Choosing your Partners wisely

[sean_beanntan]

Just wanted to post this link. I am not sure how often these guys climbed together. But I have seen a lot of examples of climbers finding partners over the internet and then having epics and injuries and even deaths.

 

This climber abandoned his partner on the Grand Teton, taking the rope with him!!!

 

http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/article_59fb03fa-5d8c-5708-8451-b2fbc6740929.html?mode=story

 

[dougd]

What a clusterfuck this was...

 

d

[lazzara]

Sounds like the guy from Michigan was in way over his head and the guy from Mantana . . . uh I mean Montana, was just over it.

[counterfeitfake]

Here's the NPS release:

 

http://www.nps.gov/grte/parknews/news-release-11-89.htm

 

And the report from their blog when it happened back in August:

 

http://gtnpnews.blogspot.com/2011/08/climber-rescued-from-north-ridge-of.html

 

 

Sounds like a complicated situation to me. I'm not totally sure the descending climber did the wrong thing. They had communicated a helicopter already, and were given every impression a rescue was underway. He felt he could descend safely by himself. If he'd waited around, how long would it have taken them to make 2 helicopter rides? As it was, just getting the one climber off the mountain had the rescue effort bumping up against night time, if he'd waited he could very easily have ended up spending the night up there by himself. I'm not sure the slap on the wrist is appropriate.

 

And obviously the facts aren't all clear, but it seems like calling for a rescue in the first place might have been a pretty irresponsible decision. Neither climber was injured, and they had a rope and set of gear. Calling for a helicopter rescue is putting other people in danger to fix your mistake.

[Gaucho Argentino]

IM-humble-O...

Of course we do not have all the facts, but with the info at hand, could this have been the best option: They should have suck it up for one night at least, I do not think they would have died, and would have learn some in the process, then try all morning to get out on their means, and if really there was no way out, well, call for help around noon with more light left?

Trying to get some learning out of any/all epics people have out there, feedback from experienced climbers appreciated :-)

[Alex]

I was in this situation once. I wanted to continue up, and my partner at the time got very scared and irritated at the current situation/conditions and shouting match ensued. Only when he threatened to untie and go down (which would have been very dangerous as well!) did I realize how serious/scared he really was, and I immediately woke up and we went down together.

 

I think it's ok to climb as a party when there are differing abilities, but all the folks have to be able to recognize and diffuse those situations where disagreements leads to (hopefully temporary) impasse.

[DanO]

Rescue can be quick with a helicopter in good weather or very

slow in bad weather, like days, waiting for a weather window or a team moving in by foot. In general you should not climb anything that you can't backtrack in bad weather. Even slightly injured you should be able to backtrack. Rescue teams are human too and helicopters must have at least fair weather. The community should have the mentality of using a Spot device or something like it, only as a back up for the worse case kind of accident and otherwise have the mentality of being totally self reliant determining your abilities AND your partner's. If you pick up a new partner be sure you are on a route that you both can handle up and back down.

 

This is the second time in a week that a stranded party has initiated a SPOT locater device in the area. The first came from a pilot who crashed his ultralight aircraft near Fox Creek Pass just outside of Grand Teton National Park in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest. While these rescue devices can be valuable tools when used appropriately, rangers remind backcountry users that technical high-mountain rescue carries certain inherent risks for the rescuers and these devices should only be used in a true emergency.

 

Rangers remind backcountry users that they should be in good physical condition and stick to hikes and routes that are within their ability and comfort levels. Appropriate equipment and the knowledge of how to use it are essential for a safe trip. Hikers and climbers are encouraged to stop in a visitor center or ranger station on the day of travel to obtain the most current trail, route and snow conditions.

[Ed_Hobbick]

Looks like the Rangers who know the circumstances better than we do, deemed that Dave Shade exercised poor judgment when he left his partner and for that reason issued him a fine.

 

Dave did not figure that he would be fined for his actions. It turned out that he was wrong. That is were his judgement was again, poor.

 

I'd also say that Dave Shade used poor judgment when he selected his partner and likewise for Jesse Selwyn.

 

 

Edited October 5, 2011 by Ed_Hobbick

[DPS]

The fact that the one fellow chose to ask for a rescue rather than attmept to down climb/rappel first doesn't sit well with me. If you have a rope and a rack you have a potential way down.irony>

Edited October 4, 2011 by DPS

[iceaxe23]

I was in this situation once. I wanted to continue up, and my partner at the time got very scared and irritated at the current situation/conditions and shouting match ensued. Only when he threatened to untie and go down (which would have been very dangerous as well!) did I realize how serious/scared he really was, and I immediately woke up and we went down together.

 

I think it's ok to climb as a party when there are differing abilities, but all the folks have to be able to recognize and diffuse those situations where disagreements leads to (hopefully temporary) impasse.

 

I too have been in that situation as the one who did not want to go down and as the one who did.

 

With the rope and rack I wonder why they didn't just both rap down?