Red Rocks Fatality

Have they released the name of the deceased yet? So very sad, condolences to family and friends. I know a few people who are out there and haven't heard from all of them just yet!

Bringing this back on track as we continue to wait to get more information - when terrible things like this happen, it's an opportunity to do what we can to ensure it doesn't happen again and the way to do that is through knowledge sharing. 

For anyone reading this thread who doesn't understand what's been said on the first page in terms of how someone could rappel on the wrong side of a rope, please pay attention and read on - this knowledge may save your life or your partner's life someday. There's a method of rappelling that can be used when you have a single channel belay/rappel device like a grigri and you need to be able to retrieve your rope after you get down. You may hear the methods referred to as a "carabiner block", "knot block", "retrievable abseil", or "reepschnur rappel", among others. I highly, highly recommend reading John's (of Alpine Savvy) article linked below for excellent explanations of how to set this up correct and how to avoid the deadly errors in doing so.

Critical reading - Alpine Savvy article on Rope Blocks

For a visual explanation, see below. Photo also courtesy of Alpine Savvy. You can understand how easy it is to put your device on the pull strand if you don't understand how this system works.

EDIT: Please understand that I am not advocating for using this technique unless absolutely necessary. If you don't know when this would be necessary - please don't consider using it. I'm only sharing this information to help everyone understand how easy this mistake is to make, and to bring awareness to it. As Big Red said below, always use a tether and always test your rap before you fully commit to it. 

Absolutely tragic accident, condolences to everyone involved and affected.

Cosmic Hotdog wrote:

For anyone reading this thread who doesn't understand what's been said on the first page in terms of how someone could rappel on the wrong side of a rope, please pay attention and read on - this knowledge may save your life or your partner's life someday. There's a method of rappelling that can be used when you have a single channel belay/rappel device like a grigri and you need to be able to retrieve your rope after you get down. You may hear the methods referred to as a "carabiner block", "knot block", "retrievable abseil", or "reepschnur rappel", among others. I highly, highly recommend reading John's (of Alpine Savvy) article linked below for excellent explanations of how to set this up correct and how to avoid the deadly errors in doing so.

One thing to add that I don't see mentioned in that post is the importance of using a PAS that makes it easy to stay backed up when you commit your weight to your rap device. For years now I pretty much only rap via blocked single strand and recently I accidentally set up on the pull side at a busy station for the first time. I was caught by my extended PAS, which was still on the anchor when I fully weighted my Gri. I think this is generally a good rule for any rap system (have a backup as you transfer weight) but especially so for a blocked rap.

Yes to test while tethered. 

James Faerber wrote:

Have they released the name of the deceased yet? So very sad, condolences to family and friends. I know a few people who are out there and haven't heard from all of them just yet!

The Las Vegas Journal Review named her in an article today. Micah Manalese of Fullerton CA. My condolences to all of her friends and loved ones and everyone involved. 

I just want to bring to light other factors that could have been involved. That is a north-facing route that does not see the sun all day this time of year. It likely did not get out of the 40's there Saturday and there was also a slight E/NE breeze most of the day. If the newspaper article is correct, the call came in at 5:30pm so it was getting even colder. Hypothermia could have possibly been setting in which can cause confusion, apathy, and impaired judgement. (People with hypothermia are often not aware of their condition.) Even if she was *just* cold, I know when I get cold I tend to want to rush things in my need to be warm again. Also even if not yet completely dark, when those canyons start to darken this time of year, a great sense of urgency can begin to set in that can cause panic and cloud judgment. (I have witnessed this firsthand in partners.) We don't know if they had a light or not.

So someone can be completely proficient in what to do but other factors can be present that make it more challenging to actually do them. Both cold and dark can make it more difficult to perform technical skills proficiently.

Wow. Condolences to all. I once rappelled on the pull line and was luckily saved by a random dude (thanks random dude) coiling his own rope when he noticed the rope next to him start pulling away and grabbed it. I stopped about 10’ above the ground. It was a very cold November day on Unimpeachable groping.  

More & more, the most critical part of the experience is overlooked. The amount of rappel related accidents at RR is unreal. I’m neighbors with Mike Ward, the volunteer climber lead, & the times they rescue people who just got rescued due to pure incompetence is insane. No offense intended to those rescued.

Can you tie your knots blind folded? If not, practice.

Do you have a contingency plan in case you drop your belay device? If not, practice. 

Double, triple, then quadruple check critical single point connections before committing. It’s your life on the line, make sure your inside voice says “yup that’s solid”

Lastly, check your knot, close your system, and think before you commit. 

Sad news and condolences to the family and friends. I looked the deceased up and it seems like we had a lot of mutual friends in the climbing community here in southern California. If you are skimming through this forum and happen to read this post, I highly suggest on scrolling back up and reading Cosmic Hotdog and BigRed's post. Another suggestion I would also add, is something I saw a Rock Guide do when guiding a person on a multi pitch and doing the same technique as the carabiner block. The Rock Guide had him and his partner set up for rappel at the same time. 

