Yesterday was going to be the last day of what was an amazing and fabulous vacation out west, but when doing the first climb of the morning, I lowered Rich and the rope slipped right past my belay (in order words, the rope was too short to lower him off) sending him head first on the rock where he broke his nose, then again 10 feet lower where he landed on his side and head, breaking some ribs, creating an immense laceration on his head (20 staples) and doing more stumbling down the rock. I thought he was dead.

I've never felt this awful. I ran to his help - blood everywhere, he was not responsive, and we were in the middle of nowhere at City of Rocks, practically. I waited a minute for him to somewhat regain consciousness, and then positionned him with his feet up with the hope that while I was getting help, he would not go into shock.

I then ran to the car like I've never ran before and drove to get help, and I luckily ran into a ranger who immediately set out a rescue team and called a helicopter for an evacuation. I then ran back up to Rich and thank god, he was still alive.

About an hour after the accident, he was in the hands of paramedics and was heli-flown to a trauma center in Ogden, Utah. I drove there a few hours later and he had the best team caring for him - truly amazing medical staff.

Anyways, it has been the worst day of my life, between the fear of losing him altogether, the guilt of not having noticed the rope issue, and the pain of seeing him in such distress... and the fact that it was a completely preventable accident. A COMPLETELY PREVENTABLE accident. Just awful.

(Two weeks earlier, another women dropped her husband the same way but 50' and he wasn't so lucky - I did not ask details.)

He was extubated last night and they will be doing more tests today to make sure his brain and spine are fine - thus far, all the tests came back great. No major injuries, just some things that will heal soon.

PLEASE always tie a knot at the end of your rope when top roping, identify CLEARLY the mid-way point of the rope. And wear a helmet.

I will put an update in a few days, but no news until then is good news.

I'm concerned about the description of events. Before going there, I see that he is doing well, thank God.

The description includes the phrase "top roping". Doesn't that imply that the climber returns to the point from which he started the climb? Shouldn't there have been enough rope to do the start, and thus enough rope to return to the same spot?

The only way I can visualize this is if the belayer moved further down slope during the climb. This would require more rope to lower than was needed to start.

Clarity, anyone?

I think one should not start rushing to judgement, or criticism and making sweeping generalizations about the experience or skill of the climbers in question. If you don't have the facts, then don't assume anything. RR

I think one should not start rushing to judgement, or criticism and making sweeping generalizations about the experience or skill of the climbers in question. If you don't have the facts, then don't assume anything.

RR

Socal described it; the leader was being lowered, it wasn't a top-roping situation as usually understood, the OP's language was meant to describe how the second was to be belayed up.

City of Rocks is becoming notorious for having anchors that are more than thirty meters from the ground. Bridwell rapped off the end of his ropes there a few years ago, and there have been other accidents of this type that ended up having more serious consequences.

The whole point of the OP's post was to emphasize the need for preventive measures, and this was done at the expense of an excruciating confession of personal responsibility. That being the case, there really is no subsequent need to burst through doors already open.

We can, of course, take pride in doing things that other people do not when it is the other people who pay a steep price. But anyone who thinks they are immune from a momentary lapse that has tragic results is living in a fantasy which I sincerely hope is never intruded on by reality.

From the appropriately humble position conditioned by this realization, I would suggest wishing the injured climber a full recovery and sending our heartfelt sympathies to the belayer, who learned a horribly painful lesson and whose immediate instinct and generous response was to share a warning with her fellow climbers.

The stampede billcoe describes is only inevitable if we all agree it should be inevitable.

Knowing that, it also sounds like a good idea to always have a 70m rope if climbing there--just in case.

Curt

Knowing that, it also sounds like a good idea to always have a 70m rope if climbing there--just in case.

Or <gasp!>, a second rope, like we've done for decades. There are routes at the City that are bolted, feel, and climb like a sport route, but are decidedly longer than half a rope - even longer than half a 70m. There are quite a few routes where the anchors are at 55m.

Thats because they are sport routes. There's no rule that sport routes can't have anchors at 55m

I think there's a presumption here that we are, however, talking about routes that can be done with a single rope. I doubt anyone has ever climbed 55m up to a set of anchors (with only one rope) and then asked their belayer to lower them.

Curt

I think there's a presumption here that we are, however, talking about routes that can be done with a single rope. I doubt anyone has ever climbed 55m up to a set of anchors (with only one rope) and then asked their belayer to lower them.

Oh for the love of....
Editing my last sentence to: There are quite a few routes where the anchors are at 55m, and several notorious ones, where the anchors are at 35m and 40m, where many have been dropped in the same manner.

uh does no one mark and notice the center of their ropes nowadays?

Many ropes are not marked.
Some ropes are faintly marked.
Some ropes are mis-marked.
It is not difficult to miss the center mark, especially if you are watching the climber.

Doesn't seem like a good reason to not mark your rope or not pay attention to it any more does it?