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WBraun
climber
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May 18, 2007 - 11:18pm PT
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Ok I found the disk in the office. All photo credits Tom Evans (elcap-pics), Thank you, Tom
Here is victim, partner and blood.
Jack being lowered to victim on the first flight.
And the pick off
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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May 19, 2007 - 03:05am PT
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Thanks for sharing the photos, Tom and Werner. And as explained in the 5/18 report thread, their bags were directly above, so they had completed and hauled the King Swing pitch. So it was not a case of backcleaning on the King Swing pitch itself, but on the next pitch. Ouch. Seeing the blood flow off of Eagle Ledge gives us some perspective on what Tom was seeing.
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caughtinside
Social climber
Davis, CA
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May 19, 2007 - 03:11am PT
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gnarly!
In the first pic, there is the obvious blood spot in the middle of the frame. There is another, 15'+ long streak on the right side of the ledge running down in the corner. Looks like a lot of blood.
Glad the guy is going to be ok!!
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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May 19, 2007 - 03:16am PT
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Speaking of the Neal Olsen rescue in 1972, I was talking with Robert Summers a few weeks ago, and he told me about how he was up on top of El Cap with a walkie-talkie, coordinating the lowering of Bridwell and the victim in that rescue.
There was not enough rope when the rescue started to reach all the way from the top of El Cap to the ground. So the main coordinator called a rope manufacturing company and had them fly up a couple of 600' spools [correction: 3300' spools - see Werner's post below] in a military helicopter to make it possible. I recall that once Robert got the call that the spools were on their way, they commenced to start lowering Bridwell down with a full medical kit (morphine, etc.).
While the lowering was being set up, a couple of guys topped out on the Salathe' Wall. One of them was Bob Schneider, Steve's older brother. Once the helicopter delivered the rope spools, they were planning to fly back to their base, but Bob walked up and said "we need to get down to El Cap Meadow", in a serious tone, so they hopped in and took an unplanned flight down there. Bob and his partner quickly disappeared into the bushes and the helicopter headed back to its base!
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Darnell
Big Wall climber
Chicago
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May 19, 2007 - 07:31am PT
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Two years ago I led the King swing pitch, I was climbing with two friends and it was their first El Cap route. After the penji I leapfroged cams, backcleaning as I went. I was about 20ft from the belay when I looked downand noticed a HUGE amount of slack on my lead line arcing out into space and around the corner, NOT COOL!
My belayer had not taken in any slack after the penji as I moved up the pitch,and he could not see me.
So I stoped, and yelled to my belayer, and I quote-- "Hey dude, take a look at the lead rope, if I fall and live thru it, I am going to beat your ass when we get down"
He took me tight and said he was sorry.
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WBraun
climber
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May 19, 2007 - 10:46am PT
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Clint
They were not 600 foot spools but 3300 foot spools.
The reason we had no ropes at the time was due to a fire that destroyed the SAR cache at the time. Loyd Price flew with Lemoore to get the ropes and returned the following morning. The spools weighted so much that it took two teams of four people for each spool to be carried from the top landing zone to the actual lip of the Nose. After the rescue we carried the spools back up to the landing zone. Ugh! heavy!
The two 3300' spools. You can see Roger Breedlove in the background.
Captain Bridwell with Olsen on his way to to the base.
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JesseM
Social climber
Yosemite
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May 19, 2007 - 01:09pm PT
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Holy Crap,
I'm in Santa Cruz for my long weekend and I just decided to see what the word was on the Taco. Sounds like I missed some serious action. Tom thanks for calling it in, and starting this thread. I'm telling you...they should be paying you for your services! Werner thanks for posting the Photos. Maybe I can get some to show folks at Sunday Coffee?
Glad to hear that the guy is going to be OK. Back Cleaning huh? Great job to Keith and Jack, the pilot of the CHP ship, and everyone else!
Jesse
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Little gorilla
Trad climber
seattle
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May 19, 2007 - 02:08pm PT
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What state are the climbers from? Anyone know?
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elcap-pics
climber
Crestline CA
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May 19, 2007 - 08:38pm PT
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The climbers are germans... nice guys ... Tom
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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May 19, 2007 - 11:40pm PT
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Werner, Wow! Thanks for the correction on the spools and the additional details and photos! Way cool.
I was wondering about the 600 number myself - it seemed like knots would be the last thing you would want - almost sure to hang up in some corner/crack!!
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rockermike
Mountain climber
Berkeley
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May 20, 2007 - 03:32pm PT
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Bump;
anyone know more about how this accident happened? (the recent one that is)
And while I'm at it: what would be the best way to solo (roped solo) the king-swing pitch? Moving three point anchor on the climb back up? (personally I would tend toward leaving more gear in as I climbed crack and rope drag not a problem solo, but I can see that 3 pnt system would be pretty clean??)
I imagine the swing itself would be rather difficult if you have a bunch of rope loops hanging below your feet. How to handle that? Any other advice on hauling that pitch etc.
thanks
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Sparkles
Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado
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May 21, 2007 - 11:47pm PT
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A little over a year ago, I broke my femur in five places. I was in a horrendous car accident, was stranded for 11 hours and am very lucky to have survived. It was not until I was safe in the confines of the hospital which I learned of the danger of breaking ones femur. My breaks did not cut the skin, there was no blood, merely a lot of f*#king pain. While my break did not occur during the pursuit of a passion, such as climbing, I still consider myself lucky to be here, gracing this earth. My heart goes out to this gentleman. I hope that he considers himself extremely lucky to have been saved. It is only by mere luck or help from the God's above that people survive accidents such as these. I hope his recovery goes well and that he has patience, determination and an unending will to live. 14 months after my accident, I am still recovering. It is a lot of hard work, but strangely enough, all worth it. Good luck! And FYI: join the bionic club! It is not so bad.
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tim_b
Trad climber
Corona, CA
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May 28, 2007 - 10:33am PT
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Whoa! Just got back in country from flat northern Germany, jumped on ST ... All I can say is that it is very HARD to move the track pad on my laptop with SWEATY FINGERS !
(100-footer stories always get the heart pumped).
Kudos to YOSAR again.
Awesome copter pics!
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the Fet
Knackered climber
A bivy sack in the secret campground
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May 31, 2007 - 12:22pm PT
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BUMP for a badass rescue and photos.
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leinosaur
Trad climber
burns flat, ok
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Wow -
Props to the astoundingly efficient YOSAR -
and a favor to ask:
As a Wilderness First Responder in need of recertification, I was hoping to get some more detail on the climbing partner's role in helping to stabilize the injured party. It sounds like he must have done pretty well, and I was hoping he would comment here. If not him, though, perhaps Werner or another party with qualified experience in such a situation could comment here? God forbid any of the rest of us should find ourselves in a similar situation, but just in case, how about a reminder of some general principles in dealing with such a situation?
Just the basics, of course.
Thanks,
Rob
(Just returned from his first trip to the Valley, and looking forward to some big walls in the future)
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El Tercero
Trad climber
Boulder, Co.
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Jun 11, 2007 - 11:38am PT
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We were topping out on the N.A. wall when we heard the megaphones from the meadow. At first we thought they were talking to us but we quickly realized something had happened.
I don't have pics of the victim or anything but I have some sweet photos of the choppers from the last pitch of NA.
I'l try to post up later.
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