Yosemite Helo Rescue 7/10 - Half Dome ?

Was at Church Bowl today when YOSAR flew into the Ahwahnee Meadow and then made several trips up to Half Dome with personnel on the long line. Eventually they came back with a litter and a climber who appeared to be conscious. I wish the climber Godspeed and a quick recovery. Does anyone have more details on this rescue?

I spoke with a ranger who said the accident was a climber on half dome, but they did not disclose the climbers condition. When patient was transferred into the ambulance I could see cams on his harness while he was still in the litter. It was smokey today and hard to see the helo but it sounded like it was up in the HD area as well. 

Bump? 

Found this on Reddit:

https://www.reddit.com/r/climbing/comments/w58qe9/snake_dike_up_half_dome_the_worlds_sketchiest/ih969nz/

Thanks for sharing Austin. 

Edit - it was pointed out that both accidents are not related

Climbing posted this - https://www.climbing.com/news/80-foot-slab-fall-yosemite-climber-critically-injured 

Anna Parsons, 21, is recovering in the hospital after a brutal 80-foot fall on August 1 on a Yosemite ultra-classic, Half Dome’s Snake Dike (5.7 R). Parsons broke nearly every major bone in her body, including her spine and pelvis. The damage to her left foot was irreparable, and she opted to have it amputated shortly after the accident.
...
Luckily, Parsons had been wearing a helmet and she remained conscious throughout the whole ordeal. “The helmet she was wearing was completely demolished,” said Evans. “It was extremely lucky that she had it on.” Doctors reported she had no sign of head trauma.
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Unfortunately, nearly every other bone in her body was broken. “She had artificial vertebrae put in and they had to fuse quite a few bits of her spine,” said Parsons’s brother, Ben, in addition to a smashed fibula, half-a-dozen fractured ribs, a broken pelvis, a punctured lung, five broken toes on her right foot, significant cuts on her face and body, and a lengthy list of other injuries.

Her left foot was shattered, and the talus bone was also missing, ripped out during the fall. “It was probably left somewhere on the mountain,” said Ben. “[The doctors] told her that without it, her foot was damaged beyond repair.” She could opt to have the foot fused, but she’d only be able to walk with a severe limp for the rest of her life, much less hike, run, surf, or climb. Instead, she chose to have her leg amputated halfway between knee and ankle, as this would allow her to eventually be fitted with a prosthesis and regain some of her mobility.
...
While New Zealand nationwide’s no-fault personal injury insurance program AAC (Accident Compensation Corporation) will cover the majority of Parsons’s treatment and recovery once she’s able to return home, Ben said she was racking up bills in excess of $4,000 per day while recuperating at an American hospital in Modesto, California, in addition to the numerous extensive surgeries she’s already undergone and which lie ahead. Her travel insurance covers a small portion of this, but her medical bills already exceed $1,000,000.

Drop some coins here - https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/annas-road-to-recovery

amarius wrote:

Climbing posted this - https://www.climbing.com/news/80-foot-slab-fall-yosemite-climber-critically-injured 

Fuck
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This is why I find the old school ethics of massive runout slab unethical and disturbing (We live in a new climbing age). When I read accidents like this, I curse the old school ethics and wish the "hard men" could reflect on the culture they created and continue to hold on to. I hope one day, some of the leaders in these ethics I disagree with will open to some retro bolting.

Climbing is and always be inherently dangerous, but we can help reduce some of the risks as a community.
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I hope the climber has a good recovery and if you're reading this, please stay positive.

Edit: Dear grumpy armchair climbers who are opposed to reviewing the climbing norms. Please read the climbing.com article and look at her picture before commenting.

amarius wrote:

Climbing posted this - https://www.climbing.com/news/80-foot-slab-fall-yosemite-climber-critically-injured 

That was a different, more recent accident. Interesting though, I'm surprised somebody could miss the p2 anchor.

Edit: If I'm understanding correctly, this was anchor that was accidentally skipped:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFGrnXp3iwU&t=935s

Edit 2: Gumby, did you read the article?

