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calamity_chk
Apr 6, 2004, 10:30 PM
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This post is being removed for the time being. I am considering a re-write of the original narrative, but for now, I feel that the post has received more than enough attention.
For those who would like to learn more about safety, there are plenty of great books on the topic of safety with anecdotal evidence of things to watch for. I particularly recommend "Close Calls" by John Long. ANAM is good as well.
If you are curious about the original narrative, please feel free to PM me. I don't check messages on a regular basis and don't post to this site anymore, but I do receive email notices when I get a PM and will login to check the message when I can.
- overestimated my skill level and ability to safely function on autopilot,
- underestimated the amount of work necessary for the climb,
- didnt consider time to complete the pitch vs amount of daylight,
- overestimated ability to think clearly when hypoglycemic,
- didnt consider rope length vs pitch length when setting up rappel (should have joined the two ropes and was only rapping on lead line folded in half),
- used improper knots at bottom of rope (overhand and fig8 will push itself out when up against a hand or ATC, better to use a barrel knot/fishermans with plenty of tail),
- ineffective communication with my climbing partner,
- didnt stop to periodically check amount of rope left as i was rappeling,
- had no back system for rap,
- panicked at go time.
Reproductions of the original narrative without my written consent are a violation of copyright laws, and I do feel strongly enough about the matter that I will pursue legal action over it. I do not want my originally produced to be publicly available and have already consulted an attorney regarding copyright laws, IP rights, and web discourse. Sorry if I sound like a prude, but it's time to let this one go.
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calamity_chk
Apr 6, 2004, 10:31 PM
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many thanks to doug and shawn for helping lower me to safety, for your presence of mind at critical points, for providing an extra set of double-checks as we prepared for our rap to the ground, and for allowing us to use your ropes. thanks also for cleaning the gear that i couldnt get and returning it to us - that was incredibly cool of you. glad that i saw you after your send, glad to hear that you topped out safely, and you've got plenty of beer waiting for you in both, boulder and LA.
thanks also to chris and luna from boulder. it was nice to meet you guys and your encouragement as i was nearing the top of p4 was rad. thanks!
most importantly, perhaps, thanks to tim for taking me on the ride of my life - and thanks to catherine for allowing him to do so, as well as for the yummy sandwiches and fruit. we've discussed sorrows and apologies, but the phone calls and pm's to check on the healing process have meant a lot. our climb will forever stand out in my memory.
and last, but certainly not least - thanks to whoever/whatever stopped my fall. i quite literally owe you my life.
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gds
Apr 6, 2004, 10:49 PM
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Thanks for sharing. Lots of lessons for us all. And it had a happy ending.
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katydid
Apr 6, 2004, 10:49 PM
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Thank you for posting this, Amber, and for being so analytical about it. I hope a lot of people learn from your experience. I wasn't planning on doing anything more than single-pitch aid for the next few years, anyway, but you just confirmed for me why I should stick to my plan.
My first reaction when I heard about your fall was that I'd just met you IRL the weekend before, and that when we hugged goodbye on that Saturday night, it might have been the last hug we got to share. I've said it before and I'll say it again: thank God you're OK.
k.
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rrrADAM
Apr 6, 2004, 10:52 PM
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WOW !!!
Amber... I am happy you are still here. Very happy !!!
Tim... I have climbed with you much, and you have even more of my respect now, and promise not to "slander" you anymore regarding time and pro.
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calamity_chk
Apr 6, 2004, 10:57 PM
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thanks for the kind responses. it was very terrifying, i am incredibly lucky and very thankful to be alive, it still feels very surreal. i shared because i want other climbers at my basic level to respect the learning curve for all its worth.
perhaps the scariest thing is, i wasnt aware of the mistakes as i was making them because i wasnt double-checking, i just wanted down. another scary thing is that i'm not the only one who's made these mistakes, i just had someone on my side during that fall. *be careful on rappel*
i should have photos of the hands and arms before long. i'll post them when i can to help demonstrate how serious the fall was and how lucky i am. please be careful out there.
naivete and bravery make for a dangerous combination.
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jasona
Apr 6, 2004, 10:58 PM
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wow.......so glad to hear you made it down "safely"
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zozo
Apr 6, 2004, 11:07 PM
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Amber, thanks for posting this. That took a huge amount of courage and you should be commended for sharing this story with others. Many lessons for everyone here regardless of experience level.
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caughtinside
Apr 6, 2004, 11:11 PM
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Insane. Glad you're still among the living. Good food for thought regarding ticklists.
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holmeslovesguinness
Apr 6, 2004, 11:20 PM
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Holy crap - talk about transcendental luck. Someone upstairs was looking out for you. Thanks for posting such a detailed account of your accident, hope you recover quickly (mentally as well as physically).
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jt512
Apr 6, 2004, 11:34 PM
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I think you should contact Climbing or R and I about turning this into an article. There's so much to be learned from this.
-Jay
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vegastradguy
Apr 6, 2004, 11:34 PM
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good lord, I'm glad you're okay, Amber!
