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pt
Aug 8, 2005, 12:36 PM
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Crazy day on the Diamond
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My friend Mike and I went up to the Diamond to try Yellow Wall yesterday. Weather was beautiful and lots of parties were up on the Diamond. We followed two very nice guys from Boulder up the N. Chimney and they told us they were heading for Pervertical Sanctuary. These guys were very good climbers and made rapid progress up thier intended route. I was leading the third pitch of Yellow Wall and was just about to pull onto Crossover Ledge when I heard a horrific scream "Faaaaaalling"!!!, I looked up and over to Pervertical and saw one of the Boulder guys flying off into space from the 5th pitch. He fell for what seemed forever and finally hit the end of the rope. He was falling sideways and was a good 10 feet out from the wall just flying through space. As the rope came tight he was whipped around in a 360 like a rag-doll and his partner flew off the belay like he had been shot from a canon and smashed into the wall. The leader was probably only 30 feet above his belayer when he came to a stop and he was near the end of a 150 foot pitch when he blew off. The leader was totally unscathed (good thing the Diamond is so steep) and the belayer just banged his hip into the wall. The guy got right back on and finished the pitch! I have never seen a fall so spectacular or come anywhere close to this one in length, let alone near the top of the Diamond! This guy launched serious air with about 1500 feet of exposure below him. We talked to some other climbers who were right behind them on Pervertical and they told us that the leader had been walking a number four camelot (this pitch is sustained fists and offwidth), anyway the camelot got overcammed when he was trying to walk it and he couldn't get it out of the crack. He decided to leave it and just went for the anchors with no other protection possibilities on the upper part of the pitch. He was only about 10 feet from the end when his arm bar started sliding out of the crack, he slid down the crack about five feet and then launched into space for the ride of a lifetime! It was pretty freaky watching a fall that big up there.
Later in the afternoon as we were hiking down the talus towards chasm lake a helicoptor came in and landed on top of huge flat boulder right in front of us. We couldn't figure out what was going on until all these search and rescue types ran up to us and told us to stay back from the helicoptor. They said a climber had been injured by rockfall. Turns out the guy was working on the Dunn-Westbay when a rock hit him in the shoulder. They got him out of there and he seemed to be doing pretty well, but I don't know the extent of his injuries. Hopefully he'll be Ok. All in all a pretty crazy day on the Diamond.
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overlord
Aug 8, 2005, 12:44 PM
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damn. that was quite a ride.
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cdb1386
Aug 8, 2005, 12:51 PM
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Wow, great story. Glad to hear the results weren't worse.
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micronut
Aug 8, 2005, 9:34 PM
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outrageous! great description of the fall, i feel like i was there.
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superflea
Aug 9, 2005, 9:51 AM
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The guy who got hit in the shoulder is a friend of ours. He broke his collarbone and is a bit banged up, but is otherwise okay. I'll actually be seeing him at a barbecue tonight so I'll be able to get details then. We're all just really glad that he's okay.
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takeme
Aug 9, 2005, 10:03 AM
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PT, I know this is off topic, but did you end up doing the "A4 traverse" pitch?? I was looking at this pitch from Forrest Finish a couple weeks ago and it looked like there was a fixed piece every 5 feet all the way up the pitch (plus loads of bleached webbing). I was wondering what it was like. The actual traverse looks like a ledge!?
Also, do you remember the names of the Boulder climbers?
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billcoe_
Aug 9, 2005, 11:45 AM
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In reply to: The guy who got hit in the shoulder is a friend of ours. He broke his collarbone and is a bit banged up, but is otherwise okay. I'll actually be seeing him at a barbecue tonight so I'll be able to get details then. We're all just really glad that he's okay.
Broke his collarbone and then finished an offwidth pitch 1500 feet off of the deck?
:?: :!: :o :o :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:
I'm in awe! I'll tie in that dude anyday.
He gets to lead the offwidths of course. Real nice description, my palms are sweating.
