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Index Town Wall Accident


priapism

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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.

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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.

 

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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!

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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 smirk.gif

 

So many fractures can hardly be called luck, but escaping spinal/head injury is definitely fortunate. bigdrink.gif 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.

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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.

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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.

 

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.

 

there is two 3/8" bolt with chain for the anchor.

 

 

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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.

 

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 smirk.gif). 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.

 

As far as I know the anchor is another two bolts, with chains, but I haven't used it.

 

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.

 

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.

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Erik, I think you're only talking about the first half, up to about 50-60' off the deck, right?

 

The last 10-15' of that takes the worst gear, but takes microstoppers very well.

 

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 by fleblebleb
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