Was this posted already? Death in Zion

[tanya]

Very Sad


Climber falls and dies in Zion National Park
The Salt Lake Tribune

A Colorado man died Friday after falling during a climb in Zion National Park.
James Martin Welton, 34, of Durango, Colo., fell while on the popular climbing route Touchstone, the National Park Service and Washington County Sheriff's Office said in a press release.
The more-than-1,000-foot climb usually takes climbers two days and requires an overnight stay on a portable ledge the release stated. Welton was about 300 feet up when his two climbing partners saw him fall. Climbers ascending a nearby route flagged down a shuttle bus at about 7:15 p.m., then called police. The Zion Search and Rescue team confirmed Welton died at the scene. The team spent the night removing the body and investigating the fall.
Welton was an experienced climber and had recently climbed El Capitan in California's Yosemite National Park.
This is the first fatality in the park this year, and the sixth climbing death since 1983. - Lindsay Whitehurst

[Sombeech]

dang, that's too bad. Where is this climb exactly?

[shlingdawg]

dang, that's too bad. Where is this climb exactly?


I don't know how familiar you are w/ Zion but here is an illustration:

http://imglarge.mountainproject.com/2300363_460b77.jpg

[Don]

dang, that's too bad. Where is this climb exactly?

I don't know how familiar you are w/ Zion but here is an illustration:

http://imglarge.mountainproject.com/2300363_460b77.jpg

Thats too bad. Thanks for the illustration dawg. Seems morbid to ask for details but I always want to know exactly what happened to learn from and prevent a similar situation. Anyone know what the cause was?

[climbinghalfdome]

I soloed that route a few months ago. Really shakes you up to hear about stuff like this. I wish I would have gotten to the paper before my wife did. She just said "He'd climbed El Cap and was experienced!!!" What do you say to that?
I wish we knew more details about what happened. Here's what I can deduce.

#1) Not many ropes are over 300 feet long.
1a) Either the rope was cut. Unlikely, but possible from falling rock.
1b) He untied from the rope. Not smart unless your setting up camp.
1c) The belayer may have lowered him off the end of the rope. Happens all the time, when both don't tie into the ends.

#2) The accident took place in the dark or near dark. (the call was made @ 7:15pm.) Sun set was at 6:51pm
2a) While setting up camp he untied from the rope and in the poor light clipped himself into the wrong loop or not directly into the chains.
2b) He took his harness off for natural reasons. Not likely if he was experienced.

#3) We don't have statements from the two other partners.
3a) A lack of a statement can mean many things. However if you were at fault would you want to talk about it?
3b) If you were not at fault would you want to talk about it?

I wish there was more information. Anyone have a link to a more complete story? Do I have to wait to read about it in Accidents in North American Mountaineering?

The only comfort I was able to give my wife was the statistic that this was the 6th climbing related death since 1983. I've been in 2 car accidents in the last 2 years. Both doing over 50 MPH and not wearing a seat belt. I know, I know, I'm an idiot. But neather were my fault.

[trackrunner]

I wish there was more information.

By the Freedom of Information Act the park has to give out the info if requested. You can wait until after the investigation is completed and request info.

Now if you can't wait tell then you can always participate in internet speculation. Though I find speculation dumb, incomplete of facts, and disrespectful. While searching for information on this wall came across the rockclimbing.com & forums. (Park Realease stated the wall usually takes more than one day to climb, I thought it was shorter and and easy day climb, turns out I was thinking of a differnt wall). Some people there claim to have known him or a friend of a friend. Someone claims it happend while ascending a fix line. How much is true :ne_nau:

[trackrunner]

http://www.durangoherald.com/sections/News/2008/10/19/Durango_man_falls_dies_at_Zion_National_Park/

A 34-year old Durango man died Friday after falling while climbing in Zion National Park in Utah.

James Martin Welton, 34, fell about 300 feet while he was climbing with two companions on the popular Touchstone route. A pair of nearby climbers reported the accident at about 7:15 p.m. to a passing tour bus.

The Washington County Sheriff's Office and the National Park Service are investigating the accident. It was the first fatality in Zion National Park this year and the sixth since 1983.

