Big fall on Outer Space

I’m really hoping the climber who fell on Outer Space today 7/26/2020 at 9am is ok.  I was coming down the trail from the Wind Tower and hear a blood curdling smack, looked up and saw him unconscious dangling from the rope. He was unconscious for about 3 minutes then woke up and was able to be lowered down to the belay.  From the climber to his last piece of gear looked to be about 15 feet, so I would guess fell at least 25-30 feet. Sending positive vibes your way bro.  I hope you are ok.

https://www.mountainproject.com/forum/topic/119279278/accident-on-xmouter-space-today-072620-in-eldo

I was the climber that fell. I'm OK but have some (relatively minor) medical things to take care of. I'll share more after I have a chance to talk to my climbing partner about it.

Wishing you a speedy recovery man.

Heard about the accident today in the canyon. Get well and climb on 

I’m so glad to hear that you’re going to be ok.  Thankfully you had a helmet on.   I hope you have a quick recovery.  Did you get your gear back?

Yikes. I backed off OS on Saturday. I wasn't feeling up to it and it seemed like that juggy undercling (just before the hard part in the corner) seemed extra loose. Its actually a big flake and if it ripped it would be bad. Maybe its just me but I got spooked. And I onsighed OS off the couch several years ago.

Weston Sandfort wrote:

Not where the fall happened. Happened in the P1 dihedral.

this flake is on the P1 dihedral. I only mention it b/c I found it to be extra loose. I don't assume it ripped out. If it did he likely would have not survived. But be careful if you're going up on OS. I wouldn't pull on or place any gear touching this flake.

Its this flake. I wouldn't place that piece as this person has done. 

chummer wrote:

Its this flake. I wouldn't place that piece as this person has done. 

Ah. Good beta, thanks.

I would love for someone to tell me I was just being chicken and that flake is bomber, but I doubt it. I hope Jon S. recovers well and quickly.

A little fuzzy from doing this route a few years ago, but I think the circled part in photo was the crux of that pitch. I remember being pretty happy to barely land a yellow alien almost out of my reach there. 

I know many are curious about accidents (I know I am) and hope something can be learned from them. So I'll try to share a little about mine. We climbed Direct North Face (DNF) 5.10 variation (it shares a bit of Bastille Crack, Wide Country, and XM). I was leading the second pitch that does the top of XM and feeds into the Outer Space dihedral. I was not climbing at my best and was already pumped out. I thought about setting a belay on the sloping ledge below the dihedral but ultimately pushed on. I spent some time at the rattly block already mentioned. I placed a 0.3 C4 on the right side of the block but removed it when it rattled. I instead found a subpar microcam placement further up and to the right. I started to make the moves up, and that is the last I remember until receiving care from EMTs. My climbing partner says I was incapacitated for a couple of minutes, but I then was able to follow directions to be lowered. I do not remember this part.

It appears that microcam ended up being my top piece (someone cleaned it and returned it, but not the gear on XM yet). It is not clear how far above it I climbed, nor whether I placed another piece or two that ripped when I fell. I must have landed on the sloping ledge, with my head and face taking the brunt of the fall—most likely I inverted.

In addition to a couple serious lacerations and abrasions, I have a few fractures around one eye and my nose, as well as the nose itself. I see a face specialist this week, but I am hopeful no surgery will be needed. Also the concussion. I expect to heal very well with only a few scars and a shifted hairline.

Those are the objective details. I think it also worth sharing some reflection. This is my second serious rock-climbing accident in a decade, with my previous accident also resulting in a concussion. Although both may be primarily attributed to falls and poor protection, I feel there is more to the story. I permit myself to pass off my previous accident as being due to inexperience and getting off-route. I vowed to never let that happen again. This time I was climbing at my limit and too proud to stop. I had previously led that pitch of Outer Space and, while thrilling, I do not remember struggling on it. So I thought I could push through to the typical anchor. I think the key for me is to recognize when I am climbing beyond my limit at that moment — not what my limit was previously or might be one day. Pride must be set aside, and retreat should almost always be an acceptable option. I appreciate and have enjoyed adventurous and risky climbs with objective hazards. But it is important to make sure these climbs are within your limits in the moment. Although you may get lucky a few times, the consequences in this sport are just too high.

