the rotten ledge - anybody know for sure what route she was on? For Real Crack?
My thoughts and prayers for her recovery
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karodrinker
Trad climber
San Jose, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 8, 2013 - 03:46pm PT
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Fred, we were on the east wall during the rescue. Callie and dad were ok, we diddnt see it happen. We climbed surrealistic pillar later that day, avoiding the loose gully on the right.
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TheTye
Trad climber
Sacramento CA
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Ron- as I remember it from a couple months ago if you continue up through the OW mid second pitch it looks easier to continue up angling to the right but it keeps gettling chossier the higher you go. I followed a friend on the second pitch and he didn't traverse left until he was up that gully a ways and it was getting pretty broken up and ugly. Although he managed to avoid the entire lower runout staircase... I could see how the gully could suck you in because the traverse starts to look less and less inviting
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Friedo
Trad climber
South Lake Tahoe
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Ron,
SP was my first trad lead (linked with Corrugation, of coarse). I recall traversing left to the staircase and heading up, but retreating into the gully at one point to look for gear when I get a little scared. I realized it was a bad idea and just continued to run it out, rope drag and all.
I also have a friend I sent up there for his first Tahoe climb. He belayed form the gully even though I made it abundantly clear to NOT GO INTO THE GULLY ON THE RIGHT! He felt a little insecure and decided to set up a belay. The gully is the only place you can get any pro.
Point being, The gully is very inviting for people who are uncomfortable being 40 feet above their last piece of gear, even though the actual route is the equivalent of a ladder...
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toyon
climber
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That sucks. The 'gully' is a natural (read: intuitive) extension of the right-ish facing corner comprising the OW. If you keep going up, it gets tenuous. The alternative (aka the established route) cuts left around a very unintuitive and blind corner.
The Leap... man, its where i learned to climb and havent been in years but that place must see so much more traffic these days than i ever saw. Probabilities increase...
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murcy
Gym climber
sanfrancisco
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From a popular guidebook:
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crankster
Trad climber
South Lake Tahoe, CA
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Ron, quit running at the mouth and leave this thread now.
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kaholatingtong
Trad climber
Nevada City
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i dunno what everyone is getting so upset about. ron just feels the strong need to keep this PSA at the top. sarcasm off ( stupid typing ). mayhaps we should add some route beta, seriously though? not that it isnt there, but just saying.
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Bad Climber
climber
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Hope the lady in question is okay. I've done both versions, and the straight up OW version is chossy up high. I've been a mountaineer for awhile, so I'm always careful about loose stuff. I wonder if lack of delicacy is part of the problem here, folks without reasonable mountain savvy? I've personally watched dumbasses pull off loose stuff that was totally obvious to me. Oh, that plate-sized rock has cracks ALL THE WAY AROUND, so I better not pull on it. A dope on Coonyard coming up below us just grabs and yards and sends the death missile rocketing towards the base, climbers scrambling for their lives. Fortunately, no one was hit.
Watchyerselvesoutthere!
BAd
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TheTye
Trad climber
Sacramento CA
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Ron-
Here is that same pic with the chossy, no-no Gully area lit with red dots.
I'm pretty sure I got it right.
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bodywhomper
climber
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i work with nour. she and her husband may very well be members of this forum, idk, but please keep that in mind w/ any monday morning QB'ing.
since some have inquired, here was the description of her condition as of this morning (monday morning):
-fracture at the back of her skull
-likely to remain in Reno for the next month or so
-stable, can wiggle her fingers and toes, and squeeze hands when she's not under sedation.
-some swelling in her brain, but not anywhere unexpected after the accident.
-neurosurgeon believes her brain was not adversely affected.
hoping for the best!
cheers
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thebravecowboy
Social climber
Colorado Plateau
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beaming big magic to Nour in her hour of need!
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FRUMY
Trad climber
SHERMAN OAKS,CA
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^^^ Best to her.
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mcreel
climber
Barcelona
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Super positive thoughts for Nour - it sounds like the news is fairly good.
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i'm gumby dammit
Sport climber
da ow
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awesome news bodywhomper! was hoping for the best but not really expecting it.
to a speedy recovery (tilts beer)
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Charlie D.
Trad climber
Western Slope, Tahoe Sierra
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bw, thanks for the information. Wishing the very best to your friend for a speedy recovery.
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johntp
Trad climber
socal
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Sounds like good news; hoping for a quick recovery.
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Friedo
Trad climber
South Lake Tahoe
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Best I can do fur ya, Ron. It's actually very simple to understand how someone can end up in the gully. Even with decent route finding skills and the topo fresh on my mind, I ended up in the gully my first time. Big run outs lead to some folks searching hard for gear. Yes, you can get some marginal pro on the staircase, but for a good piece of gear, the gully is very inviting. Unfortunately it's the wrong way to go...