Zion spokesman Tom Haraden said Welton was unmarried and his parents live in Iowa. Welton was climbing with Matt Tuttle of Kamas, Utah, and Robert Hooker of Elko, Nev.

His Durango address was on Misty Lane, but Haraden said Welton had been living with Hooker in Elko for the last six months.

Touchstone Wall is a 1,000-foot climb from the Virgin River to the top and usually takes two days with an overnight stay on a portable ledge. Haraden described Welton as an experienced climber and said the investigation so far does not assign blame to Welton or specifically his equipment.

"While the cause of the incident is still being investigated, Welton was climbing a rope using mechanical ascenders. It appears the ascenders may not have been fully engaged, resulting in a 20-foot fall along the rope. When the ascenders did fully engage, the shock severed the rope," Haraden wrote in a news release.

Haraden said he wants to get accurate information to fellow climbers.

"We want the climbing community to know, because when we don't, all the blogs just guess. It makes for a big mess, and we want people to learn," he said.

"They can assess his technique and equipment, and if something could have been done differently, they can spread the word so it doesn't happen again."

[climbinghalfdome]

"While the cause of the incident is still being investigated, Welton was climbing a rope using mechanical ascenders. It appears the ascenders may not have been fully engaged, resulting in a 20-foot fall along the rope. When the ascenders did fully engage, the shock severed the rope," Haraden wrote in a news release.."
I wonder what type of Jumars he was using? Petzl jugs are designed not to come off while in use...
For those interested there is a valid thread on RC.com on how to back up your fixed line while jugging.



Haraden said he wants to get accurate information to fellow climbers.

"We want the climbing community to know, because when we don't, all the blogs just guess. It makes for a big mess, and we want people to learn," he said.

"They can assess his technique and equipment, and if something could have been done differently, they can spread the word so it doesn't happen again."
Count me in on more of that accurate info. I can dig it for sure.
I've not called the park, but I guess I'll wait till the official report comes out. I'm still wondering about the partner's statements.
Can you imagine doing a classic route and something like that happining? The closest thing I've experienced was when Terry K. died at the Pocatello Pump in 2006. He took a 40 footer and slapped head first to the dirt. No helmet. He was the first person I knew personaly who had died climbing. I've warn a helmet ever since. It shook me up for weeks.

[Don]

"While the cause of the incident is still being investigated, Welton was climbing a rope using mechanical ascenders. It appears the ascenders may not have been fully engaged, resulting in a 20-foot fall along the rope. When the ascenders did fully engage, the shock severed the rope,"


:shock: Shit.

I'd like to know what gear he was using too.

Wow.

[Brian in SLC]

I wonder what type of Jumars he was using? Petzl jugs are designed not to come off while in use...."

http://www.expeditioncave.com/srt/petzl/failure/


He took a 40 footer and slapped head first to the dirt. No helmet. He was the first person I knew personaly who had died climbing. I've warn a helmet ever since. It shook me up for weeks.

IMO, was more of an issue with the belayer than whether or not he had a helmet on. Ugly issue that got hashed and rehashed up there.

From another website (the 'Taco) posted below on what happened, apparently.

Ascending a loaded line makes it hard to back up your jugs (etc). Scary stuff.

-Brian in SLC

Here's basically what happened:

The team was climbing as 3. They climbed pitches 3 and 4 separately but decided to link the hauls in one shot. Matt was at the top of pitch 4, James and Perry were at the top of 3, and the bags were hanging on the haul line near the top of pitch 2. Matt had finished pitch 4 and fixed the haul line onto a pro traxion and backed it up. James was to jug the haul line while perry cleaned pitch 4 because the rope was in reach of the 3rd belay, albeit weighted already with the bags. I'm pretty sure they were using James' 9.5mm 70 m static line -- the same one we used on the Salathe a week before with no issues.

James somehow malfunctioned the attachment of his jumars to the taught haul line, but after he had released his daisy chains from the anchor. He began sliding down the haul line until one of his jumars finally engaged some 30 feet later or so. There was a sheath piling found on the scene, so we know he broke the sheath first, initiated a sheath fall, and finally the core broke after the sheath fall ended and shock-loaded the system. He and the bags fell 300 feet to the base. Other details are not known yet. We do not know how James failed to attach the ascenders properly, but we do know that he is used to using the new BD ascenders and for just that pitch he used the petzl jumars.

