Continue with onX Maps
Sign in with Facebook
What happened in the Black?
|
https://gazette.com/news/local/search-and-rescue-teams-pull-unconscious-injured-climber-from-black-canyon/article_5d3c0a44-5195-11ee-b62d-1fd5d866131d.html |
Free Spiritwrote: |
|
I was there that day and one of my friends told me someone was running banging on the ranger station saying there partner was on a ledge and unresponsive and needed a helicopter. Probably around 8. I saw him around 10 and he said they were assessing the situation but absolutely no one showed up until at least noon, and no helicopter until like 4. But you could see her from the balanced rock lookout. Her partner said she fell on pitch 4 of the great white wall, all her gear ripped and her helmet cracked. Extremely sad and I don't know if she survived or not. The black is an extremely intense and remote place. Definitely had me and my partner extremely spooked. Especially because only the day before we had to do a full on Sars rescue for a lost hiker the ranger on duty asked us to do because no one else was there. Its remote and help is extremely limited |
|
Dylan The new Superintendent of the Black Canyon, Stuart West, introduced himself to the Park staff this spring as someone whose priority is to 'trim the fat'. He recently took the emergency response vehicles away from the two climbing rangers and for several weeks had the entire Park staff locked out of the Ranger station so that the Park was 'in compliance' with the Regional office. Monday, the Law Enforcement Division, the two Climbing Rangers and over 20 volunteers threw everything they had to get the patient out of the canyon. It was extraordinarily complex and dangerous and made even more challenging because of new park 'policies'. The North Rim in particular is egregiously neglected by Park administration. |
Ranging Climberwrote: I hope what I said didn't carry any criticism of anyone on the black's Sars team. As i have nothing but the upmost resect for everyone invlolved. I had heard from the ranger that we spoke to about the cutting of a climbing ranger and general park short staffedness. It's just very sad that the consequences of the superintendents decision was seen so quickly though. |
|
A little after 11am on Monday morning, the Black Canyon SAR team received a text call out to respond to the North Rim for an injured climber, reported to be unconscious on a ledge below the fourth pitch on Great White Wall in Long Draw after taking a sizable lead fall. At this point, many team members dropped what they were doing and responded from Crested Butte, Gunnison, Ouray, Grand Junction, and everywhere in between. This is a team of friends, climbers, and dedicated volunteers who train together once a month, spring through fall, every year; some of whom have been members since its inception nearly twenty years ago. It’s a true statement that the Black Canyon is “remote and help is extremely limited,” but it’s also a fact that over the years, climbers and rangers have developed a great relationship at the Black, and visiting climbers have come to understand that they can rely on a team of trained individuals who are intimately familiar with the terrain to respond to emergencies in the canyon. I truly believe that Monday was an exemplary display of that. And although the response was likely delayed due to some of the factors discussed up-thread, the reality is the patient was accessed, extricated and transported out of the canyon with life threatening injuries before nightfall. That is a huge win for any rescue effort in the Black, and a testament to the skill and commitment of park staff, climbing rangers and volunteers. As a former climbing ranger at the Black Canyon myself, and current volunteer on the team who was intimately involved in the rescue on Monday, it is extremely disheartening to see how the current leadership at the top, and new park policies, have eroded elements of a program that has been strong for many years now in part due to amazing leadership and vision from former climbing ranger Brent Mims. It’s a fact that nothing happens fast when it comes to extraction in the Black Canyon. And although Monday was no exception to that rule, what did happen, and the timeframe in which it happened, is pretty incredible in my opinion. In short, a team of four, including a climbing ranger and local flight paramedic, climbed 100 meters of demanding 5th class terrain to access the patient, stabilize and extricate the unconscious climber from the wall. Meanwhile, another wave of rescuers moved down Long Draw with additional equipment to package the patient and rendezvoused at the base of GWW’s opening pitch. On the rim, the rest of the team, led by another climbing ranger, lowered an attendant approximately 1200 feet down an untraveled section of wall on the opposite side of Long Draw and made preparations to haul the patient back to the rim in what would likely be darkness at that point. In the end, the decision was made to move the injured climber approximately 600 feet down-gully (a horrendous scree evac using ropes) to a location where a helicopter with hoist capability could extract from the canyon. Monday was one of the most complex, stressful and time sensitive rescue efforts I’ve ever been a part of, and although the current political climate at the Black is lackluster at best, this mission was a success story, primarily due to the leadership and skill set of individuals like Ryan Rees, Tom Schaefer, Philippe Wheelock, Mike Kingsbury, Jeremy Werlin and Nick Wasser, to name a few. Climbers, you still have friends in the Black. At least for now. Be smart out there and rock on. |
|
Incredible reply and rescue effort, Vic. Thanks for both of those! |
|
Thank you, Vic, for the informative report and everything else you've done for our community. I want to donate to the SAR team, but the only thing I found was the NPS webpage directing me to send a check via snail mail to the superintendent. Is there a better way of ensuring the monies are earmarked and will benefit the SAR team directly? Or, is the current system tried and true? |
|
Thanks for being there, Vic! |
|
I know nothing first hand about the situation at the Black, but Vic’s post was awesome reading. Seems to me from all current indications, the fat that needs trimming is at the top. |
|
She is a beloved friend to many and words cannot describe how grateful we are for you, Vic, and all those who were involved in her incredible rescue. THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts for saving her precious life! She is strong AF and there is hope for a good recovery. |
|
That’s amazing news! Thanks for all the positive comments here. It was an enormous team effort that I feel fortunate to have played a role in. The current climbing ranger staff at the Black deserves kudos for sure. @Andrew- I’ll send you a pm Cheers |
|
Vic, the SAR teams, and others involved in the rescue - I echo all the gratitude shared above. It cannon be put into words. Thank you all for what you do, and for the courageous rescue you did thay day. I cannot imagine how hard is was. You really are heros. It is heartbreaking, but she is so incredibly strong, and her community is rooting for her. |
|
Echoing all gratitude for Black Climbing Rangers and volunteer SAR. The amount of effort these folks, and all SAR teams, put into helping folks at the drop of a hat is inspiring. Sending love to the climber and all her people, she is a respected and valued member of our small, crazy, West Slope crew. |
|
A remarkable rescue effort. Thank you, Vic and all. Wishing a speedy and complete recovery for the victim. |
|
Hey Vic, thank you (and other rangers/SAR members) so much for doing everything you guys can to keep climbing in the Black relatively safe. This 'trimming the fat' situation is leaving me feeling pretty spooked. Everybody knows climbing in the Black is a serious undertaking, even if you stick to the 'safe' moderates. Knowing that having my satellite device with me in case of shit hitting the fan is key to my risk threshold, but the thought of that being useless because of (presumably) SAR being severely understaffed is scary to say the least. Also, I'd like to know that the $30 I spend on a day pass is going to my and everybody else's safety and enjoyment. Is there anything we the public can do to help fix this problem? Does the superintendent not realize how popular and dangerous climbing is in the park? It seems like a no brainer that an adequate SAR team be one of the highest priorities for this particular park. Thanks |
Nick Niebuhrwrote: Careful the waters thee tread. “Dangerous” climbing has a better chance of being banned. Does your sat device really increase your risk threshold?? |
Bb Cc wrote: Insurance is a tiny part of that $30. First, the park only keeps 80% (the remaining 20% goes into a fund for the parks that don't collect entrance fees). The big costs are labor, infrastructure, maintenance, et al. |
|
Regarding use of satellite communicators in the Black, in the past these devices have been able to get a message out of the canyon, at least sometimes. A couple Octobers back the SAR team was called out for a rescue by a party using just such a device. Much time was saved by the inreach's use in this particular case. Certainly there is no guarantee your satellite communicator will function everywhere in the Black, but in my opinion that 3.5 oz is worth throwing in your bullet pack. |
Paul H wrote: Good point. I think I misspoke about it being a key to my risk threshold, but it's still nice to know that if I have to use it the proper people are notified and able to help. I didn't mean to say that I totally trust my life with it. Based on what Jeremy said lower down, it sounds like there still is a pretty robust rescue squad able to assist if needed. |
