stevetimetravlr

Well, maybe the solution is to round up the Beacon Rock Climbers Association and have a meeting and sort this all out. I assume Jim Opdyke is King, errr President? If Joseph was voted in, he can continue in his position with a vote of confidence. or alternately may have to step down if someone else is voted in. No need for slamming each other and talking about testicle size or the lack thereof. I imagine since everyone pretty much knows each other that climbs there on a regular basis, we could even hold a on-line meetin or forum. Is this a solution that would make you both satisfied? Or am I barking up the wrong tree....bark, bark, harsh man.

I have always been a Park Ranger in my own mind. As a citizen, I own the land, the park, the rock. I have a shared sense of responsibility and concern for the resources we all utilize. Therefore I place you all under arrest for wanton disregard for social norms and deviant behavior, and sentence you to 30 days of hard labor on the walls of Beacon Rock. Joseph, if you don't get the rock open shortly, you will be charged with obstruction of justice as these guys can't serve out their term. Get on it please, as these guys have a debt to society to pay.

you guys are flippin hilarious!

They don't make the Index tough guys like they used to! I guess thru the years having seen alot of people died or been seriously injured at Index. Broken ankles, broken ribs, as least you go on living. Index is a harsh mistress, and accidents should be assessed and learned from in my opinion. I feel these folks are the lucky ones, and I wasn't trying to condemn then. Just hope they make a honest assessment of what went wrong so that everyone can learn from it.

Great TR you guys. Way to keep after it. Sounds likeyou worked all the options.

super cool

A few more weeks and we should be good, does that mean a early opening this year?!

I agree with Joseph that is sounds like they were relatively inexperienced climbers on a multipitch trad lead at Index. I guess I have been sounding like a a-hole and thats not my intention, but I try to be hyper aware of belays and consequences. I don't know Malcolm why you say this is a high factor fall? Sounds to me like not. Short falls on short amounts of rope cause harsh fall factor, and sounds like they had some rope out. Also curious what you mean "If she was completely unprepared for it, then she is your hero"? She was off the ground belaying a lead climber on a trad lead, better have your shit togather if you are going to do this. and if you are not going to use a autolocking belay device, then you better never take your hand off the rope, and be prepared to act. My best wishes to the climbers for a fast recovery and the opportunity for reflection on what went wrong. Many people don't get a second chance.

The opening paragraph of this whole thread says the leader took a ground fall. If thats not the case, sorry, I am still not getting what you are saying. The belayer was belaying from the anchors at the top of the 1st pitch. The belayer was anchored in how? I assume with a daisy and rope into the anchors, and not that much slack. If putting allot of slack into the system, thats a mistake right there. Climber falls, and pulls belayer up some until a piece pulls and the belayer drops somewhat but aren't you supposed to be prepared for that? Feet against the wall, system tensioned and ready to lock off? How far can you get pulled up and dropped if you are anchored properly? Then there is so much slack in the system as the climber is falling, and..so what? You stay locked off. Are you saying the belayer let go of the rope/belay device? and then somehow recovers it and stops the fall thus burning their hands? I guess thats a more heroic version then being asleep at the wheel, but no matter how you crunch it, its a bad belay. Sorry.

I don't mean to be harsh. but rope burns on the hands after a ground fall are kind of a smoking gun. The whole thing sounds like a cluster

Why would I need to see her hands? It was stated that she recieved rope burns from belaying the fall and that translates to not being attentive on the belay and allowing enough rope to feed out to burn her hands equals bad news for the lead climber. I belay all the time on a worn ATC and I never get rope burns ever from holding a fall. But I pay attention.

Rob, you have another explanation for rope burns on the belayers hands?

If the female belayer had significant rope burns on her hand, that is THE major part of the problem. No way under any scenario should you get rope burns from holding a fall. She was obviously unattentive and not prepared to lock off and it shows. No offense to newbies, but not a bad idea to have them use a autolocking belay device, afterall its your ass up there on the line. If the belayer had rope burns, she dropped the dude.

ass kicking awesome!

I was asleep in bed in Ellensburg. My roommate was the morning DJ, so he had gotten up early and he called me and said "The mountain just blew, get up!" so I get up and go outside and coming across the horizon at us is the scariest looking rolling cloud I have ever seen. Billowing and rolling and black. AS it came over, it got darker and darker. The streetlights came back on, and then is started snowing ash for hours. It was so quiet, everything was muffled by the ash and no one was outside moving around after a while as the ash was so thick.

maybe no avy but if its warm enough the ice chunks and rock come a flying.

Midnight Rock has my vote for best crack climbs. Probably has most of the best crack climbs in the state, along with Index.

If its a long story, we sure would like to hear it Rob. I'm calling BS, come on now...

My thoughts are that there is a good chance that the block was frost wedged off. Thru time, the frost lifted the block and evertime it melted, more and more dirt was put under the block lifting it until finally it may have pulled off in some ones hands or by itself. The photo seems to show that. If the block was taken off with a hydraulic jack, that is super uncool obviously.

Las Sportiva TC(Tommy Caldwell) Pro. Best granite trad shoe. Based on the Miura, but with comfort, fit, and stiffness added. this shoe is so comfortable to foot jam you won't even hesitate to stuff your toes in some heinous toe splitter. It costs more, and takes a little longer to put on correctly as the tongue has a tendency to fold, but it rocks!

It wasn't sewn up with pins like it is today. We were placing pins though and I remember using my bongbong on the 5th pitch, that flaring slot. Actually here is the ending. A climber had been killed over on the Index peaks that same day, so Mountain Rescue had been called in to help get the body down. They were in the area and someone called in that there were 2 climbers on the upper Town Wall in the storm so they came and set up base camp at the parking lot unbeknowse to use. We got to the top of the wall, and I was standing there in the storm coiling the rope, the wind and the rain pelting me, knowing that we were going to make it, just the descent. All of a sudden out of the darkness a helicoptor with a spotlight comes in out of the fog and puts its beam on me and holds it there. I slowly raised my arm and gave them the middle finger salute. Probably not the smartest thing I ever did, but at least they got the message that we didn't need to be rescued. When we got back to the base, the sheriff was there and grilled us, and they were all pissed off about me giving them the finger. What can I say, I was 18 and feeling studly that we had overcome and fought our way thru it all. Then as I recall, we fired up a twister in Stans truck.

My definition of epic is climbing Town Crier at Index back in the day(1977) and when just as you make it past the triple overhang pitch, a enormous storm rolls in and turns the wall into a roaring river/waterfall. You are both 18, have only one 50 meter rope, the only choice is to push on as no retreat seems possible. All cotton clothing, hanging at the belays for hours shaking uncontrollably, feeling the water sucking the heat and the life from your body as you slowly fight your way upwards knowing your time is limited if you do not keep moving. The old Whillans harness you have cuts the circulation to your legs, so that you cannot feel them anymore. Your fingers are blocks of ice, and your body is shutting down, and it becomes difficult to think clearly. As you finally top out in the dark and the storm, you realize when you had used the term "epic" in the past, you had probably not realized what it really meant. or climbing with Ivan....

WAY to get it done Ben!

Sounds like some real climbing!

Read the book "The Rock Warriors Way". and not just once, read it when you go to bed, when you have a spare moment. Get that mindset, that acceptance burned into you brain. Then go out and send.