priapism Posted April 2, 2003 Posted April 2, 2003 Anyone know the details of the fall this afternoon at the lower town wall? Flown out by Airlift...... Quote
iain Posted April 2, 2003 Posted April 2, 2003 Airlift...is that to LifeFlight as Sorny is to Sony or Magnetbox is to Magnevox? Quote
Dru Posted April 2, 2003 Posted April 2, 2003 fleblebleb said: Anybody know? Â Anybody WE know, more importantly. Quote
priapism Posted April 3, 2003 Author Posted April 3, 2003 Yes, sorry for the confusion, Airlift Northwest... I imagine whoever was involved in the accident will know someone who frequents this site, so we should all know eventually. Here's what I know: fall occured on the lower town wall early this afternoon, reports of serious head injury, fractures, but still conscious after accident (that's good). Landing zone set up and patient flown to Harborview. Quote
Lambone Posted April 3, 2003 Posted April 3, 2003 Man that sucks...good luck mystery accident dude, best wishes. Â Each year I add to my climbing experience helmets become more and more atractive, even for 1 pitch roadside stuff. Quote
wayne Posted April 3, 2003 Posted April 3, 2003 Ya know.. if your just gonna do a little climb or are not really serious that day...or just gonna goof around...WEAR YOUR FUCKING HELMUT!!!!!!!!!!! Â Quote
Ursa_Eagle Posted April 3, 2003 Posted April 3, 2003 If you actually have a brain to protect, you wear a helmet. Quote
king5news Posted April 3, 2003 Posted April 3, 2003 Sorry I didn't get in yesterday. Here's the story we aired at 5. I'm still working to get an I-D on the guy -- and his condition this morning.  (ENG/VO)  *S SKYL1 Near Index ¶ A CLIMBING ACCIDENT TODAY NEAR INDEX, EAST OF MONROE. A MERCER ISLAND MAN WAS HURT ON WHAT LOCALS CALL THE 'CLIMBING WALL' -- A NEARLY VERTICAL FACE, THAT'S POPULAR AMONG LOCAL CLIMBERS. IT APPEARS THE MAN FELL WHEN HIS EQUIPMENT FAILED WHILE RAPELLING. ANOTHER CLIMBER HEARD HIS SCREAMS AND CALLED FOR HELP ON HER CELL PHONE. THE VICTIM HAS BEEN RUSHED TO HARBORVIEW. HE HAS MULTIPLE FRACTURES.  Quote
king5news Posted April 3, 2003 Posted April 3, 2003 I got an update. Actually the climber is a 43-year old guy from Vashon. In serious condition in the ICU at Harborview with what they describe as "serious facial and extremity injuries." Quote
erik Posted April 3, 2003 Posted April 3, 2003 IS THERE A LINK TO THE STORY?? Â WHAT PART OF THE LOWER TOWN WAS HE ON?? WHAT ACTUALLY FAILED? YOU SAID HIS GEAR, BUT WHAT PART? Â THANKS! Â Â Quote
Lambone Posted April 3, 2003 Posted April 3, 2003 Â This would make the second rappeling accident I have heard of at index this year. Sad stuff.... Quote
erik Posted April 3, 2003 Posted April 3, 2003 ANOTHER THING MAKES ME WONDER..THE NEW RELEASE DOESNT STATE ANYTHING ABOUT HIS PARRTNER....WAS THE WOMAN WHO CALLED CLIMBING WITH A SEPERATE GROUP OR WAS SHE HIS PARTNER??? Â Â Quote
Stefan Posted April 3, 2003 Posted April 3, 2003 (edited) I have empathy for him. Edited April 3, 2003 by Stefan Quote
Norsky Posted April 4, 2003 Posted April 4, 2003 On another note, I saw some solo aider self-belaying Japanese Garden (or the route just to the right) by tying off on that short tiny stump! Another accident coming someday. That thing would not hold a zipper in my opinion. Quote
gratefulali Posted April 4, 2003 Posted April 4, 2003 thank you all for your kindness and concern for Dino.. apparently he was rope soloing (with a Soloist)on thin fingers approach (10a). He cleaned several pieces of gear while rapelling, but still had more to go when something failed, and he fell to the ground. Hope to piece together more info once he's more coherent.(I'll update this site later.) He's been climbing safely for almost 20 years...rock, ice, big walls. He broke both legs, a wrist, an arm, and some facial bones. No head injuries, no spine injuries...thank goodness. He'll be having more surgeries in the next couple weeks while in the hospital. Please think of him and send him your good vibes. thanks! Quote
