As the 2016 climbing season gets rolling, Yosemite has already seen a number of technical rescues. Below are three quick descriptions and analysis for climbing accidents since April.
CLIMBER FALL – BISHOP’S TERRACE
SYNOPSIS – On April 16th, 2016 at approximately 1500 hours in Yosemite National Park, Yosemite Dispatch received a report of a climber who had taken a lead fall and was bleeding severely at Bishop’s Terrace. The climber had fallen, pulled multiple pieces of protection, and landed on a ledge 20’ above the ground. An Advanced Life Support provider arrived on scene and met with an off Duty Park Ranger who happened to be climbing in the area. Upon arrival at the base, the two first responders spoke with the climber’s partner who did not know if the victim was responsive or breathing. The partner also stated that the fall had been approximately 25’ in length. The two care providers then climbed to the patient, assessed injuries, and evacuated the patient to the base of the climb. A Yosemite Valley ambulance then took the patient to El Cap meadow, and transferred care to Mercy Air Ambulance.
TAKE AWAYS – When climbing above a ledge, and in low angle terrain, it is particularly important to remember to place gear Early and Often. Don’t just think of the piece right below you, consider the consequences if that piece fails, would the next piece keep you off the ledge below?
RAPPELLING ACCIDENT – SONS OF YESTERDAY
SYNOPSIS – On May 3, 2016, at approximately 2330 hours, US Park Rangers were notified of an injured climber. The reporting party stated that a climber had possibly sustained a broken leg from a rappelling accident while descending from the route Sons of Yesterday.
The decision was made to rescue the patient from the wall at first light the following day, as it was considered unsafe to initiate a technical rescue at that time.
The following morning at approximately 0630 hours, a team of Park Rangers and the Yosemite Valley SAR site began the rescue mission. The first responder reached the patient at approximately 0815 on the second pitch ledge of Super Slide and provided a patient medical assessment. The medic stated that the patient was alert and oriented. The patient stated they swung into a wall and impacted with their arm and leg while rappelling down from Sons of Yesterday. Patient’s chief complaint was the pain from his leg injury and the Medic noted that the patient’s upper leg was swollen.
After providing patient care and establishing fixed lines to the location, the team completed a small team technical rescue to lower the patient, packaged in a rigid litter, to the ground. Upon reaching the base, the rescue team did a carry out to the Ahwahnee parking area and transferred care to the Valley ambulance.
TAKE AWAYS – A debrief of the incident revealed that the injury occurred while the climber was rappelling between an anchor on Sons of Yesterday, down to the final anchor of Serenity Crack. This rappel, if skipping the intermediate rappel stations, requires tensioning hard to the right on a blank face. Left of the fall line is a large drop off. Use of an intermediate rappel station removes the need for such a long tension to the right. In this incident, the patient lost control of his footing, which sent him into a pendulum over the drop off at a rate of speed high enough to result in a broken femur and wrist.
This is not the first time this incident has occurred at this location. We spoke with another climber who lost control in the same location, trying to link the last two two rappel stations on Sons of Yesterday and complete a 60m rappel to the top of Serenity Crack. In that incident, the climber was simul-rappeling when he lost his footing and swung around the corner. While he was not injured in his swing, the climber stated how surprised he was with the speed of his pendulum. As climbers we sometimes underestimate the force of an out of control pendulum. Always watch the angle of deflection from your upper anchor, and ask yourself, am I willing to risk a downward fall in this terrain? A pendulum can generate the same amount of force as falling straight down, and exposes a larger, more vulnerable section of the body to impact.
Lastly, unexpected incidents do happen in rappelling, and this accident is a great reminder of the importance of a no hands back-up to any rappel system. The climber’s ability to maintain control of his rappel even after sustaining these injuries may well have saved his life, and allowed him to continue lowering down to the ledge on which he was found. Use of a prussik is always recommended and especially on complex terrain.
CLIMBER FALL – LAZY BUM
SYNOPSIS – On May 10, 2016, a call came in for a climber ground fall in the Jam Crack Area. Upon arrival on scene, first responders found the patient at the base of Lazy Bum (5.10d), a difficult to protect single pitch to the left of Jam Crack, which is typically top roped. Speaking with the patient and reporting parties, the climber had begun leading up the pitch, and at approximately 45’ took a leader fall, which resulted in ripping out potentially three pieces of gear before landing on the ground. The climber sustained multiple injuries including a head laceration and had lost consciousness for approximately 15 seconds. Responders assessed the patient, provided care, and packaged him in a body GERMA for transport. A SAR team then evacuated the patient in a litter to the Valley Ambulance.
TAKE AWAYS – Reports stated that the patient had not been wearing a helmet. Often times when “cragging” climbers consider themselves out of harm’s way in regards to objective hazard (in Yosemite, specifically rock fall) and forgo this precaution. Helmets should always be used when climbing to avoid head injury such as this one. The fact of the matter is this climber was very lucky, and could have had a much worse outcome.
The patient reportedly also stated that he had not been climbing in a while. This particular climb has a reputation of being hard to protect. Climbing grades are subjective and can be inconsistent, this route has a known reputation, but also has very accessible top-rope anchors from a nearby 5.7. Take time in new areas to familiarize yourself with the terrain and style of climbing.
Those are the major incidents (reported) to date. We will try to cover future incidents in greater detail to help us all stay safe out there.