More work for NPS NOCA's Kelly Bush

[Dan_Miller]

From today's (06/02/09) NPS's Morning Ranger Report:

 

North Cascades National Park (WA)

Rangers Rescue Mountaineer Injured In Tumbling Fall

 

On Saturday, May 23rd, a commercially-guided party of three mountaineers took a tumbling fall down Mount Shuksan’s summit pyramid while roped together. The trio had reached the summit and were descending when the accident occurred. The guide had belayed his two clients individually down the first pitches of steep snow, then descended himself. As he was doing so, he fell and, unable to arrest his fall, pulled the other two with him for about 400 feet. Luckily, there was only one significant injury – one of the clients injured an ankle and was unable to continue. Climbing rangers on patrol lower on the mountain were picked up by the park’s on-call SAR helicopter, an MD 500 from HiLine Helicopters, and flown to the accident site. The rangers were able to carry the injured climber across a section of the Sulphide Glacier, then fly her off the mountain. She was transported to a Bellingham, Washington, hospital for evaluation. [submitted by Kelly Bush, Wilderness District Ranger]

 

[JoshK]

The guide pulled them off? Ouch...

[sobo]

That's gonna leave a mark... on his resume’...

[goatboy]

Any more updates on this (i.e. facts about what happened)?

[t_rutl]

The guide pulled them off? Ouch...

 

Brutal...

[ropegoat]

I was previously unaware of this thread...

 

My partner and I were ascending the route unroped beneath the guided party at the time of the accident. I was leading, my partner (Andy) was about 15 steps back. We had just finished traversing to meet the chute and were moving up along the rock finger that outlines the chute, when the party fell. Our intent had been to move past the rock finger and allow the guided party to continue their descent past us and then continue up the chute.

 

I just got off the phone with my Andy and he and I recount the incident differently than described above. Both of us recall the same thing- although I had limited perspective due to being dug into the snow slope very intensely.

 

As we ascended we noticed the guided party moving much more quickly than previously when they were higher on the route. They were definitely travelling roped together, but at the point we could see them, it was not clear if they were actively belayed, or simply downclimbing while roped together. From our perspective, a female client was first, then the guide, and then another male client. Immediately before the fall, the party kicked off some ice, and Andy yelled for me to cover. Following the ice, he yelled again and told me to dig in. I heard, but did not see a body slide past me. Their rope snagged on my backpack briefly, and the second member of their party hit me full on. The their member followed shortly and glanced off me just to the left. I immediately looked down to determine if they needed assistance. It looked like the woman had fallen first, followed by the guide, followed by the other client. The guide and second clinet arrested the fall and immediately placed a picket. The woman was somewhat (15-25') lower on the slope than the guide. Andy and I estimated the total distance on the fall to be at least 200', 400' does not sound excessive, esp. if this considers linear distance travel rather than vertical distance. They declined our assistance, Andy and I checked each other out and continued up the route.

 

Upon descending the route, the guided group was resting at the base of the route. In addition to the woman having a sprained ankle, the guide had cut his pants and there was a significant amount of blood on his leg. Another party had already gone down the glacier to get assistance. After trying my cell phone (the guide had left his at their bivy site), they declined further assistance, and we continued down the glacier.

 

I was very lucky not to be pulled off the mountain. While I don't doubt that NPS rangers in this case did the best job they could to determine the facts of the incident, Andy and I are both somewhat confused by the description above as it does differ from our perspective. Andy was able to move out of the way and view the accident with out being a part of it.

 

I'm not sure how much that necessarily "helps", but it is a first hand account. I sincerely hope for the well being of everyone involved.

[Rad]

Scary. Glad only minor injuries resulted.

 

Perhaps you should send your version directly to Kelly Bush. PM me if you need her email address, but I think you can find it on the public NOCA website.

 

BTW, the use of the word, "mountaineers" is unfortunate, because it unintentionally mirros the name of the organization. Perhaps simply, "climbers" would have been better.

[Gary_Yngve]

Out of curiousity, what time of day?