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ambler
Aug 9, 2005, 12:00 PM
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In reply to: the leader had been walking a number four camelot (this pitch is sustained fists and offwidth), anyway the camelot got overcammed when he was trying to walk it and he couldn't get it out of the crack. He decided to leave it and just went for the anchors with no other protection possibilities on the upper part of the pitch. He was only about 10 feet from the end when his arm bar started sliding out of the crack, he slid down the crack about five feet and then launched into space for the ride of a lifetime! It was pretty freaky watching a fall that big up there. |
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takeme
Aug 9, 2005, 12:10 PM
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In reply to: In reply to: The guy who got hit in the shoulder is a friend of ours. He broke his collarbone and is a bit banged up, but is otherwise okay. I'll actually be seeing him at a barbecue tonight so I'll be able to get details then. We're all just really glad that he's okay. Broke his collarbone and then finished an offwidth pitch 1500 feet off of the deck? :?: :!: :o :o :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: I'm in awe! I'll tie in that dude anyday. He gets to lead the offwidths of course. Real nice description, my palms are sweating.
I think you are confusing the Pervertical guy with the Dunn-Westbay guy. Although even being unhurt, going up after that big of a fall (re-reading the original post, it sounds like a 100+ foot fall--am I reading that right?!) and finishing the pitch is obviously very ballsy!
Of course, we can assume that such a fall has also reduced the life-span of the Obelisk by 50% or so....
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jsj42
Aug 9, 2005, 12:10 PM
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Great story! I too was trying to figure out what exactly happened in terms of gear - As near as I can tell he was walking the #4 up the latter half of the pitch, got it stuck, and then tried to run it out to the top of the Obelisk before falling back onto the #4?
As far as I remember, that pitch is quite burly - and the hard moves don't stop in the last 10' - not until you're on top of the pillar!
I'd also like to hear more about the A4 traverse if you know more.
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beny
Aug 9, 2005, 3:21 PM
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good story, thought i'd chime in some beta on the yellow wall a4 traverse for joshua and charles. if the other guy shares as well, you'll have a couple opinions for consideration.
charles, you're right- the traverse is a ledge, and there is fixed gear every few feet all the way across. i'll try to recap the pitch, but keep in mind, its been a few years. i climbed up 20-30 ft to the start of the traverse (which is marked by a nest of slings on the left side of the "ledge"). you must decide whether to hand traverse the ledge, or walk across. there aren't a lot of holds above the ledge at first, so its a bit of a balancing act. it was snowing and pretty windy when i did it, so i hand traversed to feel more secure. its possible to mantle this ledge just about anywhere on it, which helps, because the fixed gear is several feet above the ledge in small seams. i mantled, maybe halfway through, and finished with my feet on the ledge. after the ledge, you move up a left-facing layback. if every thing was dry, this would probably feel pretty secure- there are good feet here and there. the pitch continues up to the bivy ledge. i don't remember the exact fixed gear, but i do remember heads, a rurp or two, and a sawed off angle at the crux.
i'm not sure this pitch deserves the reputation it holds. josh, you could run it in your tennies. charles, i don't really know you, but i'll say you could do it in those little rubber gardening shoes, so i sound positive. you should just climb it together and then write up a good story for all of us to read and make us wish we were there instead of here.
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takeme
Aug 9, 2005, 4:21 PM
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Thanks for the beta! I saw what looked like a downward pointing sawed off angle in the lieback, as well a fixed nut 5' above, and a fixed something--head maybe--5' below, at the end of the traverse. Looks like an exciting pitch. My Mythos might as well be gardening shoes by now.
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flamer
Aug 9, 2005, 5:23 PM
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Wow, big ride. The standard for that pitch is to bring 2 #4 camalots and leap them or just run it out a bit. The pitch is rated 5.10a but that difficulty ends about 20-25 ft into the pitch. It then continue's at somewhat sustained 5.8 wide for 120 ft or so. You can get another piece about 3/4 of the way up this pitch...it's a .75 camalot in a small crach on the right side of the OW.
josh
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pt
Aug 9, 2005, 5:58 PM
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I did not do the A4 traverse and instead took the weany way around on the Forest Finish pitch. I was looking over at the traverse pitch pretty carefully and I also saw alot of fixed stuff, so it may be pretty doable. I've now gone around that pitch twice, sooner or later I'll have to give it a go. I did get the first 5.11 pitch clean so that was cool.
Back on topic; I talked to the guy who took the whipper as they were rapping off the wall and he estimated his fall to be at least 70-80 feet. Doing the math it could have been farther, but who knows. It was pretty damn far is all I know.
