RIP Chris LaBounty

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fear

Ice climber
hartford, ct
Jun 29, 2016 - 07:35am PT
Man did he have some skills! Condolences for those left behind but we should celebrate and remember his life.

Although I'm sure devastated by the loss it's not as if Chris was living some secret life. His family and friends knew the risks and apparently accepted Chris as he was.

So no haters.....
landcruiserbob

Trad climber
PUAKO, BIG ISLAND Kohala Coast
Jun 29, 2016 - 09:58am PT
Awesome videos and pilot

It appears his mom passed the week before, tragic losses for the family.

Aloha

Rg
msiddens

Trad climber
Jun 29, 2016 - 10:06am PT
So sad- when will the death count be enough. The Morrrison vid was so cool and I've looked up there and pondered it before....
Splater

climber
Grey Matter
Jun 29, 2016 - 12:24pm PT
He has another impressive flight on vimeo down to Boulder Creek.
haishan

Trad climber
CA
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 29, 2016 - 12:52pm PT
I thought it might be nice to share some memories of Chris. We weren't super close, but I was fortunate to spend some time with him out on the rock and chatting about life and adventure over the course of a couple years where our lives crossed paths.

I worked with Chris from 2009-11 at a small SoCal hardware tech company with a factory in Chengdu. When I first met him I only knew him as the guy down the hall who survived the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. He was a very understated guy, never went out of his way to spray about his many accomplishments. He had the heart and spirit of a true adventurer, as his few writings attest to. Here is his firsthand account from the mountains near the epicenter of the 2008 quake:

http://www.summitpost.org/escape-from-sichuan/513536

Even after the quake we both made frequent trips to the Chengdu office and so had opportunities for solo forays out into the vast mountains of Sichuan, but our schedules never seemed to line up. He made a reconnaissance of the amazing SE ridge of Pomiu (Celestial Peak, across the valley from Siguniang), soloing a good portion of the technical climbing and backing off when the difficulties exceeded his risk tolerance. Armed with his beta I went in some time later to make my own recon and we hashed rough plans to climb it together, but alas, I left the company and moved on before we could make it happen.

Some more of his mountain accomplishments, just the few that he bothered to make public:

http://www.supertopo.com/tr/Matthes-Crest-Actually-I-prefer-Saber-Ridge/t11205n.html

http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12201109300/Tamarack-Lake-area-New-Routes

https://vimeo.com/143966785

http://www.supertopo.com/tr/The-Witch-and-the-Warlock-A-Needles-Climb-to-Fly-Adventure/t12978n.html

Farewell, Chris.
The Alpine

climber
The Sea
Jun 30, 2016 - 10:40am PT
Translated article
Clint Cummins

Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
Jul 28, 2016 - 02:56pm PT
Updated description of the accident:
At 3pm on June 23rd, 2016, Chris jumped solo from Torri del Vajolet, attempting a wingsuit flyby of the restaurant/rifugio, Rifugio Preuss Hütte. Chris had free-solo climbed several hundred feet to the exit point, no other jumpers were present that day and this was his first jump from this exit point. His original flight plan was a more direct path towards the rifugio and to remain visible to the ground crew during the entire flight and deployment. Outside video shows him flying initially towards the east, then turning south, towards the rifugio where he disappears from view of the camera. Other witnesses saw him flying down a gulley, east of the rifugio, then lost sight of him. When he did not land at the primary LZ, ground crew hiked downhill from the rifugio looking for him. Italian Alpine Rescue found his body via helicopter approximately 2 hours later, at the bottom of the gulley, southeast of the rifugio. He struck a tree approximately 60ft uphill, at a 45-degree angle, from where his body was found.

Gear inspection shows the canopy sustained damage from the tree, but the slider was still at the top of the lines, suggesting a low/emergency deployment. The closing loops were intact, evidence the PC had opened the container, not the impact. Injuries sustained and equipment damage suggest a high speed impact. His GoPro was recovered, shattered, without the SD card. Hours were spent searching the impact area on June 25th, but no SD Card was found. The weather conditions were described as light winds from the south, no clouds. The altitude difference between the rifugio (his planned flyby location) and his primary LZ was approximately 300ft. The location where his body was found was at a similar altitude to the Primary LZ.
Chris had jumped that morning, from a different exit point and performed a flyby of a cross next to the rifugio. He landed south(downhill) of the rifugio, on a trail. The planned flight for the second jump was a more direct path to the Primary LZ.
http://www.blincmagazine.com/forum/wiki/Christopher_Labounty
pyro

Big Wall climber
Calabasas
Jul 28, 2016 - 03:10pm PT
Sad news have not seen Chris for a while. Had all the Stoney Point traverses wired.
RIP brother see you on other side.
ß Î Ø T Ç H

Boulder climber
ne'er–do–well
Jul 28, 2016 - 11:08pm PT
He struck a tree ...
thebravecowboy

climber
The Good Places
Jul 28, 2016 - 11:58pm PT
super respect
BLUEBLOCR

Social climber
joshua tree
Jul 29, 2016 - 12:19am PT
condolences to Chris's family.

modern hero in my book. pushin evolutions standardization of mans body.

Cheers to the spirit named Chris

Keep flying higher, buddy!
skcreidc

Social climber
SD, CA
Jul 29, 2016 - 06:55am PT
Chris sounds like an all around accomplished and good guy. My sincere condolences to his friends and family.
wbw

Trad climber
'cross the great divide
Jul 29, 2016 - 08:52am PT
Wow, that write-up on the earthquake in China is gripping. Chris was clearly a skilled and articulate writer. His near-success in climbing a 6000 m peak in running shoes suggests his skill and comfort level in the mountains, as well as the magnitude of the goals he set for himself. Big respect and sadness over his passing.
Larry Nelson

Social climber
Jul 29, 2016 - 11:29am PT
Damn pity for the world to lose such an accomplished and decent man.
Condolences to the family and friends.
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