*hugs*
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calamity_chk
Apr 6, 2004, 11:39 PM
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thanks again for the kind words. i should also mention that my partner helped me put the TR together. i wanted his input to make sure that i wasnt missing anything and that things were pretty accurate. i also hadnt told him about how i was second-guessing myself and never radioed down. i still feel guilty about that, amongst other things. but, i'm happy to be here and to have received such wonderful support from friends who heard about the accident by word-of-mouth.
mentally and physically, i'm doing remarkably well. the hands and arms are mostly healed at this point and are finally starting to scab. seeing my son for the first time after the accident was pretty emotional. other than that, it was a very grounding experience. i'm happy to have survived and to have gleaned so much from it.
other points of transcendental luck. other than the rope burns, i have no real injuries. my arm/elbow wasnt broken, my shoulder wasnt dislocated, and i have no neck/back injuries. my shoulder and elbow were sore a couple of days after the accident, but there arent any serious or long-term injuries. again, i'm incerdibly thankful.
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caughtinside
Apr 6, 2004, 11:40 PM
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Food for thought (sorry). I read the post, and it sounded like you ate only powergel and honey all day long. Perhaps this led to your hypoglycemic condition? Maybe mix it up with a granola bar or trail mix or something, so you're not just firing through sugar highs and lows.
Just an observation, sorry if I missed some other food you ate. Be safe out there.
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coldclimb
Apr 6, 2004, 11:42 PM
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:shock: :shock: :shock:
Incredible! Thank God you're still here!
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calamity_chk
Apr 6, 2004, 11:51 PM
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In reply to: Food for thought (sorry). I read the post, and it sounded like you ate only powergel and honey all day long. Perhaps this led to your hypoglycemic condition? Maybe mix it up with a granola bar or trail mix or something, so you're not just firing through sugar highs and lows. Just an observation, sorry if I missed some other food you ate. Be safe out there.
excellent point. i honestly cant remember if i wrote it in the report, but i was eating various luna bars at the belays. tim suggested that i forget the luna bars and start bringing something more substantive, which i likely will for future trips.
a huge factor in my getting so sugar-deprived is that i barely weigh 90# and have *very little* body fat - taking better care of my nutritional needs is just as important for me as tying good knots.
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reno
Apr 7, 2004, 12:00 AM
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Wow.
I'm just thankful you're still here. Don't want to lose my climbing partner.
Thanks for sharing, Amber. That took guts.
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gman
Apr 7, 2004, 12:00 AM
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Amber, glad that you lived to share this info. I think a lot of people might have been to oembarassed, but things worked out in the end and everyone will be safer after reading something like this. It will help us remember that it only takes one mistake.
Thanks for sharing...... :D
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curt
Apr 7, 2004, 12:05 AM
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Hey Amber,
As I told you a couple of weeks ago, that is the most amazing story I have ever heard in my 25 years of climbing. Accidents like that just don't have happy endings. You somehow managed to play Russian Roulette with a bullet in every chamber of your gun--and lived to tell about it.
Now (in my opinion) whether you decide to sell all your gear, take up knitting and shuffle board--or instead decide to get back on the rock and climb safely is all secondary to this story. The primary story here is that you have the absolutely unique opportunity to make that decision at all.
Take care.
Curt
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philbox
Moderator
Apr 7, 2004, 12:06 AM
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I`ve been hanging out waiting for this TR Amber. Whilst reading it I had the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end. Thank you very much for taking the time end effort to post this and I am sooo glad that you are still with us, it could very easily have been so different. I hope for your sake that there are no long term repercussions, very brave of you to have written this TR with those possible repercussions in mind.
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philbox
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Apr 7, 2004, 12:22 AM
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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. 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.
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maculated
Apr 7, 2004, 12:29 AM
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Amber,
I'm glad you decided to share this publicly. I know you were debating it, but I definitely taking the time to do it right (and you have) was a good choice.
I can't thank a maker because I truly feel that there's no reason one person should die and another should live, but I'd say take this as a sign as your work here is not done. Perhaps this post was the reason you were saved. Perhaps you'll save someone else's life.
I agree with jay, a climbing magazine or at the very least ANAM should have this story.
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timstich
Apr 7, 2004, 12:40 AM
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Amber,
Thanks for sitting down and picking through your brain to pull out all of the details that made your accident report. 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."
So see you tomorrow at Mesa Trailhead around 6:15, right?
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climbsomething
Apr 7, 2004, 12:44 AM
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Let the truth be known: I am rather on the tough love side, but not heartless! :D I never, EVER want to see anybody hurt or killed. I am so glad you survived this, Amber, and hopefully somebody can learn from it.
I know R&I does accident reports now. Their last issue has one about the rockfall incident at Red Rocks a few months back. I believe their M.O. is to keep the reporting/writing in-house (an editor does the write-ups, I am told) but I think this story is pretty powerful and personal. Consider suggesting it to R&I or Climbing, maybe using a pseudonym. There's a lot here to learn from- not sensationalize ;)
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brittamac
Apr 7, 2004, 12:49 AM
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Amber - I'm glad to hear that you're OK and starting to feel a whole lot better. Your story was shocking and illustrative too.
I hope that someday your son is lucky enough to realize just what an extraordinary mother he has.
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ambition & ego: my 140' fall in zion
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