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I received a report today that all the bolts in Moonflower Canyon have been pulled. Anyone care to verify this one way or the other?
I'm told anchoring the 197' rappel without the bolts takes some creativity so go prepared until I can get some confirmation one way or the other. You have been warned.
How about someone go in there and put them right back in?
One jerkoff that can do it without the bolts decides everyone else should as well, eh?
https://www.ksl.com/?sid=46335159&ni...fall-near-moab
Not sure if the bolts being pulled had anything to do with it, what little is said in the article makes it sound like the fall was elsewhere in canyon, but these news articles usually aren't very accurate when it comes to the important details of how and why.
Doesn’t Moonflower just have the one big rap??
Is this an optional rap if it’s just 60ft?
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There are two new and as yet unnamed tech routes near Moonflower (which I hope to beta in the very near future). After reading the article and discussing with friends I'm pretty certain the accident happened on one of the new unnamed routes.
The reason I think this is SAR would have based out of the Moonflower parking lot for the incident. Also if the accident happened below the first rappel you would be stranded and need a helicopter to extract the body or be forced to do a bunch of techy SAR stuff to get the body out.
If the accident had of happened on the traditional Moonflower route there would have been no reason to call in a helicopter as both the main rappel and optional rappel end at a simple walk off to a road.
I was part of the flight crew that assisted the second (non-fatal) incident. I haven't personally done Moonflower but EMS crews stated that it was the main Moonflower route. It was the same spot of the fatality a few days earlier. We were at the base of an approx. 200 foot rappel that ended on a large 'ledge/shelf' that required a non-technical but somewhat steep slick rock walk off to reach the canyon floor if that helps ID the canyon. I can tell you that the patient stated the anchor was a deadman, not bolts. Kane Creek road was a short distance away.
Here is what Grand County EMS has put on their Facebook Page. They also posted photos, but it was at night:
Yesterday at 2045 GCEMS & GCSAR were paged to a rappelling accident down Moon Flower Canyon.
This was the second rappelling accident in this canyon in 48 hours, the first accident resulted in a fatality.
The patient had an estimated 40 foot fall and sustained serious injuries. GCEMS crews were first on scene after a difficult hike and stabilized the patient.
The patient was in a challenging location in the canyon that required a technical rescue from GCSAR.
Montrose Memorial Hospital Careflight was dispatched and flown to a staging area below the technical rescue. The flight crew hiked up to the patient and joined GCEMS & GCSAR.
Our hats off to GCSAR! They performed a vertical, difficult lower with a seriously injured patient in a timely, proficient and safe manner.
The patient was flown to the trauma center St Marys Hospital in Grand Junction. Time from page to clearing the scene was just under 6 hours.
Well done to everyone involved!
Grand County EMSJohn the cause of the first incident was the rope was too short, the second incident had several factors of a single, thin rope , long rappel, no back up on the patients ATC, no gloves and fatigue.
We spread that in the hopes that it will bring awareness.
From what I understand first incident used an 80m rope did a double rope rappel and the rope did not reach. The second is exactly as they describe above.
^^^THANK YOU^^^
An 80m rope is just not going to work as that is an honest 60m rappel with no chance of salvation.
Whomever pulled the bolts in Moonflower should be kicked right in the nuts.
So, you would have preferred, that he doubled the rope through a bolted anchor and rapped off the end using the bolted anchor and that would be Okay?Quote:
Originally Posted by Iceaxe
Removal of the bolts, if true, seems to have had nothing to do with this accident.
This is another example of a death as a result of double-rope rappelling. When will the carnage end?
Tom
Every time I go out, I have at least 50' of sling and at least one quick link, regardless of what anyone else is carrying.
How the hell do you rap off the end of the rope? I suppose he wasn't paying attention. You would think that anyone with half a brain would tie themselves off and wait.
If I were to somehow get jacked while canyoneering, it certainly won't be because of a blow it like that. With all due respect to the guy who was killed...
Come on Tom, you gotta keep up. Two accidents in the same week at the same rappel. The kick in the nuts is for the second. The first is just bad judgement.Quote:
Originally Posted by ratagonia
From Grand County SAR.... the cause of the first incident was the rope was too short, the second incident had several factors of a single, thin rope , long rappel, no back up on the patients ATC, no gloves and fatigue.
We spread that in the hopes that it will bring awareness, if there are any inappropriate or disrespectful comments towards either party they will be deleted.
I got the conformation on the bolts being pulled that I was looking for.....
The bolts are 100% removed. I was there last month and found the holes. The only bolts left as of May 2018 were for the lower optional rappel. Be beware, there are deep grooves now from the rope constantly being in the same spot. We got our rope stuck and had to hike back up to retrieve it. Also, where those bolts are at, it places you rappelling into trees and poison ivy.
Also, on the deadman for the 200’ rappel, it’s in water. So it requires digging and building an anchor in yucky foggy water. Be prepared.
What do you think is the best anchor solution for this canyon?Quote:
Originally Posted by Iceaxe
Tom
BoltsQuote:
Originally Posted by ratagonia
Personally I'm not a big fan of Moonflower. It's the Behunin of Moab. I'm also not a big fan of this rappel as it's 200' of free air. The route is a noob magnet and this rappel doesn't leave any room for error.
Fiddlestick a deadman, eh? Yeah man, sign me up...
Yes, being sarcastic.
It might need glue-ins there, if regular expansion bolts wiggled free...Quote:
Originally Posted by Iceaxe
Tom