A PLEA TO ALL CLIMBERS

Thanks, but I won't edit shit. I wanted all climbers to read this. Even the douche bags. So far mission accomplished.
P.S. I don't care that some of you don't THINK it would help, because I KNOW that it would. It's hard to rig rappells with bees crawling up your nose and out your mouth.

Sorry about the bees, the face shield will not do much in case of a major attack, epi pen maybe....
EPI PEN Robbie refer to your physician and pharmacist for how and when to use. Benadryl after the fact is a good idea. For YOU its epi pen since you already had this event.
P.S. Robbie you should eat honey as much as you can, also use burts beez beauty products to desensitize you to venum....btw hope the damage to the face is not permanent.....get well!

Regarding bees - I got stung once 6 months ago at the waterfall. I though "no big deal, I have been stung many times before." I ended up having a serious allergic reaction for the first time, having been stung dozens of times before. My face and throat swelled, I had trouble breathing, and couldn't talk, all 30 minutes from the road. Some Benedryl kicked in half way out and made a terrifying situation much more manageable. I recommend that every climber keep a couple of Benedryls in their packs from now on. Mine sat unused for 10 years in my pack, but I was very happy to have it.

And for those of you that can't take anything seriously - show some respect and just don't post if can't take the death of a fellow climber seriously.

Robbie Mackley wrote:http://mountainproject.com/images/96/83/106869683_large_343e3f.jpg This is me after 1500+ stings. It's nothing to fuck around with or joke about. Thank you for your time.

Damn man, you are lucky to be alive!

+healthy recovery!

we just gotta worry about ticks with diseases here

The Countess of Monterey wrote:Sorry about the bees, the face shield will not do much in case of a major attack, epi pen maybe....

Please read the post directly above yours.

Johnson's death, of course, is tragic.

OP's survival is miraculous.

Benadryl is a good idea.

Advocating ALL CLIMBERS carry a bee keeper hood while climbing is impractical at best.

Hope that clears it up for the indignant DQs.

Just one more intuitive question (I am not trying to be a dick) but isn't the mask useless unless you are wearing it one hundred percent of the time? Most likely, if you are climbing and come across a hive of killer bees at head height they are going to be swarming your face before you have time to react, much less unclip a headnet and properly secure it to your head.... If you even happen to put it on wouldn't you just be trapping very angry bees are your head? I understand maybe hiking in general but I do not think that this would be a good practice when executed under 'real world' circumstances...

Colonel Mustard wrote:Johnson's death, of course, is tragic. OP's survival is miraculous. Benadryl is a good idea. Advocating ALL CLIMBERS carry a bee keeper hood while climbing is impractical at best. Hope that clears it up for the indignant DQs.

Who said bee keepers hood? I said head net, the kind common amongst backpackers and fishermen. Read the whole thread next time.

Your question is based on speculation. My advice has roots in experience. My attack lasted well over the time it would take to secure one. Trap some angry bees, yes, but it will keep a lot more out. Feel free to read my story in an old thread, it has been linked on this thread.

From the sound of it, a bee attack could be pretty brutal:

abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=…;page=1#.UYvMXpUTtFQ

Jeremy Hand wrote:Just one more intuitive question (I am not trying to be a dick) but isn't the mask useless unless you are wearing it one hundred percent of the time? . . . If you even happen to put it on wouldn't you just be trapping very angry bees are your head?

I thought that too at first but a quick google search revealed that africanized bees die after stinging you once, so I suppose putting on the head net after the fact has at least some benefit, for whatever that's worth.

Eric G. wrote: I thought that too at first but a quick google search revealed that africanized bees die after stinging you once, so I suppose putting on the head net after the fact has at least some benefit, for whatever that's worth.

Oh dang, I totally ASSumed the opposite! +1 for headnets in the SW

Robbie Mackley wrote: Who said bee keepers hood? I said head met, the kind common amongst backpackers and fishermen. Read the whole thread next time.

Semantics. Generalizing isolated incidents to the ENTIRE community seems a big leap to me. Yours is merely another suggestion, not the only one. You seem, like some others here, to be looking for a reason to be angry.

No anger involved. And this suggestion ^ from a known troll? Thanks but no thanks man.

Lots of good advice in this thread regarding epi and antihistamines.

I'd like to add some ideas though.

Epi is simply amazing, but if you're gonna carry it please make sure you know how it works and how/when to administer.

Having more than one shot of Epi can be a really good thing. Epi lasts for about 15 minutes. Getting benadryl on board before or during that time is crucial.

Epi is no joke. Epi works because it causes serious vasoconstriction. This can do crazy things to your blood pressure. Maintaining an airway and breathing comes first, but be prepared for the results of a massive blast of what is essentially adrenaline. Monitor blood pressure.

As always, talk with your doctor when you are being prescribed the epi. Explain how you would possible use it, and practice at home with a similar sized prop. Jog in place and then hold your breath. Then retrieve your prop from where you would normally keep your epi in your pack or whatnot.

Decent wiki article: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epine…

Robbie Mackley wrote:No anger involved. And this suggestion from a known troll? Thanks but no thanks man.

Having bad things happen to you doesn't make you an expert. It means you had bad luck and/or bad judgment. I should know, I've had both before!

I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm just saying it's generally impractical and that the hyperbole you are introducing around this event is all your own creation.

Apology accepted.

Nice edit.

Last summer I was on the GT ledge in the Gunks and some guy(who was belaying a leader on pitch 2 of Red Pillar) accidentally stepped into some brush and angered a large swarm of bees(or wasps, I'm not really sure what they were.) In a panic he ran toward me and my partner, unclipping his ATC and holding it out towards me desperately. I took over the belay for him while trying to swat away the little bastards that were now attacking me and my partner. By the time the swarm dispersed this poor guy was covered head to toe in stings and his face was swollen to epic proportions. Luckily we were able to lower him to the ground and I assume he made it out OK... though we never found out.

Even if a bee attack isn't large enough kill someone it can easily startle and distract enough to cause death. This fellow was not clipped in to any sort of belay and could have easily fallen to his death in a panic. Had we not been there to take over the belay and the leader had fallen he could have died as well. Even a few bees can startled enough to cause an ill-timed leader fall.

Always look for signs and sounds of bee activity ESPECIALLY in less-traveled areas. Beeeeee careful.

Robbie Mackley wrote:Nice edit.

I'm known ;).