Unroped climber falls in a narrow icy crevasse on Denali

Regional discussion and conditions reports for Canada and Alaska. Please post partners requests and trip plans in the Canada and Alaska Climbing Partners forum.
User Avatar
clmbr

 
Posts: 678
Joined: Sat Jun 02, 2007 6:21 am
Thanked: 131 times in 91 posts

Unroped climber falls in a narrow icy crevasse on Denali

by clmbr » Wed Jun 14, 2017 5:07 pm


The following user would like to thank clmbr for this post
GlacierCountry, Jesus Malverde, Tonka

User Avatar
Jesus Malverde

 
Posts: 380
Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2001 1:17 pm
Thanked: 140 times in 90 posts

Re: Unroped climber falls in a narrow icy crevasse on Denali

by Jesus Malverde » Sat Jun 17, 2017 1:02 am

THIS.. is why going solo lower down (ladder and pole aside) scares the shit out of me...

no avatar
Steve Gruhn

 
Posts: 112
Joined: Fri Jan 14, 2005 11:31 pm
Thanked: 19 times in 16 posts

Re: Unroped climber falls in a narrow icy crevasse on Denali

by Steve Gruhn » Mon Jun 26, 2017 7:27 am


The following user would like to thank Steve Gruhn for this post
Stu Brandel

User Avatar
ExcitableBoy

 
Posts: 3666
Joined: Wed Nov 09, 2005 9:33 am
Thanked: 663 times in 496 posts

Re: Unroped climber falls in a narrow icy crevasse on Denali

by ExcitableBoy » Mon Jun 26, 2017 2:36 pm

I broke through three crevasses on the boot path between the KIA and 14k. I was roped of course, but I met plenty of folks who were soloing. So pointless.

User Avatar
nickmech

 
Posts: 216
Joined: Tue Aug 10, 2004 10:50 pm
Thanked: 7 times in 7 posts

Re: Unroped climber falls in a narrow icy crevasse on Denali

by nickmech » Tue Jun 27, 2017 6:37 am

That is an amazing story of the rescue effort and his interview in the hospital.

User Avatar
ExcitableBoy

 
Posts: 3666
Joined: Wed Nov 09, 2005 9:33 am
Thanked: 663 times in 496 posts

Re: Unroped climber falls in a narrow icy crevasse on Denali

by ExcitableBoy » Tue Jun 27, 2017 3:03 pm

I was irritated by his comment that it was safer to not rope up because he had a sled and a two man party. There are techniques to safely climb with a two man party on glaciers (e.g. butterfly knots in the rope) and that skis would have been safer. I had a partner, two man rope team, both of us on skis in the Ruth Gorge who broke through a crevasse and fell all the way in, the rope never coming tight on me because of the butterfly knots in the rope. So, skis are not failsafe, and there are techniques you can use. And using trekking poles instead of an ice axe is not safe. I saw lots of Euros wearing full down suits, soloing, and crossing the Autobahn with just trekking poles. Scary.

The following user would like to thank ExcitableBoy for this post
96avs01

User Avatar
clmbr

 
Posts: 678
Joined: Sat Jun 02, 2007 6:21 am
Thanked: 131 times in 91 posts

Re: Unroped climber falls in a narrow icy crevasse on Denali

by clmbr » Tue Jun 27, 2017 6:39 pm

ExcitableBoy wrote:I was irritated by his comment that it was safer to not rope up because he had a sled and a two man party. There are techniques to safely climb with a two man party on glaciers (e.g. butterfly knots in the rope) and that skis would have been safer. I had a partner, two man rope team, both of us on skis in the Ruth Gorge who broke through a crevasse and fell all the way in, the rope never coming tight on me because of the butterfly knots in the rope. So, skis are not failsafe, and there are techniques you can use. And using trekking poles instead of an ice axe is not safe. I saw lots of Euros wearing full down suits, soloing, and crossing the Autobahn with just trekking poles. Scary.

"He said climbers go to the mountains to "find their limits." He started a year ago to climb the "Seven Summits," the highest mountains on each continent, and joked that he exceeded 100 percent of his limit by spending 15 hours trapped in the ice."

Personally I don’t go to the mountains to find my limits. The only limit one may find is death.

I cannot imagine crevasse navigation, especially crevasse crossing, without ice tools and crampons (with front points). Unless there is an easy walk out way, no one alone can get out of a crevasse without those tools. While attempting a bridge (especially questionable), the climber should/must expect to fall and estimate the potential consequences, take the necessary precautions and be ready to properly react; otherwise, it’s ignorance, arrogance or, simply, counting on luck (don’t want to name that).

And yes, getting stack in a narrow icy crevasse has always been my nightmare.

The following user would like to thank clmbr for this post
attimount

User Avatar
ExcitableBoy

 
Posts: 3666
Joined: Wed Nov 09, 2005 9:33 am
Thanked: 663 times in 496 posts

Re: Unroped climber falls in a narrow icy crevasse on Denali

by ExcitableBoy » Tue Jun 27, 2017 7:56 pm

Some of the best climbers in the world have died falling into crevasses unroped and some have luckily survived such falls (Reinhold Messner, Colin Haley). Glaciers are indifferent to how good a climber you are, they are equal opportunity hazards.

User Avatar
boyblue

 
Posts: 191
Joined: Sat Feb 15, 2003 9:30 am
Thanked: 111 times in 66 posts

Re: Unroped climber falls in a narrow icy crevasse on Denali

by boyblue » Thu Jun 29, 2017 4:01 am

I first read a more complete version of this story in the AAJ (1983 edition I think). It has certainly haunted me for many years.

http://www.upi.com/Archives/1981/05/25/Climber-visits-family-of-man-he-had-to-leave-in-crevasse/8346359611200/

The following user would like to thank boyblue for this post
clmbr

User Avatar
clmbr

 
Posts: 678
Joined: Sat Jun 02, 2007 6:21 am
Thanked: 131 times in 91 posts

Re: Unroped climber falls in a narrow icy crevasse on Denali

by clmbr » Thu Jun 29, 2017 4:31 pm

(Rather) no one goes to the mountains with suicide thoughts. No one even expect to die there (why would one?). And yet some of us "never come back", sometimes even from easy (reasonably safe) attempts. It is foolish to think we are invincible. And yet there are so many ignorants among us.


Return to Canada and Alaska

 


  • Related topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests

cron