Smith rock accident?

[daisyhubbs]

anyone have info on the climber injured on 5/13 at rope-de-dope?

i read on another site that she had placed 3 pieces, fell and all 3 pulled out. and that she was unconscious and had to be airlifted out. anyone know her condition now? and exactly what climb it was, what pieces she had placed,etc?

[crimper]

i heard from a guide whose fellow guides witnessed the accident -and who saw the helicopter himself - that the fall was fatal. it was a crack (i think a 5-7?)on the block. the theory was that the belayer had to stand back a bit because of a slab at the base, and when she fell the gear pulled out and up and evidently was not placed so as to avoid the zippering effect - which to me still doesn't explain how her top piece failed. that's most of what i know, and most of the rest is pure speculation. apparently the local media have blacked out the story, and the one article that did apear online has been deleted from the archives.

[corvallisclimb]

on the 5.8 crack on rope de dope?

[archenemy]

http://www.rockclimbing.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1595938;page=unread Edited May 22, 2007 by archenemy

[pink_chalk]

Thanks Crimper. I had posted something on rockclimbing.com hoping to hear better news.

[MarkMcJizzy]

This is weird.

 

Second hand information, using RC as a confirmation, which is in turn using CC as a source.

 

Chicken and the egg all together

 

And implications that the media in Bend has "Blacked out" the story.

 

Lame

 

 

[fenderfour]

I just climbed that last time I was there. It's wide in places, kind of dirty, and could be hard to protect if you were new. I know, the pics make it look pretty easy to lead/protect, but it is funky.

[archenemy]

Yeah, good point. I should have thought about it more before posting that.

[billcoe]

I wanted it bumped so maybe someone would step foward who was there.

 

Thanks Crimper. Hope it isn't true.

[jordop]

A long time ago when I was just starting out, I took a good fall on that crack and crushed my ankle hitting the deck. Wanting to be Mr. Trad Hardman in sportoland, I didn't put much gear in and then slipped on the aformentioned dirt. It's a funky deal amid the TRs.

[Alpine_Junky]

I was there that day with Jfs1978 and we saw the helicopter from kiss of the lepers buttress. It's rope-de-dope crack 5.8 for sure, which is kinda funky... + smith tuff simply isn't that strong in a lot of places.

 

There was absolutely nothing about the incident in any of the news papers, tv news, or anything else. I didn't find anything on Smithrock.com... I find the lack of coverage strange.

 

In any case I hope that girls is allright... not a bad way to go if she did...

 

-Scotty

[111]

Post deleted by 111

[RuMR]

dude...keep this kinda crap off a post like this...

 

moderators, please delete my post and the one preceding it...

Edited May 22, 2007 by RuMR

[billcoe]

regardless of the cool factor, WEAR YOUR HELMET!

 

She was

[archenemy]

regardless of the cool factor, WEAR YOUR HELMET!

 

She was

Re: [Miura465] Ground fall at Smith Rock - Rope-de-dope Block [in reply to] Can't Post

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

I was with a group and witnessed the accident as well. Part of my group went across the river to help. The climber was a female, climbing with a group whom she had just met up with. She was high enough on the main crack on that formation that she had placed 3 pieces. She fell, and all 3 pieces pulled, she struck the rock, then decked. The woman reportedly landed face down, and remained unconcious, was intubated and airlifted out. I don't know the nature of the injuries, but it looked like a definite head injury. She was not wearing a helmet. Please update if anyone knows the condition of the climber. It was a very rattling experience to see. Pray for her.

[sk]

sending prayers. that is indeed bad news. many people climb at rope de dope because it is small and not that intimidating. I hope the girl was all right.

[cdomsch]

Sad news. I heard the airlift that day. That's the second trad accident in as many weeks at smith, as there was one the week before where a woman (I believe) dislocated her elbow above phoenix butress. Best wishes to all involved

[tracy]

I was directly across the river and heard the fall, as well as the screams of her belayer whom we just met earlier in the day.

 

It was a very unmistakable sound.

 

She pulled 2 decent nuts and a cam.

 

I believe her name was Hiya, but I don't know the spelling.

 

 

 

[sk]

I was directly across the river and heard the fall, as well as the screams of her belayer whom we just met earlier in the day.

 

It was a very unmistakable sound.

 

She pulled 2 decent nuts and a cam.

 

I believe her name was Hiya, but I don't know the spelling.

 

 

 

I have been there so many times just the thought of it turns my stomach and chills me to my core.

 

every one, please be safe out there.

[goatboy]

Received via email - best wishes to Chaya and the family. Contrary to previous speculation, this was not a fatal accident.

 

On Sunday May 13th and about 1:30 p.m. Chaya fell 25-30 feet and landed on her head. She was climbing and camping in Smith Rock State Park outside of Redmond, OR She was not wearing a helmet.

 

We first want everyone to know how much we appreciate the outpouring of love from our friends and family. There are so many people pulling for Chaya that it is truly amazing.

 

Chaya was lead climbing with her friend Carin, who she was road tripping with to Oregon, where she was initially working this summer. She was notified by Outward Bound that enrolment was not as high as they had planned for so she was not needed in OR, but they had a spot for her in Montana if she still wanted the job. She did. Chaya and Carin decided to take a day to climb at Smith Rock State Park.

 

Chaya had already done at least one other lead climb before starting up the route from which she fell. She placed three pieces of protection before she arrived at a spot that made her nervous. Carin took the slack out of the rope and Chaya called 'falling' and fell. She fell and all her pieces of protection zippered out of the rock face. She hit the rock once with her full body, and then reached the ground. She landed face down with her head tilted to the side. The initial point of impact was the left side of her head.

 

Chaya was breathing on her own after the fall. Carin, a WFR (wilderness first responder) immediately stabilized her head and neck. EMS was called. An ER doctor and a nurse from Portland were climbing across the river and saw her fall, so there was a doctor on the scene almost immediately. An EMS ground crew arrived within 20 minutes. They called in the helicopter. The ground crew stabilized Chaya's neck and head and checked her body for furthur injury. She had two skinned knees, three broken ribs and a collapsed lung. She did not regain consciousness.

 

Chaya was airlifted from the scene to St. Charles Medical Center in Bend, OR; a level II trauma center. She arrived there just over an hour after she fell. She was intubated. At the ER she was admitted and had a chest tube put in. Her left lung was reinflated. She was put under heavy sedation, in order to minimize the amount (if any) of brain damage.

 

After she was stabilized enough, she was transefered to the CCU (Critical Care Unit, a.k.a. ICU), where the hospital staff attempted to continue to stabilize her.

 

Jesse arrived at the hospital at about 3:30 a.m. on May 14th. I (Aliya) arrived the same day at 9:30 a.m. and Mom and Dad got in at about noon.

 

We met with her neurosergeon, who had placed and ICP (inter-cranial pressure) monitor into her head, in order to better assess her brain functions. He informed us that he suspects a Diffuse Axonal Injury (But Jesse and Steve are highly suspect of this diagnosis). The level of brain damage, he said, could be anywhere on a wide spectrum. All we have to do is wait and see.

 

Chaya is still in the critical care unit.

[ivan]

jeebus - so for the record sounds like a helmet could indeed have been helpful

 

hope she mends well

[neswstar]

Goat Boy, thank you and thank you to Chaya's family too for sharing. It helps so much to understand the details and hopefully to learn. My thoughts and energies to a speedy and complete recovery.