On my last outing, we got caught rappelling in the dark. Since it was getting really cold, dark, no headlamps and I was going to rappel first, I made sure my partner was already set up for rappel before I went down. This was advantageous because I was able to quadruple check him and our system before I left him in the dark. Most importantly though, it is always a great idea to test the rappel while still anchored in to make sure there are no failures in the system before committing to the rappel. 

Jan Tarculas wrote:

Most importantly though, it is always a great idea to test the rappel while still anchored in to make sure there are no failures in the system before committing to the rappel. 

I agree with these sentiments, but I'd like to add that if you're the fast and light "I got this bro" type that doesn't do tethers, or you find an anchor situation where the tether is too short - you can always and should always with no exceptions in every single possible situation still hold the anchor or something obviously and securely attached to it with one hand and the brake with the other while weighting the system and doing a few bounces and double checks before committing.  Same with getting lowered - grab the side of the rope leading to your belayer and don't let go until you can visually see they have you and you feel your weight being taken.  Never ever anytime anywhere in any situation just lean back.  And yeah - a long tether is good for less experienced or safety conscious climbers.  I noticed Amity Warme wearing one recently on a 5.14 send, so there's probably not much of an excuse except personal choice.

Cosmic Hotdog wrote:

Bringing this back on track as we continue to wait to get more information - when terrible things like this happen, it's an opportunity to do what we can to ensure it doesn't happen again and the way to do that is through knowledge sharing. 

For anyone reading this thread who doesn't understand what's been said on the first page in terms of how someone could rappel on the wrong side of a rope, please pay attention and read on - this knowledge may save your life or your partner's life someday. There's a method of rappelling that can be used when you have a single channel belay/rappel device like a grigri and you need to be able to retrieve your rope after you get down. You may hear the methods referred to as a "carabiner block", "knot block", "retrievable abseil", or "reepschnur rappel", among others. I highly, highly recommend reading John's (of Alpine Savvy) article linked below for excellent explanations of how to set this up correct and how to avoid the deadly errors in doing so.

Critical reading - Alpine Savvy article on Rope Blocks

For a visual explanation, see below. Photo also courtesy of Alpine Savvy. You can understand how easy it is to put your device on the pull strand if you don't understand how this system works.

I prefer to attach a tagline to the pull side, to the locker. That way I can rap the entire length of the rope and there will be no confusion as to which side to weight. Either way the cluster of gear gets easily hung up when pulling, here in Red Rock, so traditional rappels are often easier.

Cosmic Hotdog wrote:

Bringing this back on track as we continue to wait to get more information - when terrible things like this happen, it's an opportunity to do what we can to ensure it doesn't happen again and the way to do that is through knowledge sharing. 

For anyone reading this thread who doesn't understand what's been said on the first page in terms of how someone could rappel on the wrong side of a rope, please pay attention and read on - this knowledge may save your life or your partner's life someday. There's a method of rappelling that can be used when you have a single channel belay/rappel device like a grigri and you need to be able to retrieve your rope after you get down. You may hear the methods referred to as a "carabiner block", "knot block", "retrievable abseil", or "reepschnur rappel", among others. I highly, highly recommend reading John's (of Alpine Savvy) article linked below for excellent explanations of how to set this up correct and how to avoid the deadly errors in doing so.

Critical reading - Alpine Savvy article on Rope Blocks

For a visual explanation, see below. Photo also courtesy of Alpine Savvy. You can understand how easy it is to put your device on the pull strand if you don't understand how this system works.

FWIW, in Red Rock, I recommend exclusively rappelling on an ATC (or similar device) and avoid this method entirely. Recently I was top rope soloing on big bad wolf, and was running late to the office so I thought “I’ll be down in 15 if I just rap real quick” opposed to the 25 minute walk off. But all I had was my Grigri since I was going up and down a 80m fixed line and didn’t intend to rappel originally. So I used this exact set up, as I had in the past. On the final rappel my rope got helplessly constricted around a horn. Envision what happens as that carabiner moves down the rappel line, and reaches an obstruction… can you picture the potential problem point??

The locking carabiner and the rappel strand create a potential pinch point, which with enough friction from the obstruction and rope still left in the system will bite down and not allow you to pull the rope until you can free up the weight off the rappel line side. Took an hour and some more advanced rope shenanigans to free up.

Moral of the story, majority of the time, it is in your best interest to rappel on an ATC with a 3rd hand assist via an autoblock.

When I learned to climb I was told by those ahead of me to read American alpine journal accident reports cover to cover so that my loved ones never have to read my name in there.

