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vegastradguy
Apr 7, 2004, 12:50 AM
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also consider submitting it to the Alpinist....this story is well worth publishing. we can all learn something from this.
we're very glad you're still with us!
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maculated
Apr 7, 2004, 12:51 AM
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In reply to: I think the best thing anyone told me in the aftermath of my own disaster years ago was, "I'll let you belay me anytime."
Yeah, when Lincoln the Yos climbing ranger said something like that to me during the accident report it made me feel way better.
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calamity_chk
Apr 7, 2004, 12:51 AM
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In reply to: I have been having a bit more of a think on this. Lemme get this straight. You took a 160 foot free fall not attached to anything and somehow something snagged and pulled you up. This all happened quite aways up off the deck, some 400 feet if I remember correctly. .
this is mostly true. one end of the rope was still threaded through my ATC. we think that a contributing factor in reducing shockload is the possibility that when the end of the rope that i lost hit the rap ring, it got tangled with the slings. also, i had my hand on the long end of the lead line which would have eventually starting pulling over gear that i had not cleaned. this probably also faciliated reducing shock loading the system. i'm certainly no mathematician and have no idea how much these things contributed or the probability that they did at all.
In reply to: Girl, get down on your knees and thank God for your preservation. This is simply astounding. Once again I do thank you for posting the details up and for giving us a fairly clinical description of the fall.
In reply to: I'd say take this as a sign as your work here is not done
yep - needless to say that i'm *definitely* starting that masters in history and religious studies next fall. ;)
In reply to: I agree with jay, a climbing magazine or at the very least ANAM should have this story. |
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calamity_chk
Apr 7, 2004, 1:04 AM
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In reply to: Thanks for sitting down and picking through your brain to pull out all of the details that made your accident report.
thanks. mostly, i just want people to learn from my mistakes and to take climbing seriously - certainly more seriously than i did before i got the grand idea to jump on a wall. the ramifications for not having basic systems dialed is real, especially when you're tackling something as complex and committing as a wall.
i would argue that another underlying factor was the general prevalence of climbing information today. it's incredibly easy for us n00bs to get beta and gear for climbs that we have no business attempting yet.
also, when attempting something new, please take the time to seek advice from people you know and trust - and listen to what they have to say, even if it's not what you wanted to hear.
In reply to: I think the best thing anyone told me in the aftermath of my own disaster years ago was, "I'll let you belay me anytime."
In reply to: So see you tomorrow at Mesa Trailhead around 6:15, right?
ps, hillary is right. while i want people to learn from my mistakes, i dont want the story sensationalized. though, there wasnt any cool footage or bloody wounds, so mainstream audiences wouldnt be interested anyway. ;)
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baja_java
Apr 7, 2004, 1:12 AM
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whoa, thank goodness you're okay, Amber. way miraculous. Tim, dude, major kudos, and to the other climbers
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dorkmaster
Apr 7, 2004, 1:20 AM
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wow. :shock: I am SOOOO happy you are okay!!! everyone think about this and BE SAFE! Tim, and others, you did a great job helping this lady out. Tim, I am happy you would sacfrifice your gear for her well-being, and kudos to the other climbers for giving it back!
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timstich
Apr 7, 2004, 1:21 AM
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I can see now that you are coming to a lot of the same conclusions I did after my accident. I tried to find a good link to my old report, but the embedded links it had are all dead.
I edited this post because it appears I am being confused with the Tim who was your partner. I have been involved with an accident myself, but it was not this one. Mine was back in Texas.
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curt
Apr 7, 2004, 1:30 AM
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In reply to: i would argue that another underlying factor was the general prevalence of climbing information today. it's incredibly easy for us n00bs to get beta and gear for climbs that we have no business attempting yet. also, when attempting something new, please take the time to seek advice from people you know and trust - and listen to what they have to say, even if it's not what you wanted to hear.
Amber,
It takes a lot more courage to post something like that than it does to climb a wall. Good for you--I'm impressed.
