Falling in a Mae West slot

[Scott P]

If it happens and a body gets wedged in there good, how would they rescue someone? What if they were still alive? At least in a crevasse, freezing to death would come quickly.

If the walls are really twisted, it seems that trying to pull you out wouldn't work very well using a pulley system.

So far, I haven't heard of anyone (thank God) falling in a Mae West section of a canyon. As those routes get more popular though, it is probably only a matter of time.

[Byron]

I hope to God myself or no one I'm with ever has to face this situation. I've always figured it would be an experienced canyoneer that just plain screws up, as the newbies seem to be extra cautious. Some of the best free climbers in the world have fallen to their deaths. Know your limits...or at least not to push them. I discovered a long time ago that cams, slings, nuts and the like are much more important to me than bragging rights or glory.

I think that a lot more people fall into slots than we know and we simply don't hear about it because they escaped with their lives. Ralston comes to mind. We hear about people dying on rappel, or some crazy rope stunt...but I agree, it's only a matter of time before they have to fish a body out of a crack.

[Scott P]

Some of the best free climbers in the world have fallen to their deaths.

Yes. In something like a Mae West slot, I'm almost more afraid of surviving a fall and being stuck until I died as I would be if just killed instantly.

Know your limits...or at least not to push them.

True. The thing about canyoneering is that you often don't know that you are in over your head until it's too late.

[Byron]

Don't I know it! I was solo in Cedar Mesa, all jacked up to get to a high ruin when I got myself cliffed out. I stood on that stupid ledge that I so foolishly dropped onto for a half hour praying to God...I made my peace and prepared to die...I had to make a 10 foot, 5.12 move with over 100 feet of space below. I was about 28 years old and had no real rock climbing experience.

I pulled it off...and then lay on the sandstone for 5 minutes crying like a baby. Lesson learned...never make a move onto a ledge if you can't see the the move to get off of it.

[Udink]

If it happens and a body gets wedged in there good, how would they rescue someone? What if they were still alive? At least in a crevasse, freezing to death would come quickly.

If the walls are really twisted, it seems that trying to pull you out wouldn't work very well using a pulley system.

Depends on whether or not it's on state trust land. If so, they'll just leave you there and fill the canyon with concrete.

[Sombeech]

Depends on whether or not it's on state trust land. If so, they'll just leave you there and fill the canyon with concrete.

[Iceaxe]

I've given such a rescue a lot of thought.... and I think Nutty Putty Cave is a good example of how things could possibly play out.

Tap'n on my Galaxy G3

[spinesnaper]

Wasn't there an incident where someone got stuck but after a few days they got skinny enough to escape?

Nutty Putty did not have such a good outcome.

[hesse15]

Wasn't there an incident where someone got stuck but after a few days they got skinny enough to escape?

Nutty Putty did not have such a good outcome.

i think you are thinking of Steve S in chamber couple of years ago!

[Iceaxe]

There are several got stuck and escaped a couple days later stories floating around. One happened in Brimstone and one happened in the Squeeze Variation of Bluejohn.


Steve didn't get stuck and then get skinny to escape, but his story is a good read, here is the link to his story if you want the details.


Stuck in Chambers - May 2008
Steve Susswein & Sue Agranoff
http://climb-utah.com/Roost/chambers2.htm

[jman]

There was a scout who got stuck in zero g a few months ago. They had to rescue him using a pulley and hoist that was braced against the canyon walls. SAR was never called out as the scouts rescued him. But the boyscout leader I was talking said he lost his balance and wedged himself in there really good. Took them 1/4 day to pull him out. And didn't help that he was a large boy too.

[Iceaxe]

Also was a scout wedged in Zero-G that required Emery SAR. Which is where the bolt high on the wall came from.

Also this stuck scout story:
http://www.bogley.com/forum/showthread.php?39710

[spinesnaper]

Also was a scout wedged in Zero-G that required Emery SAR. Which is where the bolt high on the wall came from.

