Fromage Posted February 21, 2002 Share Posted February 21, 2002 OK, since all you guys are asking, here is the condensed version of what happened at the Rambles this past Sunday. This info is reliable to the extent that I was ten feet away from the climber when she fell, I participated in the rescue, and I stayed with her almost continuously until she returned to Seattle. Names are changed. At 2:45 pm Sunday Feb 17, I was belaying my partner Reinhold while he was toproping a WI 3 route on the upper tier of ice above the 2 pitches on the right side at the Rambles. Adjacent to us on the WI 4 pillar were some acquaintances we met from Vancouver. Our friend Catherine was traversing the low angle ice tongue extending out from the bottom of the route which Reinhold was climbing. Her right crampon skated and she slid down the tongue and shot out into the gully. She bounced down the gully, stopping in a patch of snow about 40 feet from the edge of the upper pitch of vertical ice. Total fall was about 100 vertical feet. I lowered Reinhold while the Vancouver climbers, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, descended the gully to C. Reinhold and I soon joined them. Huey was a SAR instructor and took charge of the situation, delegating patient treatment to me as a WFR. Other members of our group arrived. Huey dispatched two of them to fetch the LilloSAR and the third stayed to help me treat C. Huey, Dewey, and Reinhold made a plan to evacuate C to the road. With the help of Louie and Alison I treated C. The extent of her injuries were multiple fractures of her lower left leg. I made a splint of what material we had on hand and considered her to be in good shape otherwise to participate in her own evac. Huey, Dewey, and Reinhold had set up anchors to lower C. Reinhold carried C on his back as Dewey lowered him. Very nifty SAR technique. We made three lowers to reach the base of the ice where other climbers, including the Western Washington University group, were waiting to assist. The two members of our group that had gone for help were returning with the RCMP and had a rescue litter. C slid on her butt down the trail with help from Reinhold and Huey dispatched rope teams to descend the hill and establish anchors for lowering the litter. When the litter arrived we had a continuous series of ropes ready to lower it, and downhill progress was smooth and rapid. At the road C declined treatment from the RCMP and declined the use of their ambulance. I drove her back to Lillooet in my vehicle and took her to the hospital. Later that night Reinhold drove her to UW Medical Center in Seattle where she underwent surgery. She left the hospital Tuesday and is expected to make a full recovery. The entire rescue took six hours and could not have gone much smoother. My group extended our most sincere thanks to Huey who was instrumental in the success and safety of the evacuation. We are also grateful to the other groups that were on hand and assisted with the rescue. And of course people will speak for years of Reinhold's superhuman feats of sustained exertion and maturity and presence of mind throughout the entire rescue. CLIMB SAFE Fromage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allthumbs Posted February 21, 2002 Share Posted February 21, 2002 Very impressive. I wish her a speedy recovery and commend you and all involved. Nice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
specialed Posted February 21, 2002 Share Posted February 21, 2002 Why change dudes name? If he did something noteworthy he should be recognized for it. And why did she refuse the ambulance? Skeptical of Canadian doctors or they wouldn't take her insurance or what? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lambone Posted February 21, 2002 Share Posted February 21, 2002 We drove by at about 5:00 to check out ice conditions. Saw a big group of people hanging out above, but nothing looked out of the ordinary. Then we drove off. Would have helped if we knew what was going on, but it sounds like you all had it well covered. Nice work, hope that leg heals quickly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vegetablebelay Posted February 21, 2002 Share Posted February 21, 2002 quote: Originally posted by Fromage: She bounced down the gully, stopping in a patch of snow about 40 feet from the edge of the upper pitch of vertical ice. Total fall was about 100 vertical feet. Wow, she was extremely fortunate not to have gone that additional 40 feet. She's got a lot to be thankful for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobody Posted February 21, 2002 Share Posted February 21, 2002 I take it she was "unprotected" at the time? Or I am I an idiot and missed that part? Is that the "chute" that has a large tree in it...the upper flow of the Rambles? Just curious... Sounds like you guys did a really good job getting her out of a shitty situation. Good training, calm heads, and team work can save the day. U DA MAN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fromage