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ydpl8s
Trad climber
Santa Monica, California
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Maybe this is a little better photo to show said "gully".
Speedy recovery to the injured, those head traumas can be tricky, sounds like she is doing pretty well.
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Stevee B
Mountain climber
Oakland, CA
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Terrific news given the circumstances. Thanks for sharing and best wishes for a speedy recovery.
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GhoulweJ
Trad climber
El Dorado Hills, CA
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Ron, you've beat that horse to smithereens....
FYI: the gully is climbable should one choose it (I see it done regularly). I have climbed it and though there is loose stuff, I was not at risk of simulating the unfortunate events of the recently injured.
There are loose rocks on many climbs in most areas. They can sometimes be easily avoided but a great thing about climbing is that we choose our own way and live or die with those decisions.
I solo this route frequently and I have SAFELY used the gully to avoid teams that were way to afraid to have me near them much less pass them.
Ron, your position is known but in the end there is freewill so consider letting this lie and just wish the injured well.
I hope the injured heals fully and quickly. You are enduring what we all fear. Be well.
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Dr. Christ
Mountain climber
State of Mine
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I've climbed both. I hate loose rock.
Best wishes and speedy recovery.
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DylanBoyle
Trad climber
Davis, CA
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Yep, first time I climbed that route, went to the right, onto the rotten ledge, foot slipped on gritty choss and almost went sailing. Hoping for a speedy recovery for the unfortunate climber...
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guyman
Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
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Heal up now....
Rockclimbing is a sport with teeth.
Riley Wyna ..... I did the same thing!!!!! I had a out-of-body experience
that day. 5.8 can bite you.
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brian benedon
Trad climber
tucson
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Jul 12, 2013 - 11:43am PT
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I would like to offer my best wishes to those involved, and for a speedy recovery. Does anyone have an update on her condition?
I climbed at the Leap for my first time just a couple of weeks ago, and I remember standing at the location where the route steps left around the corner. I'm glad that my partner had given me a topo or I may have made that same mistake.
The climbing is spectacular, we had a great time.I would recommend this route. This unfortune accidend is however a good reminder to all of us that we need to pay close attention, even when we are climbing well established classic routes.
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HighTraverse
Trad climber
Bay Area
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Jul 12, 2013 - 12:21pm PT
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Update from the blog at the article posted on the first page:
Jefferson says - POSTED: JULY 9, 2013
That was my wife. The full team of rescuers did an incredible job to get her out of harms way. As much praise needs to be given to Paul, Neil, Don, Megan and Jay, the 5 climbers who either climbed up to help or ran from the base of the leap. With their help my wife was anchored in place so as to not move as I remained in a belay stance, her injuries were reported to the onsite sheriff and they played a major part in keeping her calm. I met many heroes that day.
As for the boulder, it is one of many in a pile at the base of Surrealistic Pillar. The description here was accurate. Thank you for the wishes He doesn't say how she's doing.
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Baggins
Boulder climber
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Jul 12, 2013 - 12:33pm PT
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Not that i have much meaningful to contribute, but I did climb this "variation" a while ago by accident and freaked the f*#k out. I was mostly concerned with the quality of gear available for the belay. I used the ST guide and it didnt make it particularly clear I remember that you have to move left on big dike ledges to go around the corner. The natural line takes you into this horrible choss fest.
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ag.Fox
Trad climber
Reno, NV
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Jul 12, 2013 - 01:54pm PT
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Had not climbed SP in many years, I kept to the wyde - thanks to Silver for leading that 'chossy' variation. Strange how one's perception of looseness changes after leading multiple pitches of frozen kitty litter. Speedy recovery wishes to Nour!
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A-dawgydawg
climber
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Jul 14, 2013 - 02:53am PT
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I helped out the paramedics/SAR carry stretchers and bags to the base/top of the climb. Climber dislodged a loose rock which hit her in the head. Have no idea how she's doing now, hope she's OK
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i'm gumby dammit
Sport climber
da ow
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Jul 14, 2013 - 03:30am PT
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Great picture Brian. My picture and video is about 20' above the top climber in your pic, and the large loose looking rocks are hidden behind the largish bush. That's where we made the 'unintuitive step left' although the leader went up a bit first, and then downclimbed back when he found he hated it.
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TheTye
Trad climber
Sacramento CA
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Jul 14, 2013 - 10:53am PT
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We did the traverse left about 20ft above where the climber is in that pic. Probably a 5.5 traverse and puts you right at the base of the crack on the face. Actually worked out real nice. Rock is a bit rotten for that 20ft but not loose
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| Messages 1 - 45 of total 45 in this topic |
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