Scary fall in Joshua Tree

We’re newer climbers and knew that we weren’t quite ready for Joshua Tree, but the temptation was too much to pass up…

We spent Sunday and Monday climbing in the park and loved it. On Sunday we had a wonderful guide (Andy from Cliffhanger Guides). He spent some time reviewing gear placement and climbing techniques as well as showing us some route options.

Andy picked some easier routes for my 10 year old and then took us up Smooth as Silk on the Freeway Wall. At the end of the day we went up Fote Hog as our first multi pitch - plus they brought in a fancy lunch. Much better than the PB&J we would have brought! A great day was had by all with a great guide - highly recommended.

Sunday night we camped in Indian Cove and climbed some easy routes on Monday morning including El Chapo on Bilbo Buttresses. Spent the hot part of the day looking at the flowers and hiking.

Of course, as fate would have it, the truck started leaking DEF fluid so we had to make a Walmart run and then cross our fingers that she’d start the next morning (she did!).

The real fun came Tuesday AM…

My 15 year old and I decided to do our first multi pitch with him leading. We selected Tranquility on Moosedog Tower which is shown as 5.6 so we thought we could easily do it.

We easily made it to the first belay but then couldn’t decide which way to go. To the left is a wildly exposed arete (which looked above grade), so he started straight up above the little alcove where we were anchored using some bolts.

He put a solid cam in the roof of the alcove, about five feet directly above the anchor (thank god) and then started up to the left. I saw him struggling in a bad spot trying to place a second piece a few feet higher; he started shaking so I told him to step back down.

Next thing I know he slams down on my head and neck and I saw stars for a few seconds. I guess he got pumped and lost his grip and came straight down on me. That piece he got in kept him from falling through me down the wall, but brought him right on to me. I little harder and I have no doubt it would have broken my neck.

We got spooked and had to retreat (from a 5.6). Several lessons learned, but still a great few days in a wonderful place.  

Glad you're both okay! 

Were you wearing helmets and what belay device did you have?

Was it a hanging belay? 

So...a few things:

1) Read the topo.  Things like “where do I go next” are super important and much less clear on multipitch trad than on single pitch sport where you’re following a line of bolts.  Things could have gotten MUCH worse if he was off route and kept going.
2) Don’t underestimate low grades.  Jtree is notorious for stiff ratings (haven’t climbed there myself), and 5.6 crack or slab climbing can feel hard/scary if you’re used to face or vice versa.  This is especially important on multipitch, where you can easily get in over your head (as you found out).
3) Your “first” anything should be with someone more experienced.  What if something had gone wrong?  Would you have been prepared to escape the belay and perform a rescue?

Many years ago, Tranquility was one of our first climbs at JTree. We were relatively new at the game as well.

I recall the route finding at the start of P2 as not obvious for a beginner given the for-us then surprising level of difficulty. We took the right turn shown in the first photo below and as the leader is going in the second photo.
https://www.mountainproject.com/photo/3300279
https://www.mountainproject.com/photo/112426257

In those photos, did you try going straight up at the point where Direct South Face (3) and Tranquility (4) re-separate left and right? I don’t recall any bolts but it has been 15 years or so.

Thanks the trip report!  Frankly, it sounds kind of like how my first day leading trad went ... closer to my home in NM.

First off, I'm very glad you're both OK. J Tree is indeed known for stout grades, especially lower on the scale.

It always shocks me how cavalier some newer climbers are about trad and multi pitch climbing. I'm a little blown away you let your teenage son lead the second pitch of your first-ever multipitch. I doubt he has experience to know if his gear is good--what if his single piece had blown? He would have factor-two'd your anchor. What if that hadn't held? Or if you lost control of your belay? I hate to think about that.

Please be careful. I hope you learned the right lessons from this. It's easy to be overzealous, but after you've been at it for awhile, seen a few nasty injuries and maybe lost a friend, you'll look back and realize how much you just tempted fate.

Jimmy Downhillinthesnow wrote: I'm a little blown away you let your teenage son lead the second pitch of your first-ever multipitch. 

No kidding.

FrankPS wrote:

No kidding.

^^^

Jimmy Downhillinthesnow wrote:
It always shocks me how cavalier some newer climbers are about trad and multi pitch climbing. I'm a little blown away you let your teenage son lead the second pitch of your first-ever multipitch. I doubt he has experience to know if his gear is good--what if his single piece had blown? He would have factor-two'd your anchor. What if that hadn't held? Or if you lost control of your belay? I hate to think about that.

Yup, it bears repeating.  I'm all for enthusiasm but if this was truly both of your first times trad multi-pitch, then this was bordelrine cavilier and quite unsafe.

Not sure from your post if you meant "first time multi-pitch at JT" or "first time multi-pitch ever".

If the latter, you got away incredibly lucky.

Glad everyone escaped okay.  

To add a little balance to recent posts, 15 is on the cusp of when most legally start letting their kids drive around by themselves in death machines.  And we must admit that David clearly sees the event as a very close call.