Curt
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squish
Apr 7, 2004, 1:40 AM
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I don't want to assign blame or anything, but I would like to understand how this could happen. Could you please clear up the following:
In reply to: not expecting me to make such an egregious error as to attempt a 180' rappel with 100' of rope, my partner sees the haul line and lead line are even and calls up "both ends are down" .. "are you sure" .. "yep - i'm looking at them" .. wow, that felt fast for lowering 100' of rope, but maybe i just zoned out or something.
The following are my assumptions, correct me where I go wrong:
Both ropes were 60m.
You decided to rap on a single rope, but the pitch was longer than 30m. Your partner assumed you were rapping on the lead and haul lines tied together.
Your haul line was hanging from your harness, down to its full extension and hung approximately 5m past Tim's belay station (180ft = 55m). You threaded your lead line through the anchor and fed through enough rope to set up your rappel (just barely). I'm guessing this couldn't have been more than about 5m, since Tim told you "both ends are down."
I'm just thinking that this is something he (Tim) might have noticed at his end? I mean, if one rope is 5m shorter than the other for no apparent reason (you don't need a 5m long tail to join ropes), doesn't that seem a bit odd?
I'm not sure that Tim could have done anything differently to prevent your accident, but then again: communication. He could have pointed this out to you and asked what's up. I don't know your level of experience, but if Tim had any reason to question your abilities, he should have spoken up.
I'm not pointing fingers, but I'm kind of waving it in that general direction as something else to consider. In the end, all that matters is that you're alive and able to learn from this.
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calamity_chk
Apr 7, 2004, 1:52 AM
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curt, thank you so much for the words of support. and just for the record, i'm still a climber - just a much more cautious one.
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tim
Apr 7, 2004, 1:52 AM
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In reply to: I'm just thinking that this is something he (Tim) might have noticed at his end? I mean, if one rope is 5m shorter than the other for no apparent reason (you don't need a 5m long tail to join ropes), doesn't that seem a bit odd? I'm not sure that Tim could have done anything differently to prevent your accident
Sure I could have. I should have called up to make sure she'd backed up the rappel (I always do, when cleaning or doing 'other stuff' on rappel). I should have asked what she tied the ropes together with (another normal question I ask people setting up a rappel; I'm partial to the EDK). And I should have instructed her to slap a jug on the rope when she saw the end coming her way, instead of 'tie a knot'. Any of these three things would have been enough to avoid this whole scenario.
Oh, and when someone who's done 8 walls tells someone who's done 2 (me) that maybe his partner isn't ready for even a trade route? Don't ignore them. My habits are formed from years of doing multipitch routes all over the place and having a few close calls. I've watched people thread free-hanging rappels with their harness undone (a 5.11 trad climber with years of hard alpine routes to his credit), I've taught people how to tie a Munter hitch for rappeling over a 2-way radio... don't worry about pointing fingers, I'll be the first one to acknowledge that there were numerous things I could have done to prevent this.
As it happens, though, the other end of the lead line was tied to me, and then fixed to the power point of the anchor. So of all the ways that I could have determined things were about to go south, the one you mentioned was (oddly) the only one that was not readily apparent down at the belay.
There were plenty of things that I, as an observer, could have done better to prevent this. I felt sick when I heard Amber say that she couldn't hold onto the end of the rope any longer -- I felt certain that I was going to have to tell her mom and her son that she was dead. When she stopped falling, about 20' above the belay, I didn't even know what to think at first; it made no sense to me. To be honest, the whole chain of events did not become logically coherent to me until we were on the ground.
But yes, there were numerous things I could have done to prevent this, even once it became a crisis. I'd say "next time my partner gets to the end of their rope..." but there's not going to be a next time, because that's the last time I'll ever neglect to quiz a partner on their rappel setup.
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camhead
Apr 7, 2004, 1:55 AM
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squish, there are a million things that we could analyze and second guess, and I guarantee you that Amber and Tim have thought of them all. This thread is not the place to start doing that, however.
The bottom line is that she did something stupid, and is still alive, and that we are all very grateful that she is all right.
Let's just try not to let this thread fall into the depths of analysis, okay.
oh, and Amber, much respect to you for posting this under your own name.
