Medical Emergency at Tahquitz Rock

[catbirdseat]

GMKnight and I were gearing up to climb El Whampo, 5.7, when we heard a shout down in the woods from the direction of the approach route. Then we heard a whistle.

 

We asked, "are you okay?". Answer "No".

"Are you injured?" Answer "No".

"Can you move?" Answer "No".

 

While I called 911, Geoff and Chris, another climber rope soloing near us, ran down the hill to assist. At first I got a report that it was a heart attack. The next thing I heard they were walking the victim towards the parking lot.

 

It turns out the he'd had a grand mal seizure. He's had one many, many years before. This one hit him out of the blue. It really scared his female climbing partner. I'd heard he had been climbing at Tahquitz for 40 years.

 

After we saw that the victim was safely in the hands of the paramedics, we headed back up to the rock and started our climb at the crack of noon. It went smoothly.

 

El Whampo is pretty fun. The second pitch features this long hand and finger crack that is just stellar. Too bad the rest of the climb is so so. If it had two pitches of cracks like that one, it would be a classic.