Goodro's accident

M Clunewrote:

Some dudes was up there knocking down plenty today. There were unsuspecting hikers below that nearly took some head shots. If you wanna do a good deed have a spotter below you so they don’t get smoked by your trundling.

Cheeses, what a choss show.

The odd thing is its not hard to get to the base of the climb, I've been to a family reunion in the picnic area and brought a handful of total n000bs up there to climb the 5.6 right next to it.  I hope it wasn't too long of a wait for SAR, that would have been a horrible horrible wait...

M Mwrote:

The odd thing is its not hard to get to the base of the climb, I've been to a family reunion in the picnic area and brought a handful of total n000bs up there to climb the 5.6 right next to it.  I hope it wasn't too long of a wait for SAR, that would have been a horrible horrible wait...

Getting up to the base isn't the issue, it's getting an injured patient down. 

Creed Archibaldwrote:

Wasn’t there a similar death some years back? Someone climbing early spring in BCC and a huge block came out? 

I remember that, I think the block chopped the guy's rope. I believe he was new-routing, but I don't recall the details. If so, it's a little bit of a different situation from a popular accessible route, but still super sad either way. BCC has some great rock but a lot of chossy too.

RIP to the deceased climber.

Eric Chabotwrote:

I remember that, I think the block chopped the guy's rope. I believe he was new-routing, but I don't recall the details. If so, it's a little bit of a different situation from a popular accessible route, but still super sad either way. BCC has some great rock but a lot of chossy too.

RIP to the deceased climber.

https://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13201215922

Just throwing this out there because I think it’s relevant, we did S-Direct a few days ago and the several pitches getting up to the slab were some of the sketchiest, loosest, and objectively most dangerous climbing I’ve done in a long long time. I haven’t done much in the canyons here but I think this winter absolutely decimated a large portion of the climbing. It seemed like every single hold we grabbed was detached, and often holding together a jenga pile of other loose blocks, there were loose rocks every square inch of horizontal rock with some huge ones rocking and sliding. It was impossible not to shower your belayer on every pitch just from the rope lightly touching anything. I can’t imagine how that route could ever be cleaned up, it would be an industrial effort and even then I don’t think I’ll ever get in it again via the normal approach pitches to the slab. Be careful, this spring has been brutal so far!

Tanner Jameswrote:

Just throwing this out there because I think it’s relevant, we did S-Direct a few days ago and the several pitches getting up to the slab were some of the sketchiest, loosest, and objectively most dangerous climbing I’ve done in a long long time. I haven’t done much in the canyons here but I think this winter absolutely decimated a large portion of the climbing. It seemed like every single hold we grabbed was detached, and often holding together a jenga pile of other loose blocks, there were loose rocks every square inch of horizontal rock with some huge ones rocking and sliding. It was impossible not to shower your belayer on every pitch just from the rope lightly touching anything. I can’t imagine how that route could ever be cleaned up, it would be an industrial effort and even then I don’t think I’ll ever get in it again via the normal approach pitches to the slab. Be careful, this spring has been brutal so far!

This S-Direct?

https://www.mountainproject.com/route/105740654/s-direct

I have never been on it but it looks like it is one clean face. I am mistaken?

Edit, I just reread, "getting up to the slab" sorry for the mistake

There's also a sharp end podcast about the Rockwall that smashed to bolts on The Thumb. No one died but I believe the rope and one ear of the anchor got cut and some ended up with a broken hip.  

I was almost hit by a microwave that fell off above Betty's Altered Elbow in late April a few years back. Left our ropes with about 30 core shots as it hit them stacked on the ledge above the last double rap. 

Spring rockfall in the Wasatch is common even on low snow years. This is the time of year to exercise caution and approach everything as suspected until proven otherwise. Stay safe out there.  

Condolences to anyone who has been impacted by this tragedy.   Like avalanche reports the goal here is to learn from these events so that the community as a whole can be more safe/aware.  

sfotexwrote:

Getting up to the base isn't the issue, it's getting an injured patient down. 

From the multiple articles it sounded as if the first responders waited for SAR from 100' away which may or may not be true, I hope someone made it to them to assess and calm the situation right away.