I’d suggest folks include the report in material they are forwarding to beginning trad leaders. And my take would be to shun thinking it will be easy on your own despite how smooth things might have gone following a guide on single pitch.

Glad you are both okay. There is a current tendency for people to lump all lower grades into " 5.easy " or 5.6. I haven't climbed much at that grade in JT, but in the Gunks many 5.6 routes are quite the handful. I'd suggest starting with something like 5.3, as there is so much more to trad leading than sport or TR. Neither of you should be getting anywhere near getting pumped or wigged out in my opinion.

sounds like the OP's soon started the 2nd pitch of direct south face (5.7)
starting leading trad multi-pitch at 15 is no problem provided the young new leader is properly mentored by an experienced climber

Your scenario of potentially loosing braking control causes many climbers to use an assisted braking device (e.g. Gri-gri, etc.) for belaying the leader.

If you see 'sketch', prepare/protect against impact. Extend the belayer's tie-in to the anchor so belayer is well clear of drop zone. This also adds several feet of lead rope which may or may not be desirable; softer catch, potentially further fall, cheese-wire lead fall, etc.

Most importantly, tie a fat stopper-knot several feet out on the brake rope.

"The leader must not fall".

Bill Lawry wrote: To add a little balance to recent posts, 15 is on the cusp of when most legally start letting their kids drive around by themselves in death machines.  And we must admit that David clearly sees the event as a very close call.

For the record, I think teenagers plus gasoline is a bad idea--and I don't think there's anywhere that lets 16 year-olds drive without a learning period.

I'd hope that someone would have their kid start driving on low-consequence roads, AND that their supervisor would be an experienced driver. This scenario is equivalent to putting your kid on I-5 in LA during rush hour and saying "I've never done this either son, take the wheel."

I don't think it's always wrong for a 15-16 year-old to lead trad, but they CERTAINLY need supervision by an experienced leader before starting. 

It's pretty hard to get lost on a 120' route if you study the topo, read the beta and have a good sense of where you're at and what you're on.

The route page (linked by the OP) is pretty clear on route direction, it also says to stay off this 5.6 if you aren't solid at 5.8.......

John Barritt wrote:
The route page (linked by the OP) is pretty clear on route direction, it also says to stay off this 5.6 if you aren't solid at 5.8.......

The words are clear  But the old black and white photo is contrary and  I suspect the photo is not the way that gets the easier rating of the two primary routes. The collection of route beta in this thread implies two different pitch twos to Tranquility.

And the MP description does not say to stay off Tranquility if not leading 5.8. I believe it’s meaning is that there are better quality routes if you can lead 5.8.

Jimmy Downhillinthesnow wrote:

For the record, I think teenagers plus gasoline is a bad idea--and I don't think there's anywhere that lets 16 year-olds drive without a learning period.

A learning permit I don’t contest. But 16 year olds can drive alone.

First, I'm really glad both of you are okay. That's a close call.

The mistake you made (and I'm guessing you already know this) is that you avoided the real route in favor of something that is PERCEIVED as easier. Tranquility goes up that "wildly exposed" arete. It bears mentioning that "exposure" is nowhere in the criteria for rating the climbing difficulty of a route.

Especially at J-tree the scary way is sometimes the best way and what looks easier turns out not to be. 

Where was the ten year old, while two ​people who are very important to them were close to splatting?

That, is the blunt crux of climbing with your kids. Does a 15 year old have a real grasp of his/her own mortality? I hope not more than theoretically, that's a reality usually acquired by ugly experience. If you do not truly understand YGD, yes, you can still be climbing, but, someone ​in the party needs to have matured enough to make some judgement calls when it's tough. Kids are quite capable of exercising judgement, but the maturity to deal with trauma is a long way off.

My son and I are self taught, learning this together. I thought long and hard about exposing him to the possibility of "killing" his own mom. We even talked about it. He was 20 at the time, but had been an EMT and SAR since he was 18. Within our first year of climbing, he got the SAR call for a climbing accident. Fatal, as it turned out. Four years later, we discussed the possibility of him being on duty when his dad's health finally failed. Thankfully, it was not his paramedic station that was called when his dad died just a few weeks ago. But he heard me calling it in, and was able to be there, both of us there, when his co-workers pronounced my husband, his dad, dead.

Climbing is wonderful. It changed my life, saved it, actually, and is a great activity for anyone who is drawn to it, including little kids. But keep them on really easy stuff, until you are comfortable with them facing gore and death. That is not dramatic overstatement. You simply can't assume nothing will ever go wrong, as your plan A. It's what we strive for, but.....

Part two?

In my experience, lower rated climbs in long established areas are very often not ​beginner climbs, or at least not very reliably. They were warmups for strong climbers, and even "sport" routes are bolted as such, minimally, at best. Ground fall potential is there, as are other surprises, like anchors you can only rap off of, can't be cleaned to lower. Maybe even dicey on top rope.

Get all the beta you can, and stick with stuff you can size up in a glance. If you can't tell before you launch what might be a problem, just back off. The route will be there next year.

Best to you and your kids! Glad it was okay, and you are such a thoughtful parent and climbing partner.

Best, Helen