JayB Posted February 5, 2002 Posted February 5, 2002 quote: Originally posted by Lambone: That sucks... Too bad that report doesn't tell us jack shit! If he was a compitent climber, would he be rapping off of one bolt? If it is a popular area, would it have one bolt rap stations? [ 02-05-2002: Message edited by: Lambone ] Very puzzling. Apparently the guy was pretty active in the park and was climbing all sorts of stuff in the IV/5.10-5.11 range in that setting, so the claims that he knew his stuff seem well founded. What really has me confused here has been the conclusions, or lack thereof, that the folks who have analyzed the accident have come to. If it was bolt failure it seems like all you'd have to do is take a look at the rope and look for rap gear clipped to a hanger. Since it's a popular TR area, the anchor should be relatively easy to get to and inspect also. Perhaps they were so busy attending to the fallen climber that they declined to look into these things at the time of the accident. Quote
Lambone Posted February 5, 2002 Posted February 5, 2002 Yeah, I'm not doubting his climbing abilities. It just seems unlikely that the accident would be due to anchor failure, especialy since his girlfriend rapped down just before. It seems more likely that he overlooked something in his rap device set up or something. Of course this is pure speculation. I almost rapped off a waterfall clipped into just one chord, it's easy to do if your in a hurry. Talking about it seems kinda weird, I mean no disrespect to the fallen climber, it's really too bad... Quote
max Posted February 5, 2002 Posted February 5, 2002 What I think is intersting is that the article headline is "climber's fall linked to bolf" but nowhere in the article does it say anything about bolts failing. Seems like a un-substantiated headline. Quote
vegetablebelay Posted February 5, 2002 Posted February 5, 2002 And to start the article saying "a bolt fixed in a rock may have been compromised" is strange. Quote
max Posted February 5, 2002 Posted February 5, 2002 OH. Right. For some reason I can't read. ---I'm retarded--- Quote
Lambone Posted February 5, 2002 Posted February 5, 2002 Yeah what does that mean, compromised...? Was it placed by Fred Becky in the fifties? Quote
vegetablebelay Posted February 5, 2002 Posted February 5, 2002 From Dictionary.com v. com·pro·mised, com·pro·mis·ing, com·pro·mis·es v. tr.To settle by concessions. To expose or make liable to danger, suspicion, or disrepute: an embassy that was compromised by hidden listening devices. Obsolete. To pledge mutually. I wouldn't have chosen this word if I wasn't meaning to infer suspicion. Quote
Lambone Posted February 5, 2002 Posted February 5, 2002 Ok, so we all agree that this report sucks. Has anyone read a better one? Quote
JayB Posted February 5, 2002 Author Posted February 5, 2002 I'll keep looking and post a better report if one becomes available anytime soon... Quote
JayB Posted February 6, 2002 Author Posted February 6, 2002 Climber's fall linked to bolt By Amanda Cherry and Christine Reid Camera Staff Writers -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A bolt that was fixed in a rock may have been compromised, causing thefatal fall of an experienced Fort Collins climber over the weekend. Michael Sofranko, 28, died Sunday of head injuries after falling about100 feet off Happy Hour Crag in Boulder Canyon. The popular climbing area near Cob Rock, within view of Colo. 119 andabout a half-mile east of Boulder Falls, has many routes with fixedgear. Sofranko, who was climbing with his girlfriend, was rappelingdown the face about 3:30 p.m. when the accident occurred, said BoulderCounty Sheriff's Deputy Samuel Hard. "She didn't even see it happen," he said. She had rappelled down just before him and was busy packing up, Hardsaid. Members of the Rocky Mountain Rescue Group were investigating whethera bolt Sofranko may have been using failed. "It sounds like he had been climbing for a while and was competent totake care of himself, which makes it all the more baffling," said JeffSparhawk, spokesman for the rescue team. Members of Sparhawk's team are still piecing together what happened,including inspecting bolts in the rock and talking to climbers whowere in the area. "Something happened, and we're not sure what yet," Sparhawk said. Happy Hour Crag has a number of technical routes, many of which arerated for advanced climbers. Sofranko, who was not wearing a helmet, did not die immediately, Hardsaid. A medical professional flagged down on Colo. 119 reported he hada pulse but that his heart then stopped and she began CPR. He waspronounced dead about 15 minutes later. Sofranko was a regular at climbing gyms in Fort Collins, including TheWall at the Gym of the Rockies and Inner Strength Rock Gym. While he hadn't climbed at Inner Strength Rock Gym for nearly a year,Mike Hickey, a climbing instructor at the gym, recalled Sofranko. "From what I remember, he was a very competent climber," Hickey saidMonday. Quote
Cpt.Caveman Posted February 6, 2002 Posted February 6, 2002 Bummer. One more reason to climb bomber A1 pro everywhere style granite cracks. Quote
Lambone Posted February 6, 2002 Posted February 6, 2002 That sucks... Too bad that report doesn't tell us jack shit! If he was a compitent climber, would he be rapping off of one bolt? If it is a popular area, would it have one bolt rap stations? [ 02-05-2002: Message edited by: Lambone ] Quote
specialed Posted February 6, 2002 Posted February 6, 2002 I'll be interested in hearing the real analysis in Accidents in N American Mountaineering. Quote
todd Posted February 6, 2002 Posted February 6, 2002 yup, it was another one of our fort collins guys. first rod, now mike. im either going to stop climbing or move. Quote
AlpineK Posted February 6, 2002 Posted February 6, 2002 quote: Originally posted by Lambone: That sucks... Too bad that report doesn't tell us jack shit! If he was a compitent climber, would he be rapping off of one bolt? If it is a popular area, would it have one bolt rap station An even better question is why didn't they walk off the back side? Too Bad Quote
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