Valley Accident Round Up Fall 2018
Fall of 2018 has seen a large number of climbing related accidents, some days even including multiple incidents. Short discussions of the smaller accidents are gathered here.
For more in depth reporting on climbing accidents in the park click here
Royal Arches – Stuck Rope
On September 29th, 2018 at approximately 7:40 pm Yosemite SAR received a page for climbers stranded on the Royal Arches rappel route. The team (two males mid 20s) stated that their rope had gotten stuck while doing the fourth rappel and that they were unable to ascend up to remove it. Two SAR site personnel were dispatched to climb the route, rappel to the stranded climbers and assist them with the rest of the rappels.
Upon reaching the stuck rope, the SAR team found that the climbers had pulled their rope with a safety knot still in the end.
SAR personnel who executed the rescue stated that the team seemed to be novice climbers and had little Yosemite climbing experience. The two had started very early in the morning that day, and were fatigued by the time they began the rappels in the dark. The team brought an 80m rope with hopes to link some of the rappels on the way down.
As a side note, this is an extremely common rescue in Yosemite.
Fatigue While Descending – Climbs do not finish once you get to the top. At the end of the day, climbers are tired and looking to get home quick which can lead to people making small mistakes with huge consequences. While rappelling or descending a climb, slow down and keep in mind that you are not safe until your feet are on the ground.
Rappel Backups – In this case the team was trying to be safe by putting knots in the end of their ropes, but this comes with its own dangers and disadvantages. Some other ways of closing the rappel system are tying the ends of your rope together (which forces you to untie the knot in order to pull the rope).
Descent Options – Rappelling the Royal Arches has only recently become a common form of descent. Hiking off the route via the North Dome gully was for many years the standard descent option and reduces the risk of becoming stranded on the rappels.
Half Dome – Approach Slabs Rock Fall
Half Dome with the “Death Slabs” approach below.
RESCUE
On October 1st at approximately 8:30 pm, Yosemite Dispatch received a report of a climber with a severely broken leg somewhere on the “Death Slabs” approach to Half Dome. The reporting party stated that the climber had sustained an open leg fracture and was bleeding uncontrollably. At approximately 8:45 pm, after making phone contact with the reporting party, YOSAR paged out for SAR team members to assemble for a rescue.
Two EMT SAR team members were immediately sent up the trail to make contact with the patient and asses the scene while the others prepped for a potentially long and technical extrication down the slabs. Because the injury occurred at night and a storm was forecasted, a helicopter rescue was not an option.
At around 10 pm, the hasty team made contact with the patient. He was located a little more than halfway up the approach. The team confirmed that he had a severe open leg fracture compounded with hard to control bleeding. The patient also had a badly fractured pelvis. The patient’s team members had done a good job wrapping the leg to control the bleeding. The SAR team then splinted the injury further with proper medical equipment.
The hasty team confirmed the need for an ALS (Advanced Life Support) provider (who was already en route) and instructed the rest of the team on the valley floor as to what was needed to execute the rescue. At around 10:30 pm that night a Park Medic/Nurse arrived on scene and was able to provide an IV and pain medication. While attempting to view the wound on scene, the ALS provider found that the bleeding continued to be uncontrollable and was quickly re-bandaged.
Over the course of the next couple hours, the rest of the team arrived on scene, and prepared for what was going to be a very long and technical “carry-out” operation. This consisted of at least 10 anchored rope lowers, and many hours of carrying the litter through class 3 terrain. The operation began around 12:30 am at night, and the team arrived at the Mirror Lake trail head around 6:30 am the next morning.
Once at the trail head, a ground ambulance took over care and transferred the patient to the hospital.
ACCIDENT
Although the exact details of the incident are unclear, it seems that the patient and his partners (four climbers in total) were descending the slabs after completing a one day ascent of the Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome. They had climbed as two teams of two and, based on the timeline, had climbed the route quickly. SAR personnel on scene stated that the climbers seemed highly competent and comfortable in the terrain.
The exact location where the patient was found was slightly off course from where climbers would usually descend. SAR personnel stated that the patient was in some very loose and dirty terrain, and that he seemingly continued descending straight down at a point which he should have started traversing. Due to a language barrier, the exact cause of the boulder dislodging is a little murky. However, it seems to be that the terrain he was walking on gave way, causing him to fall and the material above him to start sliding.
Fatigue on Descent – Fatigued climbers is a constantly recurring theme in Yosemite climbing accidents. When coming down the hill, slow down, think things through, and make sure you get your feet back on the ground before relaxing.
Back Country Access – The amount of time and effort it took to get the patient down to definitive care was tremendous. The climber in this situation is lucky to be alive, even more so to keep his leg. While YOSAR team members are some of the best at what they do, there is simply no fast, easy, or safe way to execute a rescue in such a difficult to access region. Be much more careful in back country terrain than you would be at your local crag.
