Crevasse falls and rescues

Think of this as kind of like a help group for traumatized climbers:

Ok so this happened to me last weekend. I think it was one of the scariest moments of my life. That feeling of going further and further down as your partner is struggling to hold you. Any of you know the feeling?

That feeling when you start prusiking up the rope only to take a sudden 5/6 foot drop.

Can I share the feeling of knowing if you fall you probably won't die right away but you will die. You will die cold alone and in pain?

Has anybody had any similar experiences?

It sounds like you were a rope team of 2. I always use stopper knots to help arrest the fall in that case, it complicates rescue and requires you to carry more rope, but I've always felt it was worth the added safety margin.

yea they work some time.

Always carry an ice screw on you so you can deweight the rope.

Sharkbait wrote:yea they work some time. Always carry an ice screw on you so you can deweight the rope.

Dow Williams wrote: If you don't mind me asking...who is teaching a crevasse rescue course that excludes carrying pro?

There was too much slack in the rope if you went in this far. Next time you are on a glacier I think you will watch the slack much closer. It's annoying, but slack is not good ...

Yep...been there twice, Sharkbait. Actually, beyond the initial weightlessness the experience happens so quickly there's not time to think. Yeah....reflecting on hanging on the end of the rope can be sobering, but provided you don't hit something or poke yourself with a crampon or ice axe it's a good story for the bar or the campfire. My teammates were more conscientious at keeping the rope taut and I didn't go that far.

I needed the slack as I was attempting to jump the thing. As you can see I didn't jump far enough.

It is definitely sobering. Nearly gives you that 1000 yard stare.

You made an uncertain jump without an anchor? Glad you made it out okay.

Gokul wrote:You made an uncertain jump without an anchor? Glad you made it out okay.

Did your crampons fall off when you jumped?

Crampons can be dangerous on glaciers in soft snow conditions. I was lucky I didn't have them on because I was bouncing from side to side so much that my foot could have easily got snagged if i had them on.

Sharkbait wrote: If you stopped to build an anchor every time you had to jump a crevasse you would be on the glacier all day and night.

How do you know how wide they are if they are fully bridged?

Is Sharkbait really Elena?

FrankPS wrote:Is Sharkbait really Elena?

Do I look like Elena?

Bill Kirby wrote: No. She has some glacier travel skills. Sharkbait needs freedom of the hills under their tree.