Rescue of Climbers Stranded During Retreat
Epic on Washington's Column: The Prow
July 15, 2007
Washington's Column: The Prow / Ten Days After
THE SAR RESPONSE:
At about 11:45am Yosemite Dispatch received a 911 call reporting that yells for help were coming from climbers on the Face of Washington’s Column. A size up team with a telescope and PA system (loud speaker) was dispatched to the area.
Upon communicating with the climbers via the PA system, it was determined that they were near the base of the wall, off route and in the vicinity of the Ten Days After (TDA) route.
The cause of their stranding was unclear but it was determined that the climbers were uninjured. A ground team was directed to hike to the base to determine the actual situation.
Just prior to the ground team’s arrival, the climbers yelled down that everything was now OK and that a rescue was no longer needed.
THE INCIDENT:
The following accident information is based on the description of events by the involved climbers:
The climbers were attempting to climb the Prow on Washington’s Column. They decided to retreat from the wall after reaching the top of pitch six. After an attempt to rappel their route, the pair concluded that a retreat down the Prow would be too difficult due to its angled nature.
They instead decided to rappel straight down onto what they believed to be the Ten Days After (TDA) route. Neither climber was familiar with the TDA route.
It is believed that the climbers committed to the TDA route at the top of pitch five. The climbers were apparently aware that the TDA route below their position was overhanging. They believed that the descent could be completed by tying their climbing ropes together and rappelling a single strand to a ledge system above the actual base of the wall, since they felt they would not be able to reach intermediary anchors due to the overhanging nature of the wall. They decided to commit to the decent via the TDA route.
Climber A rappelled first with the haul bag. At the very end of the rappel line, Climber A discovered that the ropes (when tied together) were not long enough to reach a stance or an anchor. Climber A was left hanging at the end of the rope dangling slightly above the desired ledge system. This ledge system is still around 100 feet above level ground.
Climber A decided to attach his etrier (aid ladder) to the bottom of the rope and down climb to the ledge. Climber A successfully made this transition, however at some point he lost control of the haul bag and it fell to the base of the wall.
Climber B then descended the rope and, with a similar technique, made it onto the ledge system where Climber A stood. Climber A and Climber B were still in technical terrain. Climber A was not wearing climbing shoes.
They pulled down on the ropes enough that they were able to recover their etrier. At this point they let go of their rope, and it predictably recoiled up the wall and out of reach. Climber A and Climber B were now standing on a small ledge system well above the safety of level ground.
Climber A and Climber B tried to down climb the remaining 100 feet simultaneously using a 15 foot cordelette tied between them. They were able to get down a short distance but inevitably it proved to be inadequate as there were not enough usable anchors nor was a 15 foot cordelette long enough to use in the fashion they desired.
At this point the climbers resigned themselves to the realization that they had no other adequate options than to begin yelling for help. A passing climber, Jay Renneberg, equipped only with rock shoes, came to the climbers’ assistance. He solo climbed to the screaming climbers’ location and guided them down to level ground and out of harm’s way.
LESSONS LEARNED:
- Know how to down aid-climb in the event you need to retreat an overhanging or traversing pitch.
- In general, it is easier to retreat the route you’ve climbed up or via a route you’re familiar with before committing into unknown territory.
- Leaving your climbing ropes behind while still in vertical terrain is generally a bad idea.
Written by Ranger Keith Lober, Emergency Services Coordinator