Christy

Randita, Thanks very much!

Thinker, that's why I asked earlier today if anyone could provide a news source for info on the phone call made Dec 10. Details are really sketchy, and interpretation is everything.

Ok, so to clarify, everybody with their helicopter operations intermediate can keep posting, everybody else is out of luck? Evidently not. I came here yesterday to get insight on this from people who climb regularly, and have seen more hostility toward us bottom-dwelling non-climbers than I ever expected. The elitist attitude toward the newbies here has wasted a really good opportunity for the climbing community to prove all the nay-sayers wrong about the sport and those who love it.

Was my understanding too, Gary according to what I read on KATU: "Normally, a provider uses the three closest towers to triangulate an area where a person may be located. However, James' phone was at the periphery of cell phone coverage area and registered to only one tower. But based on the region of the tower that it hit, T-Mobile was able to narrow down the possible location: just below the 11,239-foot summit of Mount Hood, on the northeast side." http://www.katu.com/news/local/4908701.html

Sounds like it is the same lat & long info you'd get from the enhanced 911...within 150 m or something.

Thanks, Matt. Using the info on PING you all gave me, I did a more detailed search and found this great description. I post it here for the others who were inquiring about the specifics of pinging after I posed my question. "Once solely the lingo of technogeeks, a "ping" has now become part of the common language of Oregon search and rescue teams. A "ping" is essentially a signal sent from a cell phone to a provider tower or vice versa. Oregon rescue officials said a ping from a family cell phone was critical in narrowing the search for the James Kim family in the mountains of Southern Oregon last week. James Kim died of hypothermia, but his wife and their two children were rescued. This week, rescue workers are again working with cell phone signals - this time in their search for three climbers who've gone missing on Mount Hood. A phone must be on and in a coverage area to register a ping, either by sending or receiving a signal. Once a ping is registered, a cell phone provider can narrow the location of a handset based on the location of the receiving cell towers. T-Mobile spokesman Peter Dobrow said his company works daily with law enforcement officers to help locate people in life-and-death situations. And he said the company has been working around the clock with searchers on Mount Hood. "The ping is essentially the handset's way of saying: 'I'm here and I'm ready to be used,' " Dobrow said." http://www.katu.com/news/local/4908701.html

Zeta: that Wiki article on hypo is really helpful, but I also found a lot of info that indicates that there are lots of variation in how fast it progesses depending on several factors. See also: http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/science/cold_humans.htm

I am not asking for more speculation, but only for whatever info was made public about it if any. Thanks!

Pinging is nothing more than a handshake btwx the cell tower and cell phone. Something like Tower: "Hello, anyone there?" Phone: "Yep, phone No. 123 reporting in" or the phone says: Any Towers out there? Tower: Yep, tower 2 right here. Thanks Jf..I appreciate this.

I did numerous searches on the question before I posted it. The only context I can find a ping in (on google or anywhere else) is quick references in relation to this story and the James Kim story. I can't find a single explanation of What it is and how it works in locating people. If you don't care to reply, don't feel obligated, but I figured the many folks here who know the situation better than I could enlighten me. It was indicated last night that this is the place to ask questions, and apparently some seem to resent it. A few of the climbers posting here seem very hostile toward the newbies, and I fail to understand it.

Can anyone also enlighten me on how PINGING works? I don't own a cellphone and whatever info you have would be great.

Can anyone post any sources of info for the phone call Kelly made Dec 10? I have heard that he was disoriented, and indicated he was in a snow cave and the team was in trouble, but who was the call made to?

Climbing gear belonging to the two missing climbers — Jerry "Nikko" Cooke, 36, of New York City and Brian Hall, 37, of Dallas — was found in a few spots near the peak Monday. Wampler said Monday the pick axes, glove and rope were not the kind of gear he would leave behind on purpose and indicated the equipment had fallen by accident. Source: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-12-19-climbers-mounthood_x.htm?POE=NEWISVA Edited to add: "Wampler said climbing equipment found on the mountain - including two slings and two aluminum anchors driven into the snow - led rescuers to believe that James' companions, Brian Hall and Jerry "Nikko" Cooke, had tried to secure themselves to the steep slope. That was the last sign of the two." Source: http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_4860346

Interesting..last night on CNN the sheriff described the injury as an "indentation", which was confusing. Anderson Cooper was pining for a more detailed description, but the consumate professional, the sherriff cooly refused to elaborate.

The sherriff did mention finding 2 more axes, but he wouldn't confirm they belonged to Brian and Nikko. He said he wouldn't answer the question, but it's not to tough to add 2 and 2 and 3.5.