Tanner Jameswrote:

Just throwing this out there because I think it’s relevant, we did S-Direct a few days ago and the several pitches getting up to the slab were some of the sketchiest, loosest, and objectively most dangerous climbing I’ve done in a long long time. I haven’t done much in the canyons here but I think this winter absolutely decimated a large portion of the climbing. It seemed like every single hold we grabbed was detached, and often holding together a jenga pile of other loose blocks, there were loose rocks every square inch of horizontal rock with some huge ones rocking and sliding. It was impossible not to shower your belayer on every pitch just from the rope lightly touching anything. I can’t imagine how that route could ever be cleaned up, it would be an industrial effort and even then I don’t think I’ll ever get in it again via the normal approach pitches to the slab. Be careful, this spring has been brutal so far!

Wow good to know - this is unrelated to the topic at hand - you should make another forum PSA for wasatch canyon climbers!!

BrokenChairs 88wrote:

Spring rockfall in the Wasatch is common even on low snow years. This is the time of year to exercise caution and approach everything as suspected until proven otherwise. Stay safe out there.  

Condolences to anyone who has been impacted by this tragedy.   Like avalanche reports the goal here is to learn from these events so that the community as a whole can be more safe/aware.  

Well said.  Worth repeating. 

M Clune, does that mean there was an effort to remove all the loose blocks from the route yesterday? Anyone have status/updates on what was pulled off by these dudes? There is a microwave size death block at the top of the route and I'm sure there are other substantial flakes elsewhere, that may not be as obvious to find, ready to come off... I wonder what will be left of this route once it's been cleaned to keep future climbers out of harm's way. Be safe friends!

A V wrote:

So that when a gigantic block comes out - your rope is now attached to that block? Sounds great

I already took it back up thread.

Yes, this route is just too chossy (Hat tip Marc) to climb it at all it seems.

Tradibanwrote:

Yes, this route is just too choosy to climb it at all it seems.

Chossy.

Connor Joneswrote: M Clune, does that mean there was an effort to remove all the loose blocks from the route yesterday? Anyone have status/updates on what was pulled off by these dudes? There is a microwave size death block at the top of the route and I'm sure there are other substantial flakes elsewhere, that may not be as obvious to find, ready to come off... I wonder what will be left of this route once it's been cleaned to keep future climbers out of harm's way. Be safe friends!

I watched for a bit from a distance to see what was going on, the dudes looked like they knew what they were doing. Most of the rock trundled was in the first 5-15ft of the route, the block that came off in the fatality appeared to be in the same area. I can’t speak to the current condition of the route but I have always been spooked by that are of the route.. hollow sounding rock, slick off fingers crack moves get you on the ramp heading to the roof, I’ve never fallen pulling that move thankfully.. a buddy of mine took a ground fall when he weighted a cam in the beginning and it ripped, luckily it’s close to the ground. I wonder now if when the cam was weighted the expandition of the lobes actually expanded the crack/block causing it to pop. This happened many years and likely many ascents ago. Spooky stuff.

Survivor of Deadly Rock Fall Accident Advocates for Outdoor Safety to Prevent Future Tragedies

Ambrose Curtiswrote:

Survivor of Deadly Rock Fall Accident Advocates for Outdoor Safety to Prevent Future Tragedies

What kind of outdoor safety?

Tradibanwrote:

What kind of outdoor safety?

Outdoor safety advocation was the the narrative the media organization felt the need to impose in the less than perfect title. "Heartfelt interview with survivor" would be more fitting. 

Ambrose Curtiswrote:

Outdoor safety advocation was the the narrative the media organization felt the need to impose in the less than perfect title. "Heartfelt interview with survivor" would be more fitting. 

Ok, how could this accident been prevented though?

Tradibanwrote:

Ok, how could this accident been prevented though?

Avoid climbing? Avoid being born, because it implies we will die? I don't have a useful answer. Perhaps others will. 

From the survivor, "I think we're always worried we could be the next one. But there's Beauty in that, that you're willing to live enough to get close to what could be the end. And I know that Kate passed in the greatest way, in the way she always would want to, which was doing the things she loved with the man she loved and smiling the entire time. And so you can't be scared because things will always happen. We took every risk precaution you know known to man and something bad still happened and you have to be okay with that. It doesn't make it easy it doesn't make it nice or happy but that's part of the sacrifice we make as people as individuals as a community so that we can save ourselves in so many other ways by being out there."