|
https://www.climbing.com/news/major-climbing-accident-rescue-black-canyon/ A 30-year-old woman from Grand Junction, Colorado, is in critical condition after a fall and dramatic rescue which occurred on Monday, September 11, on The Great White Wall (IV 5.10d; 1,300ft) in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. Becca (the family asked that we not divulge her last name for the sake of privacy) was about thirty feet up the fourth pitch when her foothold broke. The one piece of protection she had below her—a yellow TCU—ripped from the wall when her rope came taught, and she hit the ledge at the base of the pitch hard, sustaining multiple broken bones, a punctured lung, and a severe head injury which left her immediately unconscious. Becca’s partner, Skyeler Congdon, said that she was on terrain well-within her abilities. “She redpointed a 5.12a gear route at Unaweep a couple days earlier,” he said, “she’s a strong and competent climber. It was just one of these unfortunate situations where she was mantling, and her hand holds weren’t good enough to catch her when the foothold broke.” Becca’s fall occurred at roughly 7:30 a.m. Congdon was torn over what to do when she did not regain consciousness. “You never want to leave an unconscious victim,” he said. “I thought about lowering her, but I didn’t have any way to protect her spine.” Ultimately, he decided to get help as quickly as possible. He secured her to the anchor, rappelled down to the start of the route, and “ran as fast as I could up the gully, back to the ranger station.” When Congdon arrived at the ranger station, he was surprised to find nobody was there. So Congdon got in his car and “hauled ass another 15 minutes to cell reception,” where he called 9-1-1. After a frustrating run around with Montrose dispatch transferring him to Delta, then Delta transferring him back to Montrose, and Montrose trying to transfer him back again, he “lost his shit and told them ‘this girl is going to die, I need rescue support now.’” Montrose relayed the report to Black Canyon district ranger Ryan Rees, who called Congdon, told him to stay put, and that rescuers would soon be on their way. Rees and District Ranger Ryan Thrush—who took charge of the response as Incident Command—called the park’s two paid climbing rangers, Tom Schaefer and Philippe Wheelock, at roughly 11:15. Schaefer was at his home in Crested Butte, Wheelock was out hunting 45 minutes from the nearest road. Both rangers were off duty, but immediately began making their way to the North Rim ranger station, more than two hours of drive and hike time away for each. Schaefer immediately dispatched the SAR team—composed of employees and volunteers from numerous locations in a roughly two hour radius—to respond to the North Rim. Wheelock brought climber and volunteer Charlie Faust with him, and Schaefer was accompanied by flight medic and Senior NPS Volunteer, Mike Kingsbury, who happened to be in Crested Butte and available. It was 1:20 p.m. when Schaefer arrived at the ranger station. Seven other volunteers were already assembled, including long-time Black Canyon climbing ranger, now SAR volunteer and Black Canyon climbing guidebook author, Vic Zeilman. Thrush had spent the last two hours on the phone with various helicopter operators. None of the park’s normal short-haul operators were available, but a Black Hawk helicopter capable of hoist operations from High Altitude Aviation Training Site (HAATS) was, pending weather and various other factors. A successful helicopter evac is never a guarantee, even with a helicopter you are accustomed to working with, so Schaefer also planned a massive 1,300-foot litter raise. Either way, the first order of business was to reach Becca. At that point, she had been alone, seriously injured, and presumably unconscious for close to five hours, and HAATS had communicated they would not fly unless the patient was still alive. Zeilman and Kingsbury started descending the Long Draw gully—a steep choke filled with loose boulders and scree that drops 1,800 feet in one mile—at 1:45 p.m. Wheelock and Faust arrived about 15 minutes later, and rapidly followed them down to the base of Great White Wall. Zeilman led the first pitch, which Wheelock and Kingsbury followed. Wheelock then linked the second and third pitch (with difficulties up to 5.10+), just barely making the ledge after a full 70 meters. Wheelock radioed to Schaefer that Becca was unconscious but still had respirations and a pulse, and Schaefer relayed the message to HAATS, who began to prepare for flight. Wheelock then belayed up Kingsbury, who climbed quickly despite the massive amount of medical equipment on his back, and hauled a static line from his harness. Wheelock estimated that, all in all, it had