I’m sure I’ll return to climbing again, but it will be with renewed caution. I may never climb 5.10+ in Eldo again, and that is okay. I simply cannot risk another head-injury. I want to climb with my kids as they enter their teen years. Stay safe!

Jonathan S wrote:

I think the key for me is to recognize when I am climbing beyond my limit at that moment — not what my limit was previously or might be one day. Pride must be set aside, and retreat should almost always be an acceptable option. I appreciate and have enjoyed adventurous and risky climbs with objective hazards. But it is important to make sure these climbs are within your limits in the moment. Although you may get lucky a few times, the consequences in this sport are just too high.

Good shit. Thanks for sharing. Glad you're okay, Jonathan! 

Great analysis, Jonathan. Thanks for sharing.

I was climbing on the Wind Tower this eve and noticed at least two slings close together in the area of XM, but I didn’t look closely. There’s a good chance your gear is still there.

“beyond my limit, at that moment”... that’s absolutely true, and yet so hard to recognize in the moment when our mind / ego says “keep going, just a little further”...

So glad you’re ok, Jonathan!  Thanks for your assessment and for sharing your experience... Hope you recover quickly!

[far less important / serious than your accident, but just FYI for others heading out to climb OS... when I led it last year, I had to stem up the little chimney thing in front of the loose flake to get the first good finger lock (I’m 5’5”) and got my knuckle stuck for what felt like a terrifying eternity.  Finally got it loose by stemming higher, wiggling, relaxing it, etc, but it was darn scary.  Be careful if you’re short]

Jonathan S wrote:

Those are the objective details. I think it also worth sharing some reflection. This is my second serious rock-climbing accident in a decade, with my previous accident also resulting in a concussion. Although both may be primarily attributed to falls and poor protection, I feel there is more to the story. I permit myself to pass off my previous accident as being due to inexperience and getting off-route. I vowed to never let that happen again. This time I was climbing at my limit and too proud to stop. I had previously led that pitch of Outer Space and, while thrilling, I do not remember struggling on it. So I thought I could push through to the typical anchor. I think the key for me is to recognize when I am climbing beyond my limit at that moment — not what my limit was previously or might be one day. Pride must be set aside, and retreat should almost always be an acceptable option. I appreciate and have enjoyed adventurous and risky climbs with objective hazards. But it is important to make sure these climbs are within your limits in the moment. Although you may get lucky a few times, the consequences in this sport are just too high.

I’m sure I’ll return to climbing again, but it will be with renewed caution. I may never climb 5.10+ in Eldo again, and that is okay. I simply cannot risk another head-injury. I want to climb with my kids as they enter their teen years. Stay safe!

Thanks for having the humility to share this very personal introspection.  

I am so glad you are recovering well!

"I had previously led that pitch of Outer Space and, while thrilling, I do not remember struggling on it. So I thought I could push through to the typical anchor."

Repeating an ascent is sometimes harder than the onsite.

First, glad you are ok. That’s the most important part. Second, thanks for sharing your reflection on the accident. The idea of evaluating whether or not I am “beyond my limit, at the moment” is extremely insightful and lands very close to home for me.

In a high consequence activity as fundamentally ridiculous and simultaneously fulfilling as rock climbing, it’s important to consciously realize that ego/pride is our own worst enemy. Thanks for the reminder to keep it in check at all times.

Jonathan, 

Thank you SO much for sharing your honest and thoughtful analysis.  It is reflections like this that help the climbing community (and yourself!) make sense and grow from the challenges and risks of our sport.  I respect and appreciate not just your objective assessment of what happened, but also the important *human-factor* or emotional/psychological reasons that contributed to it.  

I'm happy to hear that your injuries will heal and that in the end, this bodes well.  I was guiding on the Wind Tower watching you directly from a belay ledge when this happened and it looked like you had just begun stemming/entering the dihedral (most likely with the piece you mentioned just below your feet, although I couldn't see the gear from that distance obviously).  The fall I saw you take was big, about 30-40 feet, landing on the sloping ramp, and lay there unconscious for about 4-5 minutes on your side.  I called dispatch after seeing you lay there for a minute without any motion.  In 2016, there was almost an identical accident to yours, with a leader hit that same ramp when gear in the lower dihedral pulled.  

Thank you again for sharing, and wishing you a swift and full recovery.