EISPIRATEN

On Sunday I took my brother-in-law up Baldy for his first winter mountaineering experience and we saw first hand how dangerous the mountains can be - especially if you are unprepared and make poor choices.

After climbing the west side of the bowl face (out of the trees but not up any of the chutes) and summiting around 9:30am, we hiked back to the hut using the normal trail down through the trees and the boulder field. About 300 yards west of the spring we came upon two men, one sitting down in obvious pain and another providing basic medical attention to the man sitting down. The injured young man, a 22 year old solo climber, had attempted to climb directly up the center of the bowl without an ice axe. As he neared the top of the bowl his legs gave out from fatigue and he fell about 400-500 feet before he luckily slid into some exposed scree and came to a stop. Below is a picture of his fall path (from the victim's description - I also circled another climber just for perspective)



After assisiting with basic first aid we helped the climber (who was able to walk unassisted) to the ski hut for further evaluation.

The climber suffered severe scrapes to his face, hands, forearms, stomach, side torso, and knees. He lost all four finger nails on each hand from trying to dig his hands into the snow during his fall. And he had two severe puncture/lacerations on his right calf from his crampons.

After some further first aid at the hut the climber refused our request to call SAR (he was determined to hike out solo) so we helped him hike back to his car at Manker Flats. We drove behind him until we all reached the fire station at the top of Mountain Ave, where he stopped to call his parents.

It is lucky he survived his fall.

What makes me REALLY mad though is that he fell past two other climbers -- one of them even retrieved and hiked his trekking pole down about 75 feet to him -- but neither of them offered to help assist him after the fall they just continued on their own climbs up the bowl. Leaving him to descend 500 feet injured and alone.

There are probably many opinions on one's obligation to be a good samaratin, but it seems to me that those of us that climb all share the same passion and we all take a certain amount of risk while we enjoy our sport so we ought to be willing to help when someone is in need -- I know I would want help if I fell and I would guess those of you reading this would also welcome the help if injured.

My last thought. . .never climb without an ice axe. It may not save you but it will sure give you a better chance at self-arrest than your finger nails.

Climb safe.

I'll never understand why someone would climb the bowl in these conditions without an axe. I'll keep my other 'opinions' to myself, since I was not there, but still...

Glad to hear he's OK.

gregp909 wrote:What makes me REALLY mad though is that he fell past two other climbers -- one of them even retrieved and hiked his trekking pole down about 75 feet to him -- but neither of them offered to help assist him after the fall they just continued on their own climbs up the bowl. Leaving him to descend 500 feet injured and alone.

Your story is a little inaccurate. The two climbers you talk about, was me, and my hiking partner who witnessed the whole thing. He did not "fall past two other climbers". We had just started our climb up the bowl, and when we had first arrived at the ski hut, we saw him about midway up the bowl, so by the time we had started, he was up in one of the chutes. I stopped for a second to talk with my friend, when we heard some yelling at the top of the bowl, look up, and we see him sliding down. Luckily coming to a stop. I notice a trekking pole sliding the rest of the way down the bowl, originally assuming it was his ice ax. I retrieve the trekking pole, and push a couple hundred feet to where he was sitting.

I was the first to get to him, he had already started bandaging up his hands with gauze, wrap, and duct tape. I talked to him for a little bit and told him to sit for a little while longer while, concentrating on getting his heart rate down and the adrenaline to subside. He was pretty shaken up. I offered first aid, food, water, but he was persistent on that he was fine. My hiking partner made it up to where we were sitting and we talked a little longer. We offered to hike down with him, but he continually refused the offer. He made it over to some of the exposed talus, and slowly worked his way down the bowl. I kept and eye on him the entire time.

We asked him numerous times if he wanted us to hike down with him, but every time he assured us that he was fine, and just needed to get down to the ski hut. Honestly, I didnt know what to do. Your left in an awkward position. When we first started up the bowl and watched him fall, we didnt think he was going to stop, and another recap of what happened on the 23rd was about to happen again. The chute he was climbing was just a little to the left from your picture.

You can be "mad" all you want, but honestly, in that situation, I didnt know what to do. When you have someone continually telling you that they are okay, what do you do? I offered him everything I could, and was willing to do whatever it takes. You just find yourself stuck.

I appreciate your response and correction to my report. I did not see the fall so I relied on the climber's own words and in his own estimation he felt abandoned on the mountain with some serious down climbing still to do. I apologize if I mischaracterized your effort - I am glad you tried to help!

You are correct he was very stubborn and tired to refuse help eventhough he clearly needed it. When we arrived he had considerable bleeding from his calf that took some good effort to control. He was definately in a state of shock when we arrived, he was disoriented, shaking uncontrolably and had trouble with his speech (and obviously had trouble with his understanding and recollection of you and your partner's assistance). He was also very concerned about the cost of SAR that he or his family might have to pay so he wanted to try and make it out on his own. In a resuce situation you are taught that the victim will not think clearly and that as a first responder you need to make your own judgements on how to handle a situation. Based on our own assessment he needed the level of help we provided.

Sadly, we learned during our hike out that he had recently been diagnosed with cancer and his climb this day was mostly about his emotional need to not let his diagnosis and treatment define his life. He admitted that a recent chemo treatment left him feeling weak and that he bit off more than he could handle in the bowl. It is troubling too that this was his second fall in the bowl (once last year) -- both times without an axe.

The good news is that he will recover from his injuries.

I had no idea about the cancer issue. He did ask me if his hand would need stitches, but wasnt a deep cut, just ice rash. I asked him about his legs and he said it was nothing serious.

This was an eye opening experience. You read about these accidents that happen, but actually being there, and trying to understand what to do is another story. The conditions that day were indeed icy. Why someone would attempt to try and climb the bowl without the proper equipment is beyond me. But it happens. He is very lucky he didnt continue his slide the rest of the way down the bowl, or hit any of the exposed rocks at a high rate of speed.

I appreciate knowing that he was able to get help once at the bottom of the bowl and make it out safely.

Wow, another one! Yeah, conditions are dangerous right now. We went up last Thursday and climbed two chutes, both of them being pretty icy and firm. I was wearing regular backpacking boots and it was definitely very tiring on my legs and feet. I pretty much powered through the last steeper stretch because my feet got too tired.

On a side note, we came across three guys at the hut that were planning on going to the summit and they were wearing footwear similar to the 'toe shoes' you can buy at REI. Luckily they only made it a few feet past the hut before they couldn't go any further.

Wow, this story is quite bizarre. If you can carry trekking poles and crampons why can't you carry an ice ax? Twice in two years... sounds like the best thing you could have done is given him a copy of Freedom of the Hills. Also, who lets their immuno-compromised and weakened son/friend/brother go climbing anywhere solo? Aghh, this is ridiculous.

Zach wrote:Also, who lets their immuno-compromised and weakened son/friend/brother go climbing anywhere solo? Aghh, this is ridiculous.

Well, it sounds like he's a stubborn fella, so who knows, he might've just gone anyway even though people told him not to.

He was also very concerned about the cost of SAR that he or his family might have to pay so he wanted to try and make it out on his own.

I'll take this opportunity to chime in. Rescue is free!

Please spread the word. This guy could have sustained greater injury during his determined effort to get down.

Kevedge, thanks for helping out. I know what you mean about the awkward situation. In this situation, it's up to you, and nobody should judge your actions. You did the right thing.

gregp909 wrote:He lost all four finger nails on each hand from trying to dig his hands into the snow during his fall.

OUCH!!!

bkk030580 wrote:

He was also very concerned about the cost of SAR that he or his family might have to pay so he wanted to try and make it out on his own.

I'll take this opportunity to chime in. Rescue is free!

Wait, it is?! So, if the chopper flies you out, you won't get charged?! Not that I ever plan on using it but that's good to know!

The stubbornness etc could be a result of head injury, concussion etc.
There's not too much you can do for someone who is that stubborn except try to talk some very frank seriousness into them.

That and maybe follow them or keep an eye on them.

Yes, rescue is free; other than a private air or ground ambulance.
I wish we had an insurance type system like CO. (at least from what I've heard)

luciano136 wrote:

bkk030580 wrote:

He was also very concerned about the cost of SAR that he or his family might have to pay so he wanted to try and make it out on his own.

I'll take this opportunity to chime in. Rescue is free!

Wait, it is?! So, if the chopper flies you out, you won't get charged?! Not that I ever plan on using it but that's good to know!

That is correct. You will NOT be charged for a SAR response including the costs associated with possible rescue by a taxpayer funded resource like a fire or sheriff helicopter. USFS and NPS personnel that may be involved in a SAR operation are also part of taxpayer funded resources that will lend assistance.

Almost 100% of the members of the SAR teams in most of the US are volunteers working under the authority of the agency(ies) responsible for SAR outside of urban settings.

We donate our time and expertise to give back to a community we all care about a great deal.

SAR personnel are not there to judge how or why someone got into trouble, but are there to help resolve the situation.

There is a significant misconception about this fact among many in the outdoor community. Those of us in the SAR community are very concerned about the consequences of continuous exposure to bad information. It can AND HAS resulted in people not calling, delaying a call for assistance, or hiding from rescuers. These delays often increase the risks associated with a SAR mission for both the rescuers and rescuees.

That isn't to say that you may not be charged for transport in a private ambulance (just like if you needed transport from a auto accident) or face fines if you are found to have broken the law in some way (this would be a law enforcement, not SAR matter), but bottom line, WE WANT PEOPLE TO CALL IF THEY NEED HELP.

Almost without exception, rescuers are opposed to charging for SAR operations.

http://www.mra.org/documents/MRAPressRe ... Rescue.pdf

http://www.mra.org/documents/NoBillforS ... 4-2009.pdf

It is really good to know that SAR is free. I had the impression that it would be like an ambulance ride that you (or hopefully insurance) would end up paying for. Not cheap!

Now that I know that, I guess I can ditch my heavy ice axe and crampons and replace them with YakTrax and one trekking pole with a rubberized tip! A lot of people in the local mountains seem to have figured this out already

Not that this is totally applicable, but I have been reading a lot about Mt. Everest lately and I found this today http://www.everestnews.com/2006expediti ... 312006.htm and it was interesting to me.

Here's a page on the CO card.

.http://dola.colorado.gov/dlg/fa/sar/sar_purchase.html

It seems to be just a little $ to help out SAR volunteers. Here, volunteers are usually out of pocket on a lot of things and anything they get (if anything) is from sponsoring department's general funds.

Here's a blog I found on the SAR subject listing a couple of insurance options; some pretty low cost.
http://www.backpacker.com/blogs/62


Back to the original subject, hope the fallee is recovering well. No fingernails is gonna be a daily pain for a year or so.

I recall one of my SAR friends telling me once that in California the agency can sue the recipient in civil court for up tp $10K in cost recovery, but they must prove "gross negilgence", which is apparently tough to do.

I wouldn't be surprised to see legislation or an "insurance" system in the future to deal with this issue as more "SPOT" and PLB initiated call-outs are made for non-emergencies.

I'd be willing to pay a small insurance fee for it.

gregp909 wrote:...Now that I know that, I guess I can ditch my heavy ice axe and crampons and replace them with YakTrax and one trekking pole with a rubberized tip!...

Dave G is correct. A fee for SAR may be recovered if negligence is proven. The ambulance ride though is never free. They are private contractors, not a government agency.