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Climbing Information:
Accident and Incident Analysis:
Rappelling error, climber falls 70 meter:
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majid_sabet
Jun 15, 2009, 7:40 PM
Views: 7515
Registered: Dec 13, 2002
Posts: 8390
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Akhlomand-Iran
Climbing area info;
Type; Sport climbing, start at the bottom of Akhlomand Canyon
Total vertical distance from bottom of canyon to top; 110 meter
Useful climbing distance: 75 meter
Approach: unprotected class IV to base
Climbing difficulty: 5.9-5.11 YDS
Total number of climbing pitches: 3
Total number of rappelling station: 3 (first from top, 20 m, second 20 m, third, 35 m)
Total rappelling distance: 75 meter
Time of accident; 5:00 PM
Daylight info: The majority portions of the climbing wall was in the shadow
Climbing Team: Party of two, both experienced rock climber
Rope; Beal 10.2 mm dynamic rope
Rappelling device: standard 8
Rappelling backup; Prussic above the rappelling device
On Saturday June 6-2009, an experienced rock climber fell 70 meter while rappelling and died on scene. Based on primary report given by his partner, Mr. Bahram N. had finished climbing the three pitches of sport climbing wall at the Akhlomand Canyon and set his rope for rappelling at the top anchor while his partner was approaching him. Bahram first secures himself with a short sling (webbing) to the anchor and then uses the dynamic rope and attached a short section of the rope (@ 4 meter) to the anchor with a clove hitch and drops the longer end of the rope (@ 46 meter) to anchor below with a fig 8 safety knot at the bottom of the rope and then drops the other short end (4 meter) which had no safety knot. His partner wasn’t sure what had happened but somehow, Braham mistakenly clips his 8 belay device and the safety prussic to the shorter rope and falls from the bottom of the shorter end in to the base of Akhlomad Canyon. Bahram was not wearing helmet at the time of accident however, he did brought one up but then gave it to his partner at top.
Analysis;
This accident happened in the late afternoon and based on partner’s report, both climbers especially Braham was fatigue and tired from climbing in the Canyon and both climbers wanted to get of the wall before dark. Still, it is not clear why Bahram fixed his rope with a clove hitch at top anchor if he was only planning to rappel 20 meter however, One possibility suggest that may be Bahram first wanted to rappel two pitches (total of @40 meter) to save some time and then his partner would had removed the clove hitch and rappel via double rope system to next rappel station while Bahram was resting at top of pitch 1 .
Either way, this accident was easily avoidable if both partners had discussed their rappelling strategy prior to Bahram setting up his rappelling system and also, if his partner had double checked Bahram’s setup, I am sure, he was able to detect that Bahram was about to rappel on the unprotected shorter end.
Note: The original report was published in the local climbing website which did not include any useful information other than reporting that a climber fell 70 meter while rappelling. This incident was the second such accident in the same area since May of 2009 so I personally contacted one of the local responder and asked series of questions to narrow down the causes of this incident and to understand what had happened in the Akhlomand Canyon.
Source; http://www.hamtanab.com
http://hamtanab.com/...x?cat=21&id=1713
Information provided by Sara Edalatian (local climbing group)
Translation and analysis by MS
(This post was edited by majid_sabet on Jun 15, 2009, 7:45 PM)
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Edit Log:
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Post edited by majid_sabet
() on Jun 15, 2009, 7:45 PM
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