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shutupandbelay
Aug 9, 2005, 9:59 PM
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Hey we were there too, the other Yellow Wall party. We climbed D7, to the Forest Finish, to the last two pitches of the Yellow Wall. It was a spectacular day, even after witnessing that huge wipper. The guy from Estes and his partner (the fist poster of this thread) were good guys too. I think the climber from Boulder who fell, may be a good climber, but may have also been a little reckless too; there are a few places for gear other than a 4 Camalot on the upper part of the pitch. He is lucky not to have been hurt, or worse. I don’t blame him for ascending the rope and finishing the climb, but it was a bit proud.
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shutupandbelay
Aug 9, 2005, 10:01 PM
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Oh yea, the guy who fell said it was 70 ft.
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shutupandbelay
Aug 9, 2005, 10:08 PM
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The guy who fell said it was 70ft. I have some pictures from that day for those of you who were there and might be interested, let me know.
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superflea
Aug 10, 2005, 8:16 AM
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Sorry to confuse anyone...the guy who broke his clavicle was definitely not the Pervertical 70-ft-whipper guy. It turns out he also has a couple of broken ribs and is pretty drugged up at home right now, although he keeps insisting he'll be coming in to work in the next day or so :shock:
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takeme
Aug 10, 2005, 8:21 AM
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In reply to: Wow, big ride. The standard for that pitch is to bring 2 #4 camalots and leap them or just run it out a bit. The pitch is rated 5.10a but that difficulty ends about 20-25 ft into the pitch. It then continue's at somewhat sustained 5.8 wide for 120 ft or so. You can get another piece about 3/4 of the way up this pitch...it's a .75 camalot in a small crach on the right side of the OW. josh
This is true. I've led this pitch 3 times and not only is there the .75 placement mentioned, but you can get normal sized gear (nuts, small cams, etc) all over the pitch. Only at the top is the #4 really essential to protect it adequately. Even with just one #4, there's no way, if the gear holds, that you should be looking at more than a 30 footer at most. But maybe the gear didn't hold?
I live in the People's Republic, so I'm still curious if anyone knows the names of the Boulder climbers.
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takeme
Aug 10, 2005, 8:22 AM
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In reply to: i'm not sure this pitch deserves the reputation it holds. josh, you could run it in your tennies. charles, i don't really know you, but i'll say you could do it in those little rubber gardening shoes, so i sound positive. you should just climb it together and then write up a good story for all of us to read and make us wish we were there instead of here.
Josh, you heard the man. Get your ass on a plane, get out here, and lead me up the A4 Traverse!
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jsj42
Aug 10, 2005, 8:58 AM
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In reply to: Josh, you heard the man. Get your ass on a plane, get out here, and lead me up the A4 Traverse!
Yeah, I guess you and I have a date to do the Yellow Wall now! And I'm already TWO trip reports overdue...
PS, Charles, maybe you should lead it - especially now that you are climbing according to the Way!
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jsj42
Aug 10, 2005, 8:59 AM
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In reply to: Josh, you heard the man. Get your ass on a plane, get out here, and lead me up the A4 Traverse!
Yeah, I guess you and I have a date to do the Yellow Wall now! And I'm already TWO trip reports overdue...
PS, Charles, maybe you should lead it - especially now that you are climbing using the Way!
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takeme
Aug 27, 2005, 10:42 AM
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As a postscript to the side discussion of the "A4 Traverse" pitch, I climbed the Diamond last weekend on Saturday and watched a guy take a good 20 footer on that pitch, just after the traverse portion of it (which he didn't have any trouble with, btw). He fell on an old copperhead, and it held! He then went back up and seemed to be struggling quite a bit on the lieback, which he ended up hangdogging and or aiding.
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dangle
Aug 27, 2005, 2:20 PM
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When Bob and I put up Pervertical (30 years ago last month) we left all 11 pins that we used (least number on any Diamond FA back then) fixed.
This included 3 bongs on the Obelisk right side crack.
They were ofcourse promptly bootied.
But it might have been nice to have a few fixed anchors there (and a lighter rack). I'm not saying euro it out, but wide cracks are hard enough without the collection of monstrous gear. Still I'm surprised that he didn't "skim". That part of the wall is a little LESS than vertical. Perhaps he had the presence of mind to push off when he knew he was going...
The air is so thin you fall faster up there.
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