Climber Lost in Whiteout on Mt Hood

[stevetimetravlr]

After finding out that the rescued guy is more of a backpacker(he hiked the entire Pacific Crest trail this summer) then a climber, I am prepared to give him a pass in that he got in over his head. My big gripe with the guy is that he downplayed the whole thing after the fact, instead of being humble and admiting that he screwed up. I think folks need to be called on their BS when their actions put other peoples lives in jeopardy. Most rescues are due to accidents, injuries, unforeseen extreme weather, and those are the rescues that are understandable and acceptable. To me, this rescue was not one of those. The guy was unprepared for what is a given up there in winter and then got scared when he got caught with his pants down. But maybe we can all let it rest because I think we all know that now.

[JosephH]

...unforeseen extreme weather...

 

Your point is well taken in general, but with regard to this, how often does 'extreme weather' materialize out of the blue? Rarely I think, and it certainly hasn't been the case in most incidents on the mountain we've seen in recent years where the weather windows have been predictable and obvious to anyone bothering to look at detailed weather data. Rather, either the forecast wasn't consulted or, seemingly in a lot of cases, judgment calls have been made again and again to go with short windows.

[rob]

It's one thing to call someone on their bullshit but it's another to choose to communicate in a manner that makes you look like a total cockass. He should have made himself walk off that mountain or die trying, then he would have learned his lesson. Fuck him in his ass and anyone else who disagrees with me because I'm just a bold guy so I get to act like a total ass to people I dont even know. Blah blah blah you sound like an angry old man already, Scott. You need to lighten up about shit. You're gonna pull your sphincter muscle

[tvashtarkatena]

Surprise weather shadows the inexperienced.

 

It's like tornadoes and trailer parks.

 

 

[obwan]

tvashtarkatena ( I still can't pronounce this):

You are correct - let this go, the punishment does not fit the crime. I will admit that most of the advice presented is good - but for now, his ass is alive - and maybe not worth all of this spray. He did what he had to with the cards he was dealt - and the climbing world is not a perfect place.

I've been in whiteouts on the Muir Snowfield and sure enough if you don't have a plan, then shit happens.

[JasonG]

I got my ass of a mountain with a 7.62 round in my leg and a shattered tibia.

 

Post a TR!

[JosephH]

It's like tornadoes and trailer parks.

That also involves a case of a single-purpose technology advance [refrigeration], eliminating a dual-purpose utility [root cellars] with unintended consequences.

[Mtguide]

I'm from Washington Chris and we grow them a little bigger here. Thats not a crevasse, thats a rugosity. and its also down the mountain aways where visibility is going to be much better.

 

Bill as you know I've walked many a mile already. Get it done! Are you suggesting climbing Hood next week, thats what I got from it. Ok, lets do it, all you can handle!

 

 

 

A crevasse of almost any size or depth is a legitimate hazard if you step off into it unaware, whether in a whiteout or into a well-covered one in broad daylight. Just because it's not 100 feet deep doesn't much matter. You can fall 10 feet and be seriously injured or die if you hit right. The same goes for avalanche hazard; it doesn't take a whole mountainside to bury you, just enough to cover you up and suffocate you. A small hillside that covers you 2 feet deep is just as effective as slide that buries you 30 feet under. I think the hiker/climber in this case did the right thing by stopping where he was. I think we've all heard the principle that an experienced climber on an extreme route is safer than a novice climber on an easy route, and I think it applies in this case. Any mountain can kill in the right conditions, it doesn't have to be Rainier, Waddington or Denali; Little Si or Pinnacle Peak will do just fine, let alone Hood. He was at least smart enough to know when he was over his head. I can't exactly support his lack of humility afterward, but in the crunch he made a good decision.

[trainwreck]

This thread is more epic than the guy's rescue.

[jon]

This thread is more epic than the guy's rescue.

 

This thread is hairier then Chewbacca's nutz.

[matt_warfield]

Still pales in comparison to the flu thread.

 

To go viral maybe you have to have the flu without a flu shot, get into a whiteout on Hood, and use Facebook. Then add a romantic aspect a la rmncwtr's novels and perhaps failed equipment and the thread could exceed the Kardashians.

Edited December 10, 2012 by matt_warfield

[stevetimetravlr]

Yes Mtnguide, anyone can die anywhere doing anything. Agreed.

[denalidave]

Yes Mtnguide, anyone can die anywhere doing anything. Agreed.

Unless you drink enough tequila, then you become "invinazsable"...

[stevetimetravlr]

I can't see you Dave....!

[akhalteke]

I got my ass of a mountain with a 7.62 round in my leg and a shattered tibia.

 

Post a TR!

 

You have a SIPR account?

[JasonG]

Ummmmmm.....no. There's no de-classified version of the story?

[Choada_Boy]

Thank you for allowing me to post to this important thread.

[JosephH]

Kalashnikov no doubt. Glad it wasn't one of those ancient brit .303 jobs.

[glassgowkiss]

I got my ass of a mountain with a 7.62 round in my leg and a shattered tibia.

 

Post a TR!

 

You have a SEARS account?

[glassgowkiss]

Mods, pls move this shit to spray, where it belonged in the first place.

[ADKMan]

Well I think we have allowed ourselves to get off track on this one.

[KaskadskyjKozak]

Well I think we have allowed ourselves to get off track on this one.

 

Good point. Everyone needs a kick in the nuts as punishment.

[Major Major]

The true attraction to this incident is not the incident itself, but rather the perpetual discourse and attention this conversation has stirred up. It’s as if one’s attention is solely focused on the blurry foreground when a more relevant reality remains in the details of the background. Friends: this is not about a single incident on a mountain. The incident, ironically, is about us. It’s a necessity; we are compelled to poke and prod our judgment into this climbing incident. My theory: we are all trying to find ways to justify and/or navigate our actions on the mountain (and, more importantly, in life). It’s not about which side you take in this conversation — whether labeling a climber’s naiveté or praising his good judgment to seek help — that matters most. I assure you, your point of view on this topic will change from time to time, as your experience changes. It’s that we all grapple with the reality that we have or someday will enter risky climbing situations; and some of us will experience pain, and yet we proceed willingly. We somehow think that the way we judge this and other incidents will prevent, save and/or exonerate us from similar situations in the future, but in many cases it won’t, and it doesn’t matter. For as you know, climbing is inherently risky. When I read this discussion, the real tragedy I observe is neither the incident nor the judgment of another climber. It’s the tragedy of lacking self-reflection. In self-reflection, that is, in asking, “Why am I compelled to enter this conversation? To judge this man? To justify his actions? (or whatever)”, a climber can ask an even more important question: “Who am I as a climber?” The fact is, there is a certain compulsion and psychosis that goes along with climbing that cannot be controlled, but if we take a step back, we might be able to perceive this reality and accept it our own lives. I’ve enjoyed the volley of this conversation as much as I’ve enjoyed analyzing my own climbing philosophy.

[Water]

[obwan]

Water - You funny!