taken them approximately one hour for the whole three-person team to climb three pitches and access the ledge by about 3:30 p.m. Once Kingsbury arrived, he began to administer patient care. Kingsbury, who Wheelock described as “an ace flight medic used to tight spaces,” managed to put on a C-Collar, and two IV picks—one on each arm—through which he began to pump fluids and life-supporting narcotics. This was made more complicated by the fact that they were on a narrow, sloping ledge full of loose rocks, with other rescuers directly below them, including Zeilman, who was busy ascending Kingsbury’s static line to build an anchor and establish another fixed line at the top of pitch two. It was roughly 4:00 p.m. when HAATS got the message that Becca was alive. Flight time from their base in Eagle would be about 38 minutes, it would take another half hour to put together a flight plan and safety briefing, and the HAATS pilot wanted to be out of the canyon by dark—about 7:30 p.m. There was time, but not much of it. A helicopter rescue at that point was far from guaranteed. So Schaefer—who was manning Ops back on the canyon rim—continued with the contingency plan. He organized two additional teams to assist the Climb Team already in the canyon: the Gully Team, which would descend the Long Draw in order to help transport the patient; and the Rim Team, which would rig the 1,300-foot raise on the wall opposite the climbers—a wall they had never descended before. A direct raise above the climbers would not have been possible due to the ledgy nature of the wall, and incredibly chossy terrain, creating a massive overhead hazard for both Becca and the rescuers below. Back on the wall, Wheelock and Zeilman had set up a dual-tension two-rope system and began lowering Kingsbury, who descended with Becca (IV ports, C-collar, and all) on his back. They arrived in the gully somewhere between 5:00 and 5:30 p.m. where the Gully Team—consisting entirely of volunteers, with the exception of team-lead Rees—began packaging her for transport. At this point, Nick Wasser—ex-Black Canyon climbing ranger, registered nurse, and SAR volunteer—was being lowered down the 1,300-foot wall. He was one-third of the way down when HAATS called and said the helicopter was inbound. At first HAATS wanted to come in above the rescuers, which Wheelock and others vehemently opposed given the rockfall hazard that would create. Once an alternate flight plan was established to enter the canyon and fly up Long Draw from below the rescuers, Wasser was lowered the rest of the way to the gully, landing about 200 feet above the Gully Team and Becca. When the Black Hawk arrived it made its way as high up the gully as possible, about 600 feet downhill of the Gully Team. Two flight techs were lowered from the helicopter, which flew off to wait at the North Rim. The flight techs hiked up the gully, and told the Gully Team they would have to bring the patient down 600 feet, and that they had thirty minutes to pull it off (apparently the pilot said they had one hour). The time was roughly 6:30 p.m. At this point, there were two options: lower Becca at breakneck speed and run the risk of the helicopter leaving, putting them even further from the Rim Team’s raise system; or begin making their way 200 feet up the gully to interface with the Rim Team, and get raised 1,300 feet up the wall. Schaefer estimated the rope raise alone would take about an hour and a half, not including the time to get the litter up to Wasser for the raise. At this point, Becca had been unconscious for 11 hours. Schaefer knew the terrain in the gully was incredibly loose scree, and would be difficult to travel in either direction. From up on the rim, he did not feel he was in the right position to make the call. He asked Wheelock and Rees to do so instead. Wheelock—a current Rigging for Rescue instructor with 25+ years of climbing and SAR experience—began to do some mental math. “The lower would require all three of our ropes, which meant we’d have to pass two knots. It would take a minute or two per knot pass. So that would leave us something like 25 minutes to descend 600 feet. I knew it would be tight, but based on my experience, and the experience of the team, I calculated that we could pull it off.” Wheelock knew that the helicopter could bug out and decide to leave at any moment if it got too dark, too windy, if the pilot just didn’t like how it felt. But he decided to go down, knowing that if it worked out, it would be the quickest way to get Becca to definitive care. “There were no good options,” he said, “just options.” He took the three biggest members of the Gully Team and told them “you’re going to take this litter, put it on your hip, and you’re going to run down this gully as fast as you can, and we’ll belay you down and basically all we can do is keep you from going into the river.” |
