Chance, Risk and Accidents in 2010
Sunday, June 29th, 2008
What a mess; what a can-of-worms, traditional climbers must be feeling pretty sick about the whole debacle of the pro-bolting scene now being sponsored by the British Mountaineering Council: http://www.safercliffs.org/code/photos.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news,7175241/British-woman-killed-in-Pyrenees-avalanche.html along with her Spanish companion (February, 2010) they were climbing in a party; group organised by the Spanish Mountain Sports Federation. Just three weeks later and a client along with a Jagged Globe winter mountaineering instructor, were killed in a Glencoe avalanche on the 25 February, 2010: http://outdoors.caladonianmercury.com/2010/03/01/avalanche-victims-were-with-mountain-guide-company/0034
Apparently, there is some controversy regarding the ‘reporting of climbing accidents’ and who should be ‘responsible’ for collating the material. Interestingly, the BMC who publish by far, the most pictures of young people climbing; being introduced to climbing whilst not wearing protective gear has become involved. The forum is accompanied by an interesting picture of a climber sitting at the bottom of, and close to, a crag. The ground around him is littered with various sized rocks that have fallen from above, his safety helmet, tucked away somewhere – safe. http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=1099 brings a whole new meaning to – Chance, Risk and Accidents – still waiting to happen.
On January 8th, 2009, Argentine mountain guide Federico Campanini and one of his clients died on Aconcagua in a sudden storm. Whilst off route, the client apparently fell into a crevasse.
The BMC still advocating the use of the ‘overhand’ knot (British Death Knot) whilst abseiling: ‘The overhand knot is less prone to jamming when being retrieved, when in fact, it will jam in small cracks too small for the bulkier ‘double-fishermans’ to enter. Apparently, that there are cases of the ‘overhand’ knot unravelling when the ‘double-fishermans cannot, is of no consequence when it comes to – Chance, Risk and Accidents… http://www.thebmc.co.uk/Feature.aspx?id=1736
17 June, 2008: Patrick Monzat (58), Chamonix Independent guide and ex PHGM was killed in the Gouter Couloir when he and his two mountain clients were avalanched. Fortunately, the two clients survived.
20 June, 2008: two missing climbers have been found dead after falling in the Ecrins.
23 June, 2008: A British climber fell and was killed on the Pic Coolidge in the Ecrins.
Liam Costello fell and was killed whilst climbing on Snowden in October, 2007, and a High Court Judge has pronounced that the accident was ‘bad luck’.? http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/north_west/7498803.stm Liam, just 11 years of age, would still be alive today if he had been ‘short-roped’ to one of the adults climbing / scrambling with him.
11 killed on K2: http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0806/p06s01-wosc.html?page=1 after an avalanche, has apparently been confirmed in the early days of August, 2008. Eleven, climbers, mountain guides and their clients were swept away when a wall of ice collapsed. As many climbers no longer climb ‘roped together’ in high mountains, some were apparently trapped after the avalanche as ‘fixed ropes’ were destroyed; torn away. In 1964, 14 climbers; five mountain guides and nine aspirant (mountain clients)guides were killed; slab avalanched down the Cordier Couloir on the Aiguille Vert above Chamonix in the French Alps.
Climbing Leeches: Whilst yes, leeches are very good climbers, the kind being referred to in a BMC Summit article are the kind of climbers who seek litigation after an accident at indoor climbing walls. That the vast majority of indoor climbers are allowed to tie incorrectly into their climbing harnesses in reality shows not only a scant disregard for safety at indoor walls but also climbing wall owners are leaving themselves wide open to – litigation.
Category : Accidents
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On the 17 June, 2008 an Independent, Chamonix guide was killed when he and his two lients were avalanched down the Gouter Coulior on the Normal Route on Mont Blanc:
http://chamonet.com/whats_new_article.php?id_whats_new=3548
I watched with intepidation today a Youtube video of a group crossing a snowed-up Grand Couloir on the Normal Route to Mont Blanc. I cringed as they had their ‘safety rope’ attached to a supposed ‘safety cable’ that has been strung out across the Couloir for many years now. As they proceeded to cross, their safety rope is pulled away from them as the hang of the cable is too far out from the couloirs surface. Having seen too many ‘epics’ at this spot and watched many antics surrounds this ‘safety cable’ I have never personally attached to it. Climbers have been bounced off the tiny; sometimes icy path at this spot once the heavy cable started to ‘bounce’ along its length