Also this stuck scout story:
http://www.bogley.com/forum/showthread.php?39710

Its bad when you are so big that your rescuers need the Jaw of life to unjam you from a canyon. Time to stop taking steroids (massive chests) or eating Krispy creme donuts (massive bellies) or both.

[erial]

Ey can never forget this one: [B]Tucson hiker:

[Iceaxe]

Here is a link to the fat guy stuck in the Squeeze Variation of Bluejohn.

http://www.bogley.com/forum/showthread.php?49821

[spinesnaper]

That thread contains this pearl:

There are two types of canyoneers in the world.... those who have experianced an epic and those that are going to experiance an epic.

The canyoneer's prayer: Please don't let them describe me as "an experienced outdoors man."

[flatiron]

I had to make a 10 foot, 5.12 move with over 100 feet of space below. I was about 28 years old and had no real rock climbing experience.

Hmmmm, lucky it was a 5.14d

[Cam]

This thread reminded me of this story....

In 1981 famous climber Jim Wickwire was traversing a glacier on Denali (Mount McKinley) with a 25 year old Mount Rainier guide named Chris Kerrebrock in the lead. They were roped together and dragging a sled when a crevasse opened up and Kerrebrock fell in head first, dragging Wickwire in on top of him.

Wickwire was able to climb out but was unable to rescue Kerrebrock, who was alive but wedged in the crevasse upside down. Wickwire had a broken shoulder from the fall and after climbing out of the crevasse using crampons and ice ax tried to dislodge Kerrebrock using the rope, to no avail. Kerrebrock was still conscious and Wickwire anchored the rope to a snow picket and climbed down to Kerrebrock. He again tried to move or dislodge him but Kerrebrock remained stuck.

Resigned to his fate, the two men said their goodbyes and Kerrebrock passed away during the night.

Wickwire led rangers to the site of the accident and Kerrebroc's body was recovered.

Obviously not a canyoneering environment but....

[ratagonia]

Ey can never forget this one: Tucson hiker: ‘No way out’

by Melissa Martinez on Oct. 18, 1996, under News

John Ey, who was trapped in a Utah canyon for 8 days, is rescued after a search dog tracks his scent to a 75-foot crevasse.
MELISSA MARTINEZ Citizen Staff Writer

All those glaciers out in Coyote Fork have dried up by now. Sad. Woulda been nice to see them.

Tom

[Byron]

Hmmmm, lucky it was a 5.14d

I've done quite a bit of rock climbing, starting at about the age of 35. I dated a girl that was really into it and we would go to Yosemite, Vegas, Boulder, etc...We would climb all the really fun 5.9 and 5.10 stuff, because that was her limit. I've tried several 5.13 and up routes but really didn't enjoy them...It's tough trying to grip something that is about as big as a short stack of dimes.

So, 5.14d...that's like, really hard...right? At the time of the incident, I had no idea what to rate it, but for a guy that climbs things like a lizard, it was hard. I've been back there since, and my 5.12 rating is based on my somewhat limited experience...having only climbed about 100 named routes.

Tell ya what, Mr. Flatiron...perhaps you could take a look at it and give me your expert assessment of it's accurate rating? I'd hate for anyone to assume that I'm bragging about something that in fact was...easy?

It's easy enough to find. Go to Mule Canyon at the north end of Cedar Mesa. It's a pretty popular canyon, at least in the lower end. Walk nearly all the way to the end of it. There's a ruin up there called "Wall Ruins". To get to the cliff of "near death", climb up the gully of the side canyon the ruin is in, make the top and walk over the the other side, to where you are looking directly down at the wall ruins. Drop down to a nice, fat ledge...walk that until it stops cold. Look down at the ledge about 10 feet below...Imagine climbing up that. Not much there, dude.

5.12? 5.14d? (whatever that is) Hell, I don't know. It's mighty sketchy, though. But like I said, you're opinion of what it is would be helpful...