Rescue on NE Face of Tahquitz

What is interesting to me, El Whampo's technical climbing basically ends above  the 5.7 pitch or so. The route runs into the NE Rib route, which goes at +- 5.2 and locals have been scrambling up this NE Rib unroped for years. While going up there early in the morning, my wife Pen and I have over the years saw several parties bivi right there where the two routes meet, unaware that easy scrambling is above them. This seems like another team that should not have been on Tahquitz, especially on a short and cold winter day. 

Kudos to Guy Keesee talking about the dangers of what the locals and/or government might do to stop crap like this from happening over and over.. 

Julie W wrote:

That's all the info on the local FB post. However, earlier this year, there was another pair of climbers that were stuck for a rescue in a similar place and situation. 

 click here to read the report of that one from RMRU's website. 

OMG, I feel sorry for these people.   I got my rope stuck near whodunit (about 1/2 way up the rock) this summer, too.  However, we figured it out on our own.  I cut the rope at 10:30 pm, (leaving us with only 25m or so in our possession) and we rapped down on gear without involving anyone.  We got back to the parking lot around 3AM.  It was a new moon on top of that, and we didn't use head lamps because they kill your night vision; I'll never forget rapping down Edgehogs in the total dark. 

Kaiser- solid!

Don’t you think that Dinner tastes better when you make it at 3am?

Guy Keesee wrote:

Kaiser- solid!

Don’t you think that Dinner tastes better when you make it at 3am?

Speaking from considerable experience, I wouldn’t say it tastes “better” at 3am.  But it does taste “necessary”.

At my age, “Better” happens in a window between 7 PM and 8:30 PM.  ;)

January 2000, Penelope and I decided to scramble up North Buttress after partying the night before. We started at noon, it was easy climbing, we would dispense with it in couple of hours. That was before I twisted my ankle rather clumsily in the off width high up. By the time we made it down, it was pitch black at Lunch Rock (no moon) and our packs were at the base of the route on the north side. There was no way to get them, too dark to locate them. I wanted to bivi, Pen was adamant that she had a rack of lamb in the fridge and a bottle of Syrah on the table and bivi was absolutely out of the question. So we crawled down to Humber Park. At 2 AM, we made it to her house. After icing the foot, I found myself grilling that rack... That's when I knew she was the one...

Maybe we should have comment who have NOT walked down in the dark.  I did it years ago, back in the days when people were too stupid to carry headlamps in there packs.  Did the scramble down in fading light, but it was profoundly dark on the hike down.  We were able to figure out if the ground felt soft underfoot that we were probably standing on leaves and pine needles, and therefore off the trail.  It took a long time inching down and we were really dirty by the time we got back to Humber Park.  

Fat Dad wrote:

Maybe we should have comment who have NOT walked down in the dark.  I did it years ago, back in the days when people were too stupid to carry headlamps in there packs.  Did the scramble down in fading light, but it was profoundly dark on the hike down.  We were able to figure out if the ground felt soft underfoot that we were probably standing on leaves and pine needles, and therefore off the trail.  It took a long time inching down and we were really dirty by the time we got back to Humber Park.  

I've never had to walk down in the dark, when I open my eyes they illuminate the ground beneath me.

It not like tahquitz is some big alpine adventure.... your car is a half mile away.....

" your car is a half mile away...." 

That is if you have the headlamp and car keys with you and not in the pack on the other side of the rock...

Alois Smrz wrote:

" your car is a half mile away...." 

That is if you have the headlamp and car keys with you and not in the pack on the other side of the rock...

I am just confused why you took the ernie maxwell trail and took the friction decent instead of the gully if you were doing the north buttress?

And still, Tahquitz gives you some "alpine feel" but hardly like a day out in the sierra for some real alpine climbing. 

Fat dad. In the beginning of my climbing career I also topped out on a climb, NutCracker in Yosemite without headlamps. I did the same as you. I took off my shoes and if I was on hard packed ground I knew I was on the trail, if the ground was soft I backtracked until the ground was solid again. It worked perfectly. I also ran out of batteries after summiting Half Dome and walked half way back to the car by my friends digital camera green display light until it died and then had to feel our way all the way back to the car. 

Alois Smrz wrote:

 It does matter how we get out these events, doesn't that...   

AGREED

Tradiban wrote:

I've never had to walk down in the dark, when I open my eyes they illuminate the ground beneath me.

That's quite the skill.  

I was hoping some good stories would come out of reviving this thread, not disappointed!  

So who's gonna start the Official Tahquitz Bivouac thread?

jt newgard wrote:

I was hoping some good stories would come out of reviving this thread, not disappointed!  

So who's gonna start the Official Tahquitz Bivouac thread?

I dont get reception up there so I can't start it.

First time on Tahquitz my partner aggravated a previous injury. We decided to finish the route but I had to haul her the last couple pitches. Took much longer than expected and reached the summit in time to watch an amazing sunset while I kicked myself for not bringing the headlamps. Like I said it was our first time so we had to find and navigate the friction decent. Ended up taping our phones to our helmets for light. Made it down for midnight dinner. Last time I forgot the headlamps.

Yoda Jedi Knight wrote:

First time on Tahquitz my partner aggravated a previous injury. We decided to finish the route but I had to haul her the last couple pitches. Took much longer than expected and reached the summit in time to watch an amazing sunset while I kicked myself for not bringing the headlamps. Like I said it was our first time so we had to find and navigate the friction decent. Ended up taping our phones to our helmets for light. Made it down for midnight dinner. Last time I forgot the headlamps.

That's an interesting choice that shows it was your first time. I bet now if you got injured and could rap back down to the Lunch Rock vicinity you'd choose that vs. continuing UP and then having to do the Friction Descent and trail after all that with an injury. I suppose it also depends on what route you were on. 

Ok... I’ll bite. Early one Saturday evening, just as the party was getting started In Humbler park we heard some yelling from the rock- the breeze changes. Some folks are in trouble! Then we could see em hi up on the exit pitches around Whodunnit. Quickly a rescue plan was hatched and 6 of us started up the trail, at double time. At the base of the Trough 4 of us decided to free solo it and two went to the base to contact the hapless party who were still yelling, unaware that a rescue party had been dispatched. At the top we could here the boys not to far below. The late Shawn Curtis went down to them on a lower line. I can still remember his booming voice go “oh fuck no” when he got to the stranded party. These boys were climbing so slowly because they had the 15 essentials with them in two packs. They were on a ledge with down jackets and a space blanket- all comfortable and well fed. So we TR them up - Shawn even lugged the packs up when he came up last. So here we are- 4 dudes in shorts and T-shirts the two victims bundled up in DJs. So we pointed them to the friction route while we downclimed and got the ground team.
Dinner was served at 2:30. I didn’t recall what happened to the climbers.

I’m glad for RMSR... because I swore to never go up and help boneheads.

A summer nights out is good for your character. 

Andrew Rice wrote:

I think you're right. It was a learning experience and one I'm glad we had. I will say, the injury was just barely enough to make hand jams uncomfortable (or maybe that was a cover for poor technique...). The final slab and decent weren't a problem.