What weather/snow conditions?

 

Hot and slushy?

[Pete_H]

BTW, the use of the word, "mountaineers" is unfortunate, because it unintentionally mirros the name of the organization. Perhaps simply, "climbers" would have been better.

 

Mountaineers don't have a monopoly on that word. "Commercially guided mountaineers" seems pretty clear to me that the group were not from the Mountaineers organization.

[ropegoat]

Both Andy and I were both really pleased with snow conditions as we got on the route. We were quite a bit later than we had intended (missed our alarm), the time of fall was approximately 1130am. Snow conditions were firmer than expected with how much sun had been on the route, and step kicking conditions were solid. Soft styrofoam or softer- crampons were definitely necessary at first, but things softened up while we climbed. Generally two kicks were adequate for solid steps, and there was a mediocre existing boot track that had iced up overnight. It was full sun, and the route had been in full sun for at least 2.5 hours (I'm a little embarrassed I don't know exactly)- we were both surprised at how firm the snow was. As we descended the route did get hot and slushy, but that wasn't until later in the afternoon.

[Gary_Yngve]

BTW, the use of the word, "mountaineers" is unfortunate, because it unintentionally mirrors the name of the organization.

 

Isn't that the org's own fault w/ branding, if indeed it is unfortunate?

 

Seems also that some members of the Mountaineers think that "Mounties" has more of a derogatory connotation.

[JoshK]

From your somewhat differing recollection it sounds as if the guide's account could have been skewed due to trying to avoid the embarassment from the fall. I guess who knows who exactly fell first, but I imagine he will get a "talking to" for climbing roped without any sort of pro. Thankfully they were able to stop and minimize the severity of the incident. Shuksan was one of my very first climbs and I remember the summit pyramid being very steep and ivy when we climbed it in early May. A thought about the length of the potential slide certainly crossed my mind. I remember telling myself "at least it gently fans out on to that glacier..."

[Rad]

BTW, the use of the word, "mountaineers" is unfortunate, because it unintentionally mirrors the name of the organization.

 

Isn't that the org's own fault w/ branding, if indeed it is unfortunate?

 

Probably. Note that I am not a Mountaineer, have never taken a class from them, and try to remain clear of the Mountie-bashing on this site. M-led groups have had some serious accidents in recent years, but the org doesn't deserve any bad press that follows from the follies of others.

[ropegoat]

I've emailed Kelly about this and wanted to post this explicitly.

In posting my own account here, I intended simply to add first hand information because I was involved in the accident. Kelly felt that I had undermined the integrity of her report- which I had no intention of doing.

 

To put it explicitly- in no way did I intend to debase or undermine the information provided by the park service. I was not contacted, nor did I volunteer my experience and information to the Park Service in advance of their report, thus there was no way to corroborate the different accounts of the accident. I mean no disrespect to the NPS or Kelly.

[kevino]

How exactly did you undermind her report?

[tomtom]

Make you wonder what the guide told her. What organization was he with?

[ropegoat]

She sent me a note that indicated she felt like by posting my account, it meant that her report was "not the real deal"- the tone was a little defensive. I didn't mean to incite that sort of response at all, so I figured a quick post here would put it right.

 

Doesn't cost me much, and it's probably worth it to keep on good terms with NPS staff (karma per se, as I will a volunteer ranger on Denali in 3 weeks).

[kevino]

Interesting. Looks like we all forgot we're not suppose to voice our opinion once the government has spoken!

[Choada_Boy]

She sent me a note that indicated she felt like by posting my account, it meant that her report was "not the real deal"- the tone was a little defensive.

 

Seems like her report would never be "The Real Deal" because she wasn't there. You were.

[G-spotter]

 

All accounts must be considered in light of the observer.

[Bug]

It gets this way every time a democrat is in the Whitehouse.

[Skeezix]

I've always preferred to stay off that S face route on the summit pyramid. The SE ridge route is much more pleasant, and avoids all the drama on the S face on busy days. Easy class V rock.