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calamity_chk
Apr 7, 2004, 1:55 AM
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squish, i think i see what you're saying, but in tim's defense, it was dark when i was setting up the rappel, and if i remember correctly, both ends extended beyond rocker block, which is essentially a huge boulder on the wall ... so he may not have been able to see the two exact ends - he could just see the two ropes from where he was standing. does that make sense?
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mother_sheep
Apr 7, 2004, 1:59 AM
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Hey Amber! Excellent article. I'm so glad that you're okay, as I've told you a million and one times. You are a strong, strong woman. I've been anxiously awaiting this TR and now after reading it, everything is crystal clear. I value your friendship so much and I'm so thankful that things turned out the way they did. We've only been hanging out for a few months but I have to tell you, it would have devistated me to lose you. Friday nights would never be the same. I'm here for you always!
XOXO,
T
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tim
Apr 7, 2004, 1:59 AM
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OK, here's the short version of why this particular observation wasn't made.
In reply to: The following are my assumptions, correct me where I go wrong: ... Your haul line was hanging from your harness, down to its full extension and hung approximately 5m past Tim's belay station (180ft = 55m). You threaded your lead line through the anchor and fed through enough rope to set up your rappel (just barely). I'm guessing this couldn't have been more than about 5m, since Tim told you "both ends are down."
So, if you've never been on Moonlight Buttress, you probably are figuring it's pretty vertical. Above the Rocker Blocker, this is true. However, the Rocker Blocker is on a big ledge, with a great place to coil ropes over (the chains that hold it onto the wall -- it's loose). So, I hung up the coiled haul line (in a bucket) on the first bolt, and the lead line was fixed to the anchor as my tether. I saw about 3m of rope go up and then down. I figured, hey those are some long tails for an EDK, but, she'll make it. No obvious difference in the lengths.
There are so many other things I ought to have done differently (as you said, "If you had any questions about her ability..." -- I called up for her to fix the rope, but by then it was too late) that this is pretty much moot, but I thought I'd clarify. The fact that the rope was fixed on my end is what kept her from taking the ride all the way to the bottom (that, and her arm getting caught in the whipping tail of the pulled-through rap line). When she came tight on the anchor, I was confused, but very pleased at having fixed it. Unfortunately, this probably contributed to my confusion.
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epic_ed
Apr 7, 2004, 2:03 AM
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Amber, thank you for having the courage and clarity to post this report. I can't imagine that it was easy for you and Tim to put it in print, but you did an excellent job. That is the most mind-blowing account of a near death experience that I've ever read. Please get it published (and it looks like this is in process). There is much to be learned.
The fact that you are still among the living is utterly amazing. As you know, I had my own close call last year and I actually had to stop reading your story a couple of times and then come back to it. The helpless terror you must have been feeling puts a pit in my stomach and makes my palms sweat. Curt's analogy about Russian Roulette with every chamber loaded is profoundly accurate.
Major kudos to both you and Tim for getting out of there in the aftermath of such an earth-shaking event. If both of you (and the others) hadn't kept it together after your fall was arrested this still could have had a much more dire outcome.
I'm extremely grateful that you're both still alive, and I hope you have a quick and complete recovery from your injuries.
Ed
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squish
Apr 7, 2004, 2:17 AM
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Thanks for the explanation, guys. That makes sense.
I wasn't second guessing anyone's actions, but Tim hadn't spoken up yet and I was trying to see the situation from his end of the rope...
P.S. That tired, scared, braindead, autopilot feeling really sucks.
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boltdude
Apr 7, 2004, 2:25 AM
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Now if I meet someone who bought a 200 million dollar lottery ticket, I can say I know someone who's even luckier!
