2003 Accidents in NW Mountaineering

[Kiwi]

So I bought this book for my BoeAlps Basic course... Man, that's a sobering book. :-\ I haven't heard of many of these accidents. One of the particular tragedies that struck me was an incident on Rainier. It sucks when a rope team entangles other rope teams as they slide down the mountain. :-( I think this was the helicopter one.

[Alpinfox]

I think the incident you are refering to happened on Mt. Hood.

 

CBS news story

[catbirdseat]

Some people I've spoken with have told me they thought reading about accidents was morbid. They couldn't understand why should anyone want to read something that would make them scared when they climb.

 

I like to tell them that I would prefer to learn from the mistakes of others that I may avoid making them myself. Knowing what can happen will make me think twice when setting up for a rappel. I think everyone could use a dose of reality every now and then.

[iain]

(CBS) Workers removed the last of three bodies from their icy grave near the top of Oregon's Mount Hood Friday a day after the worst climbing accident in the region in 16 years.

"Workers?"

[Kiwi]

I like to tell them that I would prefer to learn from the mistakes of others that I may avoid making them myself. Knowing what can happen will make me think twice when setting up for a rappel. I think everyone could use a dose of reality every now and then.

I agree.

[Bug]

Morbidity is one thing, knowing what not to do so you can survive is quite another. I used to read all the accident reports I could find. There have been a number of times that I have avoided potential problems because I found myself in situations that were similar. But there are also some really funny stories sometimes. Like the guy who broke his leg on Bora in Idaho and his buddy went out fore help. Help arrived about a quarter to dark in blue jeans and packinn coca cola. The trusty helicopter showed up just in time but was unable to get close enough to see because of the fog. The "rescuer" on the ground said he could hear the chopper and knew it was close so he told the pilot to release the sling. It was about 600 feet above a snowfield that extended about 1000' down. The gear was dispersed evenly over the entire thing. By this time the blue jeans and cotton sweat shirts that had been soaked in sweat started cooling down. The guy with the broken leg had to give up his tent and triage his rescuers and treat them for hypothermia accordingly.

[leejams]

Poking through a used book store I found accidents in mountaineering 1968,1974,and 1976 for a buck a piece.

 

Anyway, 0ut of the 1976 book there was an accident/snow slide up on the torment-forbidden traverse. They never found the dude. I wonder if they ever did find him eventually?

 

And of course learn by the mistakes of others, long story short, he grabbed a loose block for a handhold. The accident is labeled as an involuntary glissade, fall into a crevasse unroped.