Fatality on Longs 8-27-10

A climber fell down the N Chimney off of Longs.

dailycamera.com/news/ci_159…

Condolences to family and friends.

Terrible. Condolences to everyone involved.

The name has been released.
denverpost.com/news/ci_1592…

My condolences to friends and family.

So the details on this accident aren't in yet, which means that my remarks may not apply to the circumstances of this fatality. Regardless, the place where this accident is reported to have occurred - the top of the N Chimney - is the one place on the Broadway traverse from the bottom of the Chasm View rappel to the start of the routes on the Diamond that are left of the N Chimney where if you fall while unroped, you will certainly die (Charlie Fowler's high speed winter descent of the Lower Diamond some years ago, which involved divine intervention, excepted). While the short traverse across the top of the N Chimney looks relatively inconsequential, please consider the extreme consequences of a mishap while unroped at this point in your day.

The climber was 26 years old. I am 26 and death seems so far away. This should be a reminder to all of us in the climbing community to seize the day and take risk with the utmost caution.

My sincere condolences to the friends and family.

My thoughts with him as well as I've been in a few tight spots while soloing Keiners, North Face and Keyhole Ridge. Not difficult at all except when I always seem to reach loose or wet rock. I always talk to God after these sketchy climbs. I hope to quit soloing soon-not worth it.

rich mcfadden wrote: soloing... - not worth it.

+1

My condolences

I was talking with him before this trip about what route to solo on the diamond. Kinda crazy, I guess if you and your buddys are out and about in the mountains and rivers getting after it there are bound to be times when friends dont come back.

I posted the comment below on the other thread involving this accident I thought I would post it here as well.

I don't know how many times I have been told to just solo the North Chimney. I strongly disagree with that. It is loaded with lose, wet, rock and also the risk of people kicking stuff down from above.

I highly recommend doing it roped. It only takes a little longer.

My sincere condolences to friends and family of the victim. Notwithstanding my recommendation above it is the kind of accident that could have happened to any of us.

The newspaper got a few of the facts wrong. He was out to solo-aid the Dunn-Westbay route and fell from about 100-200 ft. up that route and then down the N Chimney. He free soloed the first pitch of the casual route to access the climb. Rocks came down with him, so I think it's safe to assume a hold broke, or equivalent. He looked totally solid on the climb.
The SAR team arrived at the scene super fast. It's good to know those guys are on top of their game.
He didn't have any ID on him which was problematic in terms of notifying next of kin. Take some ID with you when go out - for the sake of others.
Condolences to friends and family, and those of us in the climbing world. It hurts each time we loose one of our team.

That is what Eric and I had figured, I didn't figure it was on the casual route though. Kinda surprising seeing as we climbed that not long before. He wanted to free solo it but I talked him into doing it with me with ropes etc. Ironically he thought it was cruiser and stated he could solo it no problem. So I take it he was soloing with a haulbag with a light (aid) rack, the blocky first bit of the D1 before the 5.9 got him? Sad day indeed.

My condolences to the family and friends. Can it be clarified if he was climbing the dunn-westbay or the casual route? The two routes are separated horizontally by a few hundred feet.

Man, that is really bad. We were there on Saturday the 28th and knew this had happened. We assumed he had fallen soloing the North Chimney to get to the Casual Route, since a lot of people solo a good portion of that.

k. riemondy wrote:My condolences to the family and friends. Can it be clarified if he was climbing the dunn-westbay or the casual route? The two routes are separated horizontally by a few hundred feet.

I was at the belay on the top of the first pitch of the Casual Route when this accident happened. My partner was in the process of linking the second 5.9 pitch and the 5.7 traverse pitch when Benjamin fell. From the belay, I looked over and saw him fall onto Broadway with lots of loose rock, etc. and then further down...

I do not believe that he free soloed any part of the Casual Route, as we passed him at approximately 6:00 in the North Chimney, and at that time were the only party on the Casual Route. He mentioned at our encounter in the North Chimney that he planned to aid-solo the Dunn-Westbay route that day.

This was a most surreal and sobering experience, and my most sincere condolences go out to Benjamin and his friends and family. This was a tragedy which unfortunately took the life of this young man, and should raise awareness of just how serious all aspects of climbing can be.

Just wanted to gloat about how well rounded Ben Hebb was, outside of the climbing realm. It is rare that such a talented climber is also such a talented student. I am an instructor at CU and have taught Ben on many occasions. He has been invaluable in helping out in our department. Ben was one of the smartest, hardest working students I've ever had, respected by all. He will be missed equally as much in our department as in the climbing community. Ben's enthusiasm was contagious and he inspired the best in everyone. Wow, what a tragedy...

Linking this remembrance from the other thread here: dailycamera.com/ci_15935045

..and, of course, adding my condolences

I was also on the Diamond, belaying my partner up the second pitch of D7 when the climber fell. I happened to be about 15' away from Kevin, a climbing ranger, belaying his partner on the Yellow Wall. First, I heard the ominous crack like in a bowling alley and then saw significant rock fall from midway up the right-side of the Diamond (between Broadway and the top of Longs). This seemed out of place since you don't usually see small avalanches of rock fall there when everything is dry. Then I saw a lot of tumbling, and something large land 2/3 of the way down the Mills Glacier at the bottom. The ranger immediately said, that's a person--and I recognized it as such, along with what appeared to be a ~3/4-ton block that had landed next to him.

So I guess that this climber pulled the 3/4-ton block off the Diamond, loosening up all of this other rock that I first saw--and that he tumbled all the way down with the block, bouncing off Broadway along the way.

By the way, Kevin & the other ranger rappelled down immediately after radioing in their observations and stating that this was a body recovery, not a rescue. Their rope got stuck on Crossover Ledge, and I freed it as I finished the third pitch of D7. Kevin, the pieces of your anchor (a cordalette, a few 'biners, and a green and yellow Camelot) have been turned into the RMNP Backcountry permit office near the main HQ. Please pick them up there.

My deep condolences to the climber's family & friends. May the soul of the climber come back as another trad climber!