Gumby King wrote:

Edit: Dear grumpy armchair climbers who are opposed to reviewing the climbing norms. Please read the climbing.com article and look at her picture before commenting.

I did read the article, and it’s a terrible tragedy for this to have happened. I have a fear of this happening to me when I get on R rated routes or decide to go soloing. 

But I do accept the autonomy I have to choose my own actions, and value the existence of scary, runout routes that I can aspire to one day climb when I’ve conquered my fears and become a more well rounded climber. Trad and traditional style routes such as Snake Dike are not lingering relics of a forgotten and simpler time, they remain as a challenge for many of us to try to conquer. Your choice to retro bolt would remove that for many of us.

Safety in climbing can never be guaranteed, no matter how many routes we retro bolt. Risk can only be removed by not climbing at all, or mitigated by climbing sport routes.

Just my 2 cents. I sincerely hope for this climbers recovery as best is possible. I also fear for the future of our sport and the retro bolt mindset.

edit: the American medical system is who we should be trashing here. $1mil already?? Donated my physical 2 cents to the cause as well.

Gumby King wrote:

This is why I find the old school ethics of massive runout slab unethical and disturbing (We live in a new climbing age). When I read accidents like this, I curse the old school ethics and wish the "hard men" could reflect on the culture they created and continue to hold on to. I hope one day, some of the leaders in these ethics I disagree with will open to some retro bolting.

This is why I find modern climbers clueless about what "R" means - even if it's "easy" 5.7 - and not understanding that a fully bolted route DOES NOT MEAN it's a sport route. If you don't like runout climbing, don't do old school slab routes.

I read the article (I didn't realize there are two accidents on this thread).  She missed the anchor by ~6' from what I gathered and started climbing down.

Yes, I agree; we choose and accept the risks when climbing. However, many risks could be reduced (And this is the point I had hoped this was expressed in my first comment), but we hold on to ethics created by a group of climbers and have been passed on.

Classic Routes, like Snake Dike, IMO, are routes every climber should do. Adding 3-5 bolts to the route would not be a bad idea. The retro bolts could be marked if people chose not to use them. I believe test piece routes like B-Y should remain R/X, but Snake Dike is not a test piece.

As for retro bolting, the Jtree climbing management plan might form an opinion on the topic once it's created. Its likely parks will use the Jtree plan for guidance. I saw an interesting argument regarding bolting in Jtree. Many of the routes have downclimbs/walkoffs. Users create numerous trails destroying the fragile ecosystem when getting back to the base of the climb. Rap bolts would reduce the impacts climbers have on nature. This is not comparable to Snake Dike but rescues are taxing (financially and ecologically). Adding a few bolts could pay dividends for all parties involved.

Retrobolting should require approval from the climbing community. The climbs on public lands are our climbs. As a community, we should have a decision. Yes, include the FA when possible but if they are no longer with us, then the community should decide. I don't want just any gumby climbing with a bolt gun!

Edit:  @Marc.  I agree.  I spend a lot of time at the gym I'm at explaining these nuances.  It's exhausting.  ha

Gumby King wrote:

Fuck
--
--
This is why I find the old school ethics of massive runout slab unethical and disturbing (We live in a new climbing age). When I read accidents like this, I curse the old school ethics and wish the "hard men" could reflect on the culture they created and continue to hold on to. I hope one day, some of the leaders in these ethics I disagree with will open to some retro bolting.

Climbing is and always be inherently dangerous, but we can help reduce some of the risks as a community.
-
I hope the climber has a good recovery and if you're reading this, please stay positive.

Edit: Dear grumpy armchair climbers who are opposed to reviewing the climbing norms. Please read the climbing.com article and look at her picture before commenting.

I have to agree with this pretty heavily.  In MOST cases, we are really talking the difference between a few bolts, in some cases just one bolt.  It doesn't mean turn everything into a sport bolt ladder and no one here is arguing to bolt things that can be protected by gear... but there is some middle ground.  You already need a certain level of skill and determination to climb snake dike to begin with.  It's a long hike, a long climb, takes multipitch and trad skills... people who do it successfully have already put a base level of work in to accomplish it... so why not make it just A LITTLE safer?  In most cases 'R' only exists by choice and ego.  "I did it without that bolt, so you have to as well!"  Considering that nature does not even retain it's form... it's a silly notion.  Cause you also climbed that other thing over there when it had a big juggy flake that fell off two decades ago and that other climb over there on sandstone before all the good placements were wallered out.  

As for how she could miss the anchor. I've followed the route before and compared the story to the beta and it seems like during the traverse to the beginning of the dike climbing, after she clipped the bolt she probably climbed higher than she was supposed to and intersected the dike above the anchor as opposed to at it. While downclimbing to it, she slipped and fell which meant she not only fell a good unprotected distance, but swung quite a bit since she was traversing.

In terms of community responsibility, taking a second look at whether or not those 'R' ratings are worth keeping for more than ego is worth discussing.  I guess if we are to learn anything from it in terms of personal responsibility, a takeaway could be to look at beta a bit closer.  I'm sure all trad climbers make similar mistakes at some time, I know I have.  In this case however, the article makes the beta sound vague, but Snake Dike is an extremely well documented climb and they probably could have been a little more prepared.  Regardless, it's an absolute tragedy and a very real and very scary threat to us all.  I hope she heals as well as she can and is able to adapt to her prosthetic.  

Gina Schaefer wrote:

As for how she could miss the anchor. I've followed the route before and compared the story to the beta and it seems like during the traverse to the beginning of the dike climbing, after she clipped the bolt she probably climbed higher than she was supposed to and intersected the dike above the anchor as opposed to at it. While downclimbing to it, she slipped and fell which meant she not only fell a good unprotected distance, but swung quite a bit since she was traversing.

The description in the report matches up exactly to pitch 2, not 3 as you're describing. The report calls it the "crux pitch," which I think is just confusing/inaccurate.

Austin Donisan wrote:

The description in the report matches up exactly to pitch 2, not 3 as you're describing. The report calls it the "crux pitch," which I think is just confusing/inaccurate.

I see what you're saying, the article's description is a bit confusing because it says more than once that she was climbing ON the dike and I know the leader I climbed with found the traverse to be the crux which is why I speculated what I did.  However, re-reading, you're correct in that the quotes specifically from her belayer sound more like she climbed past the P2 anchor to the right.  Thanks for the insight.  The takeaway remains the same regardless of where she fell though imo.

Austin Donisan wrote:

The description in the report matches up exactly to pitch 2, not 3 as you're describing. The report calls it the "crux pitch," which I think is just confusing/inaccurate.

Oh I see, she continued right instead of traversing left to the dike, correct?  Like Gina, I thought she had traversed left, went up the dike, then fell.

(I still hold my position regarding bolting)

Gumby King wrote:

Classic Routes, like Snake Dike, IMO, are routes every climber should do. Adding 3-5 bolts to the route would not be a bad idea. The retro bolts could be marked if people chose not to use them. I believe test piece routes like B-Y should remain R/X, but Snake Dike is not a test piece.

What you're missing as well as others who refer to this as ego bolting is that sure, Snake Dike is not a test piece, but it provides a (sometimes harsh) learning ground to develop the skills - especially mental - that a test piece like the B-Y requires. That's why it's important to not retrobolt routes like this. A big part of why  SD is classic is precisely because of the runouts.

(Edit: removed earlier statement where I misread that she was 35’-40’ above the anchor when it stated she was above the bolt) 
I can’t remember, but does anyone recall how far the bolt on p2 is from the anchors? It would need to be about 30’ from the anchors to produce a 70’-80’ fall, correct?