erik Posted April 4, 2003 Posted April 4, 2003 fuck not dino.........   dino 's  get better!!!!!!   Quote
jon Posted April 4, 2003 Posted April 4, 2003 Wow, despite the injuries he is really lucky. Â I think both Wayne and I can attest to wearing the brain bucket. Â Get better Dino! Quote
fleblebleb Posted April 4, 2003 Posted April 4, 2003 gratefulali said: may i ask why you are so unkind? Just a typo. The edited post is the first one Erik makes that doesn't have a typo  So many fractures can hardly be called luck, but escaping spinal/head injury is definitely fortunate. to Dino.  Was the rap from the top of the first pitch of Thin Fingers, or from the two bolt rap anchors about 50' up? Did a knot joining two ropes unravel?  I realize all of this is still unclear, I don't mean any disrespect by asking, but quite a few people here climb, aid, aid-solo at Index. I aided that pitch or half of it three times during the last month myself. Quote
gratefulali Posted April 4, 2003 Posted April 4, 2003 I'm in Joshua tree and have not been to Index. Maybe you could help me piece it together a little more. If he just did the first pitch from the lower wall, would that be about 100', and therefore a single 60 meter rope would suffice? Is there an anchor at the top of the 1st pitch? He fell 50 or 60 feet. Quote
erik Posted April 4, 2003 Posted April 4, 2003 there is an intermediate belay below the crux slab on the large ledge. this pitch is about 60ft long. the gear on the 1st pitch is mostly stoppers below bd #7. Â and the last bit to the anchor is greasy and takes the worst gear on the pitch. you leave a small ledge and make 10 feet of stemming moves with tips for your fingers. Â there is two 3/8" bolt with chain for the anchor. Â Â Quote
fleblebleb Posted April 4, 2003 Posted April 4, 2003 I have been using the lower half of the first pitch of Thin Fingers to learn about aiding. This is about 50' of thin crack, takes small stoppers in bomber placements, and ends at a two bolt rap anchor on a ledge. Â I haven't climbed the second half myself, although I belayed a buddy up there (we have lots of rain showers here in spring, sometimes plans don't work out ). I think it's another 50-70'. It starts with thin, difficult (5.11) slab climbing for 10-15', up to a hand crack that goes all the way to the anchor at the top. Â As far as I know the anchor is another two bolts, with chains, but I haven't used it. Â It's not likely Dino was using two ropes to rappel from the first, halfway-up rap anchor, and it is also not likely he was using one rope to rappel from the anchor at the top of the pitch. The bolts at the halfway anchor are solid, no spinning hangers or such. Â There will be a number of people looking at this thread tomorrow that are far more familiar with Index than I am and should be able to answer any question about Thin Fingers. Quote
fleblebleb Posted April 4, 2003 Posted April 4, 2003 (edited) Erik, I think you're only talking about the first half, up to about 50-60' off the deck, right? Â The last 10-15' of that takes the worst gear, but takes microstoppers very well. Â The upper part of the pitch, the second half, is a hand crack. There are many other pitches at the Lower Wall that are more fun for aiding that that. Was Dino aid-soloing or free climbing rope-solo? Could he have been lowering himself using an upward-pull anchor at the bottom of the pitch? Edited April 4, 2003 by fleblebleb Quote
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