Guardian Angel Moments

[EWolfe]

Those times climbing when you thought you were a goner, or on later reflection, thought you should have been a goner.

 

I have two:

 

Second try at aiding, attempting solo-aid of Toes of the Fisherman at Smif, 30 feet out, ripped two pieces and was hanging flat-out on my back - rocked forward and my heels hit rock. Looked behind me, and 16" below was a sharp pointed rock directly below my lower back. With rope stretch... . Welded a #9 rock, and factor 2 fall on the rope. Some fool stole that same rope out of my van two days later.

 

Another time, I was building a rock gym in a gymnasium with wooden floor. I was soloing a corner, 15 feet up and my hands popped off, sending me straight back towards the floor below. The next thing I know, I am hanging upside down by one leg by the back of my knee in a hole cut out for the disc inserts. 4 feet off the ground. To this day, I don't know how I ended up in that hole, but I know I was headed towards the hard floor head-first.

[wayne]

Tim grabbed the rope with his bare hands and saved me from a 400' deck fall. He caughtme after a 70 footer as it was. Then there was the solo 500fter on mixed snow and big cliffs that something up there got me through.

We are all on borrowed time anyways

[chirp]

A friend and I were on the second pitch of a FA on the east face of Devils Tower. It was a sweet A3 shallow corner and I was 15 feet into it when we noticed clouds coming in fast from the west, over the top of the Tower. We didnt think too much of it until there were several lightning strikes EAST of us that were ground hits.

All of a sudden the weather turned to crap and we were in a full blown electrical storm. I yelled to my bud at the belay to watch me and I started to down aid until I was at the last 2 pieces, a #1 and a #2 RP. by this time the rain was pounding and it looked grim so I told my partner to take me off and rap for his own safety and I tied off the pieces and gingerly rapped in pouring down rain with lightning all around.

Once I touched ground I dropped my gear and we both ran like crazy for the base of tower. The rain was mixed with hail and the storm so crazy that it was as if we were in a hurricane.

This was my first season in a semi mid-west region so I had never experienced a storm like this and was suitably humbled at its speed and intensity.

When I first got to Devils Tower, during orientation they told us there was a big stash of mattresses in one of the garages. I had no idea why that was such a big deal until someone pointed out to me a vehicle with fist sized dents from hail.

Needless to say, our descent wasnt the safest move in a situation but I definitly didnt want to be up on that lightning rod any longer than I had too.

Edited August 3, 2003 by chirp