Marc801 C wrote:

What you're missing as well as others who refer to this as ego bolting is that sure, Snake Dike is not a test piece, but it provides a (sometimes harsh) learning ground to develop the skills - especially mental - that a test piece like the B-Y requires. That's why it's important to not retrobolt routes like this. A big part of why  SD is classic is precisely because of the runouts.

Yes, preach. I've never chopped or removed a good bolt in my life. I will however be pulling and filling any extra holes that get added to this route. Luckily 99% of the people most concerned about "MakIng iT SafE" don't have the skills to place a bolt in the first place 

Fail Falling wrote:

It’s a little confusing to read the climbing.com account as it states she was 35’-40’ past the anchor but also that she was 6’ above the anchor. I’m assuming they left out that she had downclimbed 30’ or so until she was 6’ above the anchor.
I can’t remember, but does anyone recall how far the bolt on p2 is from the anchors? It would need to be about 30’ from the anchors to produce a 70’-80’ fall, correct?

She was 35-40' above the bolt, not the anchor. I would have guessed it is 25' from the bolt to the end of the pitch, so I think it roughly adds up.

Also not mentioned is that there is an obvious off-route bolt about 10' above the anchor along the dike. Assuming you spotted it that would probably be a better option than downclimbing. I think if that bolt were on the SuperTopo a lot fewer people would get lost there.

Marc801 C wrote:

What you're missing as well as others who refer to this as ego bolting is that sure, Snake Dike is not a test piece, but it provides a (sometimes harsh) learning ground to develop the skills - especially mental - that a test piece like the B-Y requires. That's why it's important to not retrobolt routes like this. A big part of why  SD is classic is precisely because of the runouts.

If you really want to mental train and practice run out to go for much harder beefier goals, you could always choose not to clip the bolts.  Hell, free solo it if you want.  Or push yourself and don't go to the disney resort of nature and find some alpine choss pile that will really make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.  Not all of us are livin' the dirtbag life devoting everything to climbing.  Seems to be very few true dirtbags left, actually.  Some of us have kids we need to get back home to and support, a full time job, etc... If you want to make the argument that those things should exclude us from the route, then fine, but understand that that is the argument you are making and it is ego based.  In that statement you're basically saying if you want to climb this, you need to climb this in an unnecessarily dangerous way that prepares you to climb more dangerous things.  That just doesn't need to be the purpose.  It's a fun climb.  It's consistently crowded anyway and you're generally not getting a true alpine in the wilderness experience, there's really no harm in making the run outs just a bit safer.

I know this opinion is like nails on a chalkboard for the crustier folks to hear... but it's not black and white. It's not leave it run out or turn it into a gym route. I have unlimited respect for everyone who has climbed, bolted, maintained, and catalogued everything out there and it makes me feel disrespectful to have a differing opinion on how certain things should be done. I'm not looking for a shortcut so I can do a bolt to bolt ascent of stuff I have no business on, just for developers to consider that a few extra pieces of metal can make the difference between someone with responsibilities pushing themselves on a fun route or staying on the ground because the risk isn't worth it. At the end of the day I take the personal responsibility of just trying to say no to things that seem a bit too risky. It would be nice to not have to say no to things that are unnecessarily risky though.

And forth what it's worth, I'm not trying to push people to go out and retrobolt things, but it would be nice if rules on retrobolting changed a bit and the next time someone is out there replacing gear, they could add a bolt or two.  No, I do not bolt.  I have an interest in it but have not yet learned.  The closest I come is donating to local crag caretakers that do.  I am not so entitled to think that anyone owes me anything and I am grateful for what is out there for me to climb, that being said... the conversation is still worth having.

Austin Donisan wrote:

She was 35-40' above the bolt, not the anchor. I would have guessed it is 25' from the bolt to the end of the pitch, so I think it roughly adds up.

Also not mentioned is that there is an obvious off-route bolt about 10' above the anchor along the dike. Assuming you spotted it that would probably be a better option than downclimbing. I think if that bolt were on the SuperTopo a lot fewer people would get lost there.

Ah good catch, I’ll edit my original post.