While living, we are never able to comprehend the wake we will leave when we pass. Once again, my condolences to those who witnessed this tragic accident and in a bizarre twist of fate, It’s a blessing the cat in the hat party required assistance otherwise the partner might not have made it through the night either. Just last night, Monday 1/21, the low was 13 degrees in RR.

Safe climbing friends  

Cosmic Hotdog wrote:

Bringing this back on track as we continue to wait to get more information - when terrible things like this happen, it's an opportunity to do what we can to ensure it doesn't happen again and the way to do that is through knowledge sharing. 

For anyone reading this thread who doesn't understand what's been said on the first page in terms of how someone could rappel on the wrong side of a rope, please pay attention and read on - this knowledge may save your life or your partner's life someday.  how easy it is to put your device on the pull strand if you don't understand how this system works.

Adding to this… several climbers shared near-misses of the same scenario in the “Scariest moments/mistakes when climbing not resulting in injury” thread in the General forum. Check your systems, check your knots.

Cosmic Hotdog wrote:

Bringing this back on track as we continue to wait to get more information - when terrible things like this happen, it's an opportunity to do what we can to ensure it doesn't happen again and the way to do that is through knowledge sharing. 

For anyone reading this thread who doesn't understand what's been said on the first page in terms of how someone could rappel on the wrong side of a rope, please pay attention and read on - this knowledge may save your life or your partner's life someday. There's a method of rappelling that can be used when you have a single channel belay/rappel device like a grigri and you need to be able to retrieve your rope after you get down. You may hear the methods referred to as a "carabiner block", "knot block", "retrievable abseil", or "reepschnur rappel", among others. I highly, highly recommend reading John's (of Alpine Savvy) article linked below for excellent explanations of how to set this up correct and how to avoid the deadly errors in doing so.

Critical reading - Alpine Savvy article on Rope Blocks

For a visual explanation, see below. Photo also courtesy of Alpine Savvy. You can understand how easy it is to put your device on the pull strand if you don't understand how this system works.

I understand why someone would use this method with a tag line (for longer raps of course). But what is the benefit of using this with just a single rope? It wouldn’t get you farther down on a single rap then just rappelling on both strands I don’t think, would it?

Julian Madrid wrote:

I understand why someone would use this method with a tag line (for longer raps of course). But what is the benefit of using this with just a single rope?

Some devices used for belaying can accommodate no more than one strand. When such a device is preferred for belays, this rope rigging method - reepschnur rappel - removes the need to also bring a two-stranded device just for rappels.

On a different topic, Valerie A B made a good case up thread that cold and impending darkness may have been a distraction - or even in some cases can be an impediment. Like many others, I have been there. Those are factors worth closely weighing when planning for the day, especially this time of year for those of us in winter.

And voices absent here lead me to internally debate whether the added complexity - reepschnur, tether, third hand, steps in the right order - are indeed the best to embrace for long days in the mountains.

 In the above, I’m not specifically aiming at the circumstances of this accident - don’t know enough. Just looking from a systemic level at the path this thread seems to be taking.

Bill Lawry wrote:

And voices absent here lead me to internally debate whether the added complexity - reepschnur, tether, third hand, steps in the right order - are indeed the best to embrace for long days in the mountains.

 In the above, I’m not specifically aiming at the circumstances of this accident - don’t know enough. Just looking from a systemic level at the path this thread seems to be taking.

Its definitely not a method that should be somebody's go-to. A tagline or double ropes are much less prone to this very easy to make error that happened. Carrying a 2 channel rap device is a best practice and this is one of many reasons that the versatility of a 2 channel device is worth the nominal weight of carrying it. 

I'm not advocating for that rap method at all. The deceased was a friend of mine and I don't want to see this happen to anyone else if I can help it.  

For a visual explanation, see below. Photo also courtesy of Alpine Savvy. You can understand how easy it is to put your device on the pull strand if you don't understand how this system works.

EDIT: Please understand that I am not advocating for using this technique unless absolutely necessary. If you don't know when this would be necessary - please don't consider using it. I'm only sharing this information to help everyone understand how easy this mistake is to make, and to bring awareness to it. As Big Red said below, always use a tether and always test your rap before you fully commit to it. 

If you weight the wrong side on this, wouldn't the carabiner hit the chain and catch you? Is the idea that the accident was knot blocked and there was no biner?

No Josh. Attaching the rap device to the pull side means you are just pulling with your entire  body. The knot goes with the pull, and the biner goes with the knot. It will not get pulled into the anc hor, it gets pulled away and the tail zips through.

Always weight-test a rap - every time before unclipping from the anchor. Every Time.

Jan Tarculas wrote:

On my last outing, we got caught rappelling in the dark. Since it was getting really cold, dark, no headlamps and I was going to rappel first,

Please don't give advice right after telling us how unprepared for multipitching you were.