Accident Report - Rumney

Location: Rumney, Parking Lot wall, Shealyn's Way

When: Morning of 9/8/2016

What: Two guys were climbing Shealyn's way and after the leader clipped into the anchor draws, he was lowered off. Approximately 25-30 feet from the ground, the tail of the rope passed through the belay device and the climber free-fell and possibly tumbled down the gully. The climber sustained an injury to his lower extremities (we thought broken leg) and was stabilized for possible spinal injury.

Aftermath: A nearby climber was a doctor and provided medical attention as EMS was contacted. Due to the bridge being out, it took quite a while for the ambulance to arrive. A stretcher and basket were brought up and the climber was attached and then carried out.

Lesson: These climbers were using an indoor 40m rope to climb a climb that was too long. This rope was cut to a length suitable for gym climbing, but not for most outdoor use. In addition, a stopper knot in the end of the rope would have prevented an accident if insufficient length was a concern. One bolt hanger was missing a draw, so it may have been skipped or back cleaned in order to conserve draws (this is speculation).
In addition, neither the climber nor the belayer were wearing a helmet. The chance of head trauma in this case was very high as the climber fell right between two rocks.

My two cents: This guy was very lucky. If you see a party that seems like they might have bitten off more than they can chew, please speak up. If you're really excited to go outdoors, but you're new to the game, please get qualified guidance first. It's not what you know is dangerous that can get you hurt, but the things you don't know that you don't know.

Be careful out there and climb on.
Result of climbing with wrong rope

Lesson: The human race is doomed!

Shaelyn's Way is by no means a long climb, if these guys were out climbing with a non-standard, cut-shorter-than-normal rope and didnt take consideration of that, than it sounds like pure ignorance. It sounds like god gave them a blessing in rolling down that slab instead of the multitude of worse options that could have happened on any of the other standard-length, outdoor climbs.

Please take your actions seriously. Seek proper instruction. Scrutinize where that instruction comes from.

Saw a guy lowered off his rope at Rumney a few years back... landed on a steep incline just below the trail and rolled out of it... I guess its a Rumney thing!

Hard Lesson Learned...heres to a speedy recovery

-Z

OUCH..... there is no good reason on earth to have a 40m rope, unless your a gardener.

I go to Sender One... they make you lead on your own rope and they sell 35m ones for the members. Those ropes need to stay inside, in your locker.

When I go there they get the whole 60M pile of dirty, dusty nicked up cord... on a rope pad thats also dirty and nicked up.

Nothing screams outside like a furry 60m cord.

I hope the fallen climber heals up.

Damn! A center mark on a rope will tell you when your leader is at the top of a sport climb, even if he is not at the anchors. Is this the same mistake that happened to Alex Honnold?

Sometimes a short rope is just the ticket. But, per usual, you need to know your limits.

Zach Davis wrote:Damn! A center mark on a rope will tell you when your leader is at the top of a sport climb, even if he is not at the anchors. Is this the same mistake that happened to Alex Honnold?

Yup, although the climb (Godzilla at Index) is much longer. A 70m rope is more or less mandatory at Index.

Zach Davis wrote:Damn! A center mark on a rope will tell you when your leader is at the top of a sport climb, even if he is not at the anchors.

Until an end is cut off. Or if the mark is a 5 or 10 m from the end indicator. Or it is just a dirty spot you saw out of the corner of your eye. Or.....

I don't understand why a double overhand in the end of a rope is so difficult. Takes literally 5 seconds. And I'm talking to you too, Alex Honnold. I still maintain that these kinds of mistakes happen to people that have been climbing for a long time and think they are above such simple mistakes (John Long not finishing a knot- perfect example) or from brand new climbers. The 7 years+ crowd and the <1. The 2-6 year level of experience seems to see the least preventable mistakes, but of course they still happen. Just less. IMO

... or um , or if this happens to you, then and there, have one of your buddies find rope center and mark it with some reft over blood. no one'll miss that going through an ATC.

My tail end stays tied to the loop on my rope bag... I'm going to start using a figure 8 for that.

Guy Keesee wrote:OUCH..... there is no good reason on earth to have a 40m rope, unless your a gardener. I go to Sender One... they make you lead on your own rope and they sell 35m ones for the members. Those ropes need to stay inside, in your locker.

There are a lot of tiny cliffs where 40M is fine. If I lived in Austin I would probably own a 40M for the routes there. I owned a 30M in Michigan for the little TR cliff we had.

Granted I also own 60M and 70M ropes and use them as needed.

Knots at the end of the rope. Top roping and rappelling.

Takes so little time. I always do it now, as I was with someone who got severely injured rappelling of the end of the rope. NEVER again.

Hate to change the subject, but what happened to Alex Honnold?

Russ Keane wrote:Hate to change the subject, but what happened to Alex Honnold?

http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13201213878

Damn man! Thanks Jimmy. Was that this year? That is SO mind-blowing to think of a climber of that skillset getting hurt in such an innocent situation. Wow. I guess he's probably ok but for real, he fractured vertebrae???

Russ Keane wrote:Damn man! Thanks Jimmy. Was that this year? That is SO mind-blowing to think of a climber of that skillset getting hurt in such an innocent situation. Wow. I guess he's probably ok but for real, he fractured vertebrae???

Sometime this spring. I heard that rumor floating around Index this summer, but wasn't confirmed until that AAC post. He's lucky he wasn't more seriously hurt. I've climbed that route many times and lowering off a 60 m would be a 15+ foot fall onto jagged granite boulders.

All too often, I see belayers not taking their role seriously. They have one very important job!

Shouldn't a belayer notice when they are about to run out of rope when lowering!? A know should always be tied. But still!? I don't understand how the accidents happen unless the belayer in inexperienced or simply not paying attention.

I wish a fast recovery for the climber!

Cory F wrote: Shouldn't a belayer notice when they are about to run out of rope when lowering!?

Very easy to miss - if you are focusing on the climber as you should be, the end of the rope can be through your belay device before you can blink. Tie in, tie off, or knot the end.

M Sprague wrote:Lesson: The human race is doomed!

Totally! Human are scum!!!!