East Buttress of Middle Cathedral
RESCUE
On October 12th at approximately 8:30 am Yosemite SAR received a page for a climber fall with injuries on the East Buttress of Middle Cathedral.
The reporting party stated they heard screaming for help from a couple pitches up the climb. Yosemite SAR instructed the reporting party to continue climbing up the route to make contact with the distressed climbers, and then call back to advise on the situation. Upon reaching the patient, it was found that the climber had sustained a badly broken leg during a leader fall.
YOSAR dispatched a team of three climbers (including one paramedic) as hasty team up to the patient. Upon arrival, they provided the injured climber with pain medication and began making plans for extrication.
The initial plan was to lower the patient to the ground and do a technical (roped) carry-out to the road. However, due to the patient’s extreme level of pain and her location on the wall, a helicopter short haul was determined to be safe and warranted. After inserting the required gear to rescuers on the wall, the park helicopter returned to short haul the patient and a rescuer. The remaining rescuers then lowered her partner to the ground, and rappelled to the base.
Helicopter short haul off Middle Cathedral Rock
ACCIDENT
The patient stated that she had been leading up the third pitch of the East Buttress when she fell. The pitch consists of a series of corners separated by ledges, and she was in the third corner system at the time of the accident. She said that she had placed a piece of gear a bit before, and knew that it might be a marginal. When she fell the piece ripped out, causing her to fall a long ways (length unknown) and hitting a ledge on the way down.
Over Ledges, Place Gear Early and Often – When climbing over ledges and protrusions (especially in low angle terrain) make sure to place gear often. It doesn’t take long to climb back into “ledge fall” potential over these features.
Improperly Placed Protection – Improperly placed protection is a huge source of climbing accidents in the park. With spaced gear, one piece of protection failing can result in huge fall consequences.
Super Slide
RESCUE
On October 12th at approximately 11:30 am, a SAR page went out for a climber fall on the third pitch of Super Slide. The reporting party stated that a climber had sustained an open ankle fracture during the fall, among other injuries. Due to another climbing rescue occurring on the East Buttress of Middle Cathedral (see above), the climbers were advised that the response time may be delayed.
By the time the rescue team reached the patient, they found that another party on route (consisting of two paramedics) had assisted in getting her to the base, and were in the course of rappelling the last pitch to the ground.
The rescue team, consisting of a park medic and five SAR siters, administered pain medication and extricated the patient to the road for ground ambulance transport. Due to the rugged terrain between the base of the climb and the road, the team had to do two low angle rope lowers before being able to carry the patient out the rest of the way.
All members of the involved climbing teams assisted with the carry out.
A park visitor being treated by SAR personnel before a carry-out
ACCIDENT
SAR members on scene stated that the patient seemed to be a competent and experienced climber. She had climbed Super Slide in the past and was familiar with the route. The patient stated that somewhere high on the third pitch she reached a crack switch/step across move, and that she did not have the proper gear on her rack to protect it. While making the move her foot slipped and she fell approximately 30 feet. During the fall she received not only one open ankle fracture, but another sprained ankle, and deep cuts/abrasions on her hands and fingers.
The party below her, consisting of the paramedics, came to her aid, and provided an impromptu splint with sticks and climber tape. They then further assisted by rappelling with the patient using a rescue “spider” or rescue “Y” to the ground.
Self Rescue Skills – While a situation like this is always bad, being with competent climbers who have self rescue skills can help tremendously. Had the patient not had people around her capable of splinting her wounds and getting her to the ground, the rescue process could have taken much longer, which at times can have dire consequences.
Rescue Response Times – Even in Yosemite, where the approaches to climbs might be less than 10 minutes, rescue response times can be quite long. In this instance, the majority of rescuers were already busy with another call. Keep in mind while climbing that help might not be right around the corner, and that if something goes wrong, it may be up to you to fix the situation.
Serenity Crack – Leader fall
October 2018 – Yosemite dispatch received a report of a climber fall with injuries on the third pitch of Serenity Crack. The reporting party stated that a climber had hit a tree at the top of the second pitch after taking a leader fall and pulling at least 2 pieces of gear from the 5.10+ finger crack on top of the third pitch.
By the time the YOSAR hasty team reached the base, they found that the injured party had self extricated from the climb and had started heading down the hill to the parking lot.
The climber seemed to have sustained some substantial injuries, but denied rescue and medical services from park rangers.
Improperly Placed Protection – The protection through this section of rock tends to be very solid but strenuous to place. Pulling two pieces of gear would indicate that the leader was not taking time to check each piece and make sure they were well placed. Fall potential quickly rises if spaced gear fails.