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Big Mike
Trad climber
BC
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Dec 29, 2014 - 10:14am PT
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Heal up Jim! You can do it!
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Dec 29, 2014 - 11:10am PT
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We've been good friends and sometimes partners since Jim was 18, a high school climbing prodigy who quickly outpaced his mentors. Through the years I've watched him grow from an upwardly mobile young climber and guide to a rope designer, devoted husband and doting dad. All the while a great friend, smart and full of thoughts in conversation. Oh, and a rock steady partner.
In these rough days our hearts go out to Jim and his family, who are pulling together to pull through.
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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Dec 29, 2014 - 11:16am PT
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Jeeez. I feel your pain. Six hour surgeries are no fun. The pelvis usually mends pretty well and pretty fast. A bad ankle injury is always tricky. Hope he does ok with it. Jim is very good people.
JL
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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Dec 29, 2014 - 12:08pm PT
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Heal quickly
That's an order
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climber bob
Social climber
maine
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Dec 29, 2014 - 12:21pm PT
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So sorry to hear this. Jim is a top notch guy who once went at least 2 hrs out of his way to give me a ride home after my truck died at the Portland rock gym..hoping for a swift recovery and if there is anything I can do to help don't hesitate to ask..
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wak
Mountain climber
Fryeburg, Maine
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Dec 29, 2014 - 12:23pm PT
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Stay strong, Cathy and Maxine, we will be thinking about you all, you're in our prayers. Jim's a tough guy, always has been, he'll do his best, whatever it takes. We're here when you come home, if you need help with anything call, we're not that far away.
Love,
Bill & JoAnne
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labrat
Trad climber
Auburn, CA
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Dec 29, 2014 - 12:40pm PT
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Heal up soon. Good thoughts going your way.
People.
Please keep one hand firmly on the brake side of the belay device at all times. These types of accidents happen way too often with GriGri's and other types of "automatic self locking" belay devices. An ex of mine warned me 10 plus years ago of an accident at Hanger 18 that resulted in a broken back. I've seen a near miss that only burned a guys hand before it locked up.
Yet accidents continue ;-(
Get the word out. Watch the Petzl belay video!
Erik
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Dec 29, 2014 - 12:46pm PT
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hey there say, cathy... say, thank you for the update...
for all of us here, just being in the know, a bit, helps us to hold on, as well, as to:
just being able to cheer back at you, when the good comes...
we, sadly, can't just reach over and make things well, but we SURE DO
WISH we could...
hugs and prayers, to you, and to all involved, as well...
this is when the circle of love, tightens in closer and helps comfort and
protect from sadness, worries and feeling helpless...
hang in there... hug each other, and 'talk it out' to get the inner
pressure out... good for children and good for adults... just sit and hug or talk, or both...
as to this quote, this is a good one:
And when he's not in intolerable paim, he's got his Jim Ewing sense of humor! Xoxo
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Dec 29, 2014 - 01:07pm PT
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The human story here is Jim and his family, but for those who (like me) need to have a mental picture, this is Dixon's Wall on the Brac. The lower wall is vertical, getting more steep and cruxy at two-thirds height, as you see. Easiest route is 11b but Jim was probably not on that one.
And here's the unforgiving ground below. Not from my family or Jim's, this young guy was doing fine but no belay critiques please!
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Dec 29, 2014 - 02:35pm PT
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Just talked with Jim who sounds remarkably cogent and determined, considering. He says it was a Grigri 2 with a new 9.5mm rope. The fall was short and should have been soft; device first seemed to stop him but then slipped, then arrested and slipped again several times during the fall.
Jim notes that his damage makes just a short list: fractured pelvis, fractured calcaneus, dislocated wrist, and ribs torn away from cartilage.
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micronut
Trad climber
Fresno/Clovis, ca
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Dec 29, 2014 - 02:40pm PT
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Hoping for a rapid and complete recovery. I hope that he mends well and fully and soon and that we learn more about this accident in the coming days so that we can all be safer out there.
Scott
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Dec 29, 2014 - 02:43pm PT
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so that we can all be safer out there
Here's an inobvious but suddenly huge thing that everyone ought to check (we just did): Your insurance, do you know what it covers?
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perswig
climber
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Dec 29, 2014 - 03:14pm PT
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Thanks for the pics, Chiloe. I liked hearing his stories of climbing Whitehorse with his daughter. Figures they'd be regular Otter visitors, too.
For some reason, when I picture Jim, I've got an image of him on the roof pitch of Khazad-Dûm. Dunno if this is a real photo I've seen or just a mental fabrication, but it's there in my head.
Thank you, Cathy, for the updates. Good to hear his condition's stable enough to get the real rebuilding started. His engineer self is probably going to want torque values for the screws, fatigue graphs for the plates. Maybe some hardness readings.
Dale
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SofCookay
climber
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Dec 29, 2014 - 03:17pm PT
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Wishing you a full and speedy recovery, Jim!
Cathy, thanks for posting the updates. Kate and I are keeping you, Maxine, and Jim in our thoughts and prayers.
Kate and I have had a bit of an issue with rope slippage using the GriGri2 and a rope that is new and pretty slick - so much so that we are not using the GriGri with it until the rope breaks in. I believe the rope is a 9.8mm (not Sterling, though).
Sonya
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John Duffield
Mountain climber
New York
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Dec 29, 2014 - 03:59pm PT
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Good to hear he was able to make it back to the US promptly.
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Big Mike
Trad climber
BC
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Dec 29, 2014 - 04:14pm PT
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And here's the unforgiving ground below. Not from my family or Jim's, this young guy was doing fine but no belay critiques please!
Hand down, on the brake. He's good.
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rlf
Trad climber
Josh, CA
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Dec 29, 2014 - 04:31pm PT
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That tugging hard on the climber's side of the rope negates the camming effect is also new information to me.
I have to vehemently disagree with that. The tugging works just fine. You just do the tug before they leave the ground, with some slack in the system. Once you're sure the device is solid the cam will rebound back.
The ultimate rule with Grigri's is that you do not treat any different the atc's etc. I've used them for twenty years, caught ton's falls, and never dropped anyone.
The only thing that I have seen cause a real issue with a grigri is if it is not clean of debris, small pebbles etc can cause the cam not to properly engage. Either way, the break hand is the ultimate tool.
I'll stick to my methods.
Bummer for the belayer. That has to be hard.
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Crimpergirl
Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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Dec 29, 2014 - 05:01pm PT
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That video is going to give me nightmares. Seriously.
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Gnome Ofthe Diabase
climber
Out Of Bed
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Dec 30, 2014 - 03:21am PT
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seriously,!? I have not watched it yet it had just showed up some where else as well.
Does this sound right?
the combination of the New rope(9.5-8.5still called?. skinny?) as well as the effect of the counter balance that an upended belayer might cause might have been a contributing factor.?
Or a blown bolt?! I can not link but time bomb bolts that corrode fast in marine settings?
Sand in the rig doesn't sound like Jim.
The Brac is known for these and I'm sure Jim was aware of the chance. But still that is some
Tropical paradise vacation. This east cost keeping up with the jones will kill you!<\;-)
Glad to hear all can be all better
The heel is a btich
and the ribs . . . hell all of it!, hydros and Oxys and stool softener ,
Going to be going to Colorado . . . down the road just saying 😽💤
Pay the belayer due attention PTSD. talk it thru again and again. If Need be get MD/Rx help.
Glad to hear that your 'up' and on the way back stay RED SOX tuff (RSox Rule)
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