Please folks, understand that jumaring taught haul lines is not safe and should always be avoided. I had a close call on the Nose in 2003 when my partner jumared a taght haul line and we broke a pro-traxion in half during the lower out. It cut the sheath, and the backup knot I tied saved his life. I only use pro-traxions these days with a full strength swivel and a big locker in the bottom hole.

When climbing as 3, the second should always jumar the slacked haul line first so he can be backed up with knots or a gri gri, then the bags can be lowered out. In their case, it was not possible because they linked the hauls. If you link hauls like that, the second should clean the upper pitch first, then the third should jumar the lead line after it's been cleaned rather than grabbing the taught haul line and comitting to it. Plus, linking hauls like that is usually not possible anwyay because the haul line hardly ever hangs within reach of the intermediate belay. And also, saving time by linking those hauls is counterproductive when you consider that to get the other two up safely, you'd need to wait until the upper pitch is cleaned before the third can come up.

If a taught haul line is going over a lip, you cannot pass it with 2 jumars and because you cannot be backed up with a gri gri or knots, you are only on one jumar during the maneuver. It's also too much strain for the hauling device and is more likely to chop ropes going over sharp edges. It doesn't save time to do it this way either. Just avoid it no matter what. I've climbed many walls with 3 people and always jug an unweighted haul line. The one time we did otherwise (on the Nose) my partner almost died.

--Pete

[climbinghalfdome]

Just avoid it no matter what. I've climbed many walls with 3 people and always jug an unweighted haul line. The one time we did otherwise (on the Nose) my partner almost died.

--Pete

Would that be PTPP? Pass the Pitons Pete you are quoting?

[climbinghalfdome]

Just avoid it no matter what. I've climbed many walls with 3 people and always jug an unweighted haul line. The one time we did otherwise (on the Nose) my partner almost died.
--Pete

Would that be PTPP? Pass the Pitons Pete you are quoting?

I found where Bryan got his info and yes it is Dr. Piton himself. He is a wealth of info for sure. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on Chongo's book. Do you think PTPP will write his own book?

Do you think Zion will be busy come Nov 11th? Its a holiday and I think I'll see if Moonlight Buttress will take up most of my day.
Kevin

[Brian in SLC]

I found where Bryan got his info and yes it is Dr. Piton himself. He is a wealth of info for sure. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on Chongo's book. Do you think PTPP will write his own book?

Do you think Zion will be busy come Nov 11th? Its a holiday and I think I'll see if Moonlight Buttress will take up most of my day.
Kevin

I have a copy of Chongo's book and frankly its not that great (violates the KISS rule to be sure!). Dunno about Pete, he sprays enough on the 'net that he doesn't really need a book. Some of his/their docking and undocking stuff is pretty useful, but, most of the stuff is so overblown and specialized that it fills up what has to be for me a fairly small tool box. I just can't remember all that rigging. And, its clunky and very slow (neither of those guys is known for speed...).

My bet is that you might see a party on Moonlight, but, at least its kinda mid week. Kids are, what, soloing it in an hour or so now, so, easily doable in a day.

Personally, if I was going to solo something (not sure if you have a partner or not), I'd pick something doable in a day, rather than clog up a classic route with no real intention of topping out. Plus, I'd almost hate to self belay that first pitch of free climbing, but, its not super hard so kinda doable (although a fall coming around the corner to the right would SUCK). I'd rather solo pure aid but that's just me.

Cheers,

-Brian in SLC

[trackrunner]

bump

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_11925723?source=most_viewed

Zion death investigation focuses on pulley device
The Associated Press


ST. GEORGE

[CrazyFinn]

It was the park's sixth climbing fatality since 1983.

This is amazing! You have a good track record. This struck me because I remember just a couple years ago my wife and I were out at the sand dunes here over Thanksgiving weekend.

We lost 6 people in just that weekend. Ugh! :eek2: