Rudder



Trad climber Costa Mesa, CA

Apr 12, 2014 - 08:02pm PT Earlier this week I was told the following about the Headstone and Cathouse accidents by a JTNP ranger:



Cathouse (03-29-2014)

A traditional anchor was built at the top of the Cathouse using three pieces of gear. The female victim started to rappel down the cliff face and one of the three anchor pieces pulled out. The victim stopped on a ledge and the male, who was still on top of the cliff, reincorporated the third (failed) piece back into the anchor. After being assured the anchor was now sound, the victim started to rappel again. The entire anchor then failed and the victim fell 15-20 feet, suffering fatal injuries.



Headstone (03-30-2014)

The Headstone accident involved top roping on the route Cryptic. The climber tied into the rope in the mid-section, not the end. The climber then did the route and was being lowered by the belayer. Apparently the belayer moved positions during the climb or the lower, thus making the overall distance longer than when the climber started climbing. There was no knot in the belay end of the rope and the rope ran through the belay device (a Grigri) as the climber was being lowered. The climber fell into the boulders at the base of the route after the rope went though the belay device.



The information provided above may not be 100% accurate and as such, should be used judiciously.

Same day as that was happening, and we heard all the ambulances, I tried a couple of times to get a big time wall climber to move his anchor to a spot where it would hold and got nowhere with him. Two of his three pieces popped when he was lowering his wife. Obviously she could have easily been =another= fatality that weekend. Naturally we should all be vigilant, and also we should all know what it is we are doing. But, I tell ya' something more, when you see these types of anchors and practices, and you step up and get them on track, you don't know how many lives you saved. Probably quite a few.