I told Amber that this kind of thing happens to super-experienced climbers too. Here's another near-crater incident that we can learn from, this time from about 600 feet up a wall (Zodiac on El Cap):
In 1999, a couple very experienced friends of mine who shall remain nameless ("pretty tough, going your whole life without a name...") were fixing lines on Zodiac (fixing for a photographer friend, not hauling or anything). The leader lead the 6th pitch (a wandering back-and-forth pitch), got to the anchor and went off belay. He fixed the static line and single-line rapped with a munter hitch on the static line (he'd forgotten another rap device); he was using a screwgate locker. Part way down the static, he noticed that the rap rope was unscrewing the gate of his locker. He saw an intermediate stance only a few feet below, so he wanted to rap to there to clip to the wall and rearrange the rap. Since the rope was unscrewing the gate, he slid the munter up a bit on the biner, away from the gate. As soon as he did that, it slid back and popped off and he was in free fall.
He grabbed the rope with both hands, rope burning the hands, but had no chance of holding himself.
The lead rope went whizzing by the belayer's hands, who saw what was happening, and just grabbed the rope and caught his partner (!!!!). The leader had never untied from the lead line, and hadn't cleaned all the gear on the wandering pitch, and the rope drag going through the pro was enough to allow the belayer to just catch the rope by grabbing it.
Unbelievable luck (or minor luck compared to Amber's fall!), another near miss, with a VERY experienced, super-safe climber. He came back to camp with a whole new take on humility and double-checking everything no matter what. Luckily he managed to avoid any infection in the very deep rope burns on his hands, and healed cleanly. Hope you do the same Amber!
Greg
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climbersoze
Apr 7, 2004, 2:38 AM
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After talking a little about it, and half-knowing the general story.... this still hits hard. As I said... you nailed it... the peace and tranquility coupled with the raw emotion... no coherent thoughts... just powerful feelings...
It takes a lot of luck and grace to be able to walk away from what happened. It takes a lot of courage to tell all of us - in your own words - and not trying to hide behind a pseudonym or a second-hand account. Your story amazed me.
You are very fortunate to have this experience to sober you for life. We are all fortunate to know that there are people like Tim, and everyone else on the wall that day/night that were capable of looking out for one of our own and getting you back down to the ground safely. Most of all... I think the P-man is the most fortunate to have a mother as amazing as you are who has been through such an ordeal, and does not cower and walk away from it, trying to wipe her memory clean. Someday, when you are leading him up his first wall, you will be that much better for having this experience. And I am sure he will be that much better for knowing that your foremost thoughts were of him.
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nnichols
Apr 7, 2004, 2:38 AM
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Amber,
I am so very thankful that you are safe. Thank God you are okay and thank YOU for having the courage and care to share this with us.
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rockstarrinca
Apr 7, 2004, 2:38 AM
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i, as i am sure other fellow girl-climbers do, look up to you for continuing to climb!
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chuckd278
Apr 7, 2004, 2:40 AM
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Hey Amber,
This is Chuck, the guy who played around on elk slabs with you and camhead. Glad to hear all is alright and that you can touch and see your kiddo. I also went climbing over my head when I knew I should of stopped this summer and ended up slamming the ground and forcing my shoulder out of socket. After 12 weeks of rehab I am back and strong. I know you will be too very shortly. Everybody makes mistakes and it's just part of life. Keep smiling, reflect every once in a while, and move on with life.
Chuck
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dredsovrn
Apr 7, 2004, 2:59 AM
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Wow. I am stunned after reading this. Glad you made it.
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watchme
Apr 7, 2004, 3:04 AM
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My knee-jerk reaction to a story like yours is "Why do beginners want to do so much so fast? Why not pay one's dues? Get some experience first."
Then I remember that when I was starting out I got in over my head many times, and had no concept of going slow and gaining experience. I had some close-calls and got lucky.
Besides, anyone who says that they have never made serious errors climbing is lying, or they have yet to experience one.
Glad you are OK.
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epic_ed
Apr 7, 2004, 3:06 AM
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I'm not trying to sensationalize this, but it's ironic that Moabbeth took a photo just a month ago from the same spot where Amber had this ordeal. It's currently circulating on the front page:
http://www.rockclimbing.com/...p.cgi?Detailed=27487
The photo is taken from the P4 anchor. The block 160' below is rocker block. Amber's free fall stopped about 20' above it. Are your palms sweating? Mine sure are...
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Re: ambition & ego: my 160' fall in zion
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