Posted February 21, 2002 Author Share Posted February 21, 2002 To answer your guys' questions... Specialed- I didn't use real names because I don't know if my friends want their superhero cover blown. Once word spreads on CC, it's all over. She refused the ambulance because 1. my truck was right there 2. my truck has tunes and the shocks are so soft that it's like a couch. Nobody- Correct, she was not roped in when she fell, but she was on practically level terrain, a traverse we had all made about ten times. It was the chute at the upper flow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erik Posted February 21, 2002 Share Posted February 21, 2002 nice work guys!!!!! man soundz like us washingtontonians are two for two this year with successful rescue/aid assistance...... speedy recovery to the injured person... i'll always buy rescuers beer for hard work....!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
layton Posted February 21, 2002 Share Posted February 21, 2002 Hey, glad the Outdoor center and I could help. It's all we could do for sieging every damn climb we went to. One of our participants brought a radio. 1st time I've ever had one of those yuppy-talkies and had to use it. Go figure, that's probably what made her slip. If you have it, your gonna wind up using it (except for that 3 year old condom in all of your wallets---you dirty bastards). Anyway, beers can be dropped off or mailed to the Outdoor Center, Western Wa Univ, Bellingham Wa 98225. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erik Posted February 21, 2002 Share Posted February 21, 2002 nice work guyz no beer for kidz [ 02-21-2002: Message edited by: erik ] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
layton Posted February 22, 2002 Share Posted February 22, 2002 No beer for kidz? Well then, I guess we can put her back at the top of the climb just as easy as we helped her down Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fromage Posted February 22, 2002 Author Share Posted February 22, 2002 Ah, Monsieur Layton, it would not be so easy to put her back up. Her leg is so full of steel you would need a 3:1 just to lift her foot. If we are going on "no beer for kidz" then I am sure we could arrange a batch of other goodies. Believe me when I say she is a brownie chef par excellence. These babies get you up WI 4, guaranteed. Oh la la. Fromage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
layton Posted February 22, 2002 Share Posted February 22, 2002 Sounds like our injured friend needs those baked goods more than anyone. Hope she's doing good and is back in the mountains soon! That was some great teamwork up there. Super Resuce Man was so relaxed up there, I bet he ate a few batches when we weren't lookin'. Where did you find this guy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishstick Posted February 22, 2002 Share Posted February 22, 2002 "Super Rescue Man" is Canadian. All Canadians are relaxed on ice. Just look at our women's hockey team. GB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fromage Posted February 22, 2002 Author Share Posted February 22, 2002 He was indeed Canadian and also very relaxed. And you should have seen the touk he was wearing, eh. "Super Rescue Man" was one of the three climbers that followed two of my teammates and I up the right side of the Rambles to reach the upper tier. I hung out with him at the belays and chatted for a bit before we split up. They were climbing the sick variations on the WI 4 pillar when we came back to climb that pitch to the left. Congrats to the Canuck ladies last night, but we'll see how things go with the men tonight. So...Fishstick, are you a frozen fishstick? Off to Rainier this weekend to practice crevasse rescue in the parking lot and dig snow caves. My ice climbing season, c'est fini pour l'instant. Au revoir mes copains. Fromage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dru Posted February 25, 2002 Share Posted February 25, 2002 quote: Originally posted by Fromage: Congrats to the Canuck ladies last night, but we'll see how things go with the men tonight. Fromage 5-2!!!!!!!!!!!What does it feel like to get your ass kicked like that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allthumbs Posted February 25, 2002 Share Posted February 25, 2002 We can handle it. How does it feel to know it took ya 50 years to do it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dru Posted February 25, 2002 Share Posted February 25, 2002 the russians won it most of those years anyways until we let them join the NHL then look what it did to them. fuckin swedes still looking for Belarus on the map "Whatt hitt mee??" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allthumbs Posted February 25, 2002 Share Posted February 25, 2002 too much vodka rots the russian peabrain ...some russian women give me a hardon [ 02-25-2002: Message edited by: trask ] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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