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Climber falls in Eldorado Canyon

Original Post
Parneli Jo · · Fort Collins, CO · Joined Mar 2007 · Points: 221
9news.com/story/news/local/…

Thoughts and prayers with the climber, his partner, and family
Jordan Moore · · Boulder, CO · Joined Feb 2011 · Points: 60

Eldorado sees far too many accidents, including the one I was part of. Best of luck to you Joe. We're all wishing you a healthy and speedy recovery.

ErikaNW · · Golden, CO · Joined Sep 2010 · Points: 410
denverpost.com/news/ci_2630…

The Denver Post has identified the climber as Wayne Crill. Best wishes for his recovery and sending positive thoughts to his partner.
Creed Archibald · · Salt Lake City, UT · Joined Apr 2012 · Points: 1,016

Equipment malfunction? :/

hope more details emerge and hope the climber heals quickly!

phil broscovak · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2002 · Points: 1,631

Please don't speculate until the facts come out.
Wayne is in ICU now and needs all the love and positive support the tribe can muster.

Alex Mason · · Denver · Joined Jan 2013 · Points: 205

thoughts and prayers for wayne and others

Joe Huggins · · Grand Junction · Joined Oct 2001 · Points: 105

Be okay Wayne

Mic Fairchild · · Boulder · Joined Jan 2003 · Points: 360

60' ?

Best wishes for a speedy recovery Wayne.

Hank Caylor · · Livin' in the Junk! · Joined Dec 2003 · Points: 643

Just finished rappelling Wayne's route, from 4 different angles, very early this morning. His rope and gear are all still just hanging there(RMR?) with police tape and awaiting an investigation I presume.

From what I saw with my eyes and from what Mike Schlauch(1st on scene)saw, this is what happened. Wayne was climbing and fell, he shock loaded a Yates Screamer attached to a stopper that blew, you can fully see in the crack where a placement blew, Eldo rock makes this scarring ridiculously obvious. As Wayne fell to his next piece of gear, the rope and the skinny Mammut sling must have bunched up a bit and THE nightmare scenario happened. As the rope started to pull tight again, the carabiner opened and popped off the Mammut sling. Wayne was found at the base of the climb with a stopper attached to a Yates screamer with a couple bartacks blown, as well as a couple individual carabiners. The story, under inspection with a knowing eye, actually tells itself rather obviously.

If there's something to take away from this, use a locking carabiner when clipping long skinny slings.. though if you tried to repeat this scenario 100 times you probably couldn't make it happen again. Use a locking carabiner folks.

After talking to Eldo Rangers I am, as always, very pleased with Rocky Mountain Rescues response and evacuation times. Those guys/girls are awesome.

Keep Wayne in your prayers, I know he would prefer you prayed to Thor and Odin.

runout · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2013 · Points: 30
Hank Caylor wrote:Just finished rappelling Wayne's route, from 4 different angles, very early this morning. His rope and gear are all still just hanging there(RMR?) with police tape and awaiting an investigation I presume. From what I saw with my eyes and from what Mike Schlauch(1st on scene)saw, this is what happened. Wayne was climbing and fell, he shock loaded a Yates Screamer attached to a stopper that blew, you can fully see in the crack where a placement blew, Eldo rock makes this scarring ridiculously obvious. As Wayne fell to his next piece of gear, the rope and the skinny Mammut sling must have bunched up a bit and THE nightmare scenario happened. As the rope started to pull tight again, the carabiner opened and popped off the Mammut sling. Wayne was found at the base of the climb with a stopper attached to a Yates screamer with a couple bartacks blown, as well as a couple individual carabiners. The story, under inspection with a knowing eye, actually tells itself rather obviously. If there's something to take away from this, use a locking carabiner when clipping long skinny slings.. though if you tried to repeat this scenario 100 times you probably couldn't make it happen again. Use a locking carabiner folks. After talking to Eldo Rangers I am, as always, very pleased with Rocky Mountain Rescues response and evacuation times. Those guys/girls are awesome. Keep Wayne in your prayers, I know he would prefer you prayed to Thor and Odin.
Can you explain that part a bit more? Why is it only long slings? On the rope end or gear end? Why not quickdraws or racking biners?

It sounds like he was climbing a high-end route with yates screamers and all. Best wishes to Wayne.
Hank Caylor · · Livin' in the Junk! · Joined Dec 2003 · Points: 643

"Can you explain that part a bit more? "

See the floating carabiner attached to the rope? That can, and did, flip the wrong way and unclip itself.

Use a locker maybe

Malcolm Daly · · Hailey, ID · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 380

I'm pulling hard for Wayne...

Hank, thx for the analysis from the site. I've watched a fair amount of slo-mo video of what happens to the gear chain below a piece that's blown out and have always been shocked by how violently the rope whips around.

Light locking 'biners are the key...
Climb safe,
Mal

runout · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2013 · Points: 30
Hank Caylor wrote:"Can you explain that part a bit more? " See the floating carabiner attached to the rope? That can, and did, flip the wrong way and unclip itself.
Yeah I always wondered if it mattered how the rope is clipped into a long sling. Never thought that it matters that much. It's so hard to get the orientation correct on a long sling.
runout · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2013 · Points: 30
Malcolm Daly wrote:I'm pulling hard for Wayne... Hank, thx for the analysis from the site. I've watched a fair amount of slo-mo video of what happens to the gear chain below a piece that's blown out and have always been shocked by how violently the rope whips around. Light locking 'biners are the key... Climb safe, Mal
Are any of these videos available online? If so, could you please share? Thanks.
bearbreeder · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2009 · Points: 3,065

- was the sling a 60 cm or 120 cm?

- was the climb lower angle?

- would the biner have been resting against any feature, or caught inside any crack?

- what was the make and model of the biner?

perhaps another thread should be started to focus on this particular failure mode

Malcolm Daly · · Hailey, ID · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 380

The videos were of drop tests we did at the Rivory Joanny rope factory which replaced the orfice in the UIAA test specification with a quick draw. They were from back in the era when the issue of gate vibration was just figured out so a lot of companies were trying to figure out how bad it really was. This was back in the '90s so nothing was put on line. Colin Powick at BD may have some similar tests on video.
Mal

Keith Guillory · · Boulder, CO · Joined Apr 2008 · Points: 1,005

Brief report: Wayne is in ICU (No visitors yet.) after surgery to relieve pressure on his brain. Multiple other injuries but made it through the night. Brain activity still high and his fiance is hopeful he will pull through.

Praying Dr. Thrill will rise again. Pulling for you, brotherman.

phil broscovak · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2002 · Points: 1,631

If anyone can pull through this it's Wayne. He is one tough man and now he has a partner and a young child to motivate his drive to survive and recover. Make no mistake he has a long haul ahead of him but there is encouraging signs already. Wayne, Tessie and Kaiden there is a well spring of love and support for you all.

Hank thank you for your eye witness observations and analysis.

mike schlauch · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2004 · Points: 250

CMON WAYNE!!!! We are all pulling for you brother! Prayers to all family.

Thanks for going up there Hank, your explanation makes sense. Just to clarify, I was not first on scene, 4th I think.

John Long · · Venice · Joined Mar 2009 · Points: 45

I just got back from OR and my partner Jeff Jackson told me about the accident and that he was heading to Boulder to see bro Wayne. Not wanting to speculate, but brain activity is key and if his is "good," as reported, I'm thinking he's going to send this thing!

JL

Cor · · Sandbagging since 1989 · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 1,445
...

COME ON BUDDY! PULL HARD!
Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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