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lazide
Oct 21, 2004, 12:30 AM
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Looks like this years freak storm has claimed two victims, hopefully everyone else makes it down alive.
Two Japanese Climbers Dead
And please tell me they weren't on the nose!
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ricardol
Oct 21, 2004, 12:40 AM
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by the posts in supertopo .. it sounds like they were on the nose ..
-- ricardo
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joshklingbeil
Oct 21, 2004, 1:04 AM
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This Sucks man. It kinda makes you think how easy you can go. Condolence go out to the the familys and loved ones.
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epic_ed
Oct 21, 2004, 1:27 AM
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Ah, damn. Damn, damn, damn. From stuff I've heard today, the YOSAR guys have been mighty heroic the last couple of days. I hope the aren't any further casualties.
Ed
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blouderk2
Oct 21, 2004, 2:07 AM
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Thats terrible. My wishes go out to the families. But how did they die? Did they freeze to death, or did they fall to their deaths?
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couchwarrior
Oct 21, 2004, 2:13 AM
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I can see where this thread is going. Ghoulish voyeurism, followed by insulting deconstruction of the event (they were idiots in cotton t-shirts, etc) that eventually winds down when something even more ghoulish and titilating happens.
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tgreene
Oct 21, 2004, 2:15 AM
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From all accounts, they were caught in a severe storm that consisted of heavy rain followed by snow... Hypothermia would be the cause of death.
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curt
Oct 21, 2004, 2:18 AM
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In reply to: I can see where this thread is going. Ghoulish voyeurism, followed by insulting deconstruction of the event (they were idiots in cotton t-shirts, etc) that eventually winds down when something even more ghoulish and titilating happens.
So what? This is the internet--what the hell do you expect? :D
More seriously, my condolences also to the friends and family of these guys. This just goes to show (again) how unforgiving our sport can be to mistakes or errors of judgement. Please be careful out there.
Curt
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climberpunk
Oct 21, 2004, 2:23 AM
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My sincerest sympathies go out to the family and friends, losing those close to you is never easy, but at least know that they died doing what they loved.
And thanks to the YOSAR teams that have been working their asses off to save the more fortunate of us...
In reply to: I can see where this thread is going. Ghoulish voyeurism, followed by insulting deconstruction of the event (they were idiots in cotton t-shirts, etc) that eventually winds down when something even more ghoulish and titilating happens.
As morbid as this is, its also very important, in life, but especially in rock climbing, to learn from the deaths of our friends and colleauges. By understanding the conditions that lead up to the accident, we can avoid making the same mistakes, or take extra precautions. At least this lets us make some good of something so entirely tragic.
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nmoroder
Oct 21, 2004, 2:27 AM
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My condolences and prayers to the family and friends of these men.
Stay safe.
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fecalquisinart
Oct 21, 2004, 2:35 AM
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couchwarrior, you are an idiot...you complain about where the thread is going and then make the comments that you are afraid are coming?
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flamer
Oct 21, 2004, 2:39 AM
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In reply to: couchwarrior, you are an idiot...you complain about where the thread is going and then make the comments that you are afraid are coming?
And you're helping....(and so am I!!!)
I'll tip my hat to Yosar.....hope you all came through with not a rope burn or scrape....
josh
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couchwarrior
Oct 21, 2004, 2:40 AM
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In reply to: So what? This is the internet--what the hell do you expect? :D Curt
True. Don't know why I expect more from Al Gore's greatest invention. If nothing else, it gives little milkshakes like fecalcuisinart a forum to call people idiots.
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socalbolter
Oct 21, 2004, 4:44 AM
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YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. -- Two Japanese climbers were found dead Wednesday in Yosemite National Park, dangling from a 3,200-foot sheer climbing face amid an early blizzard that caught hikers throughout the Sierra Nevada off-guard.
Rescuers pummeled by heavy snow and strong wind struggled to reach several stranded backpackers.
The climbers on El Capitan, the granite monolith in the Yosemite Valley that is among the world's best-known rock climbing spots, were spotted Tuesday by Yosemite rangers but could not be reached because of driving wind and snow.
A helicopter crew took off Wednesday as the storm began to clear and spotted the pair dangling lifeless about two-thirds of the way up the rock face, park ranger Deb Schweizer said.
"They weren't moving," she said. "They didn't seem well-equipped."
Rangers expected to be able to retrieve the bodies Thursday.
The Japanese men were among seven people on El Capitan when the brunt of the storm hit Tuesday, Schweizer said. A solo climber was rescued Wednesday, while rangers reached a man and a woman and were going to remain with them on the face overnight, Schweizer said. The other climbers only asked for extra supplies.
The blizzard raged at higher elevations through much of Wednesday, frustrating rescuers who labored against 4-foot-deep snow and 50 mph winds to reach the areas where the hikers were thought to be, at elevations from 8,000 to close to 10,000 feet.
"It's miserable," said Erica Stuart, spokeswoman for the Madera County Sheriff's Department.
The stranded hikers included two groups of experienced backpackers along with a couple from San Luis Obispo County who apparently set out for a day hike.
Rescue workers believe the hikers can survive if they find shelter and wait for the storm to pass. Storm clouds were expected to clear Thursday night, when temperatures were expected to plunge to zero through much of the central Sierra.
"It certainly is a bona fide blizzard condition," said Mark Burger, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
The missing couple was believed to have started on a two- to three-mile hike in the Sierra National Forest east of Fresno when they were caught in the storm, said Lt. Toby Rien of the Fresno County Sheriff's Department.
He said rescuers were fighting conditions they described as "whiteout, zero visibility."
Also in Sierra National Forest, four members of a Santa Cruz County winemaking family were reported missing Sunday after they failed to return from a two-day hike at a 9,400-foot-elevation lake northeast of Fresno.
A break in the weather late Wednesday allowed the Fresno County Sheriff's Department to dispatch a helicopter toward the group's location. It was to drop supplies if it spotted the hikers, sheriff's officer Robert Osborn said.
In a cabin at Shaver Lake near the sheriff's command post, several members of the family were awaiting word on their relatives, ages 16 to 47.
"It seems foolish to undertake this (hike). But in all fairness, they didn't know this storm was coming," said Rita Bargetto, sister of one of the missing men. "We just hope and pray they were smart enough to know they shouldn't have moved when the snow came."
Early Tuesday, the Madera County Sheriff's Department launched a search for four men from the San Francisco area who were believed to be stranded in the Ansel Adams Wilderness near the southern boundary of Yosemite National Park. The men had apparently changed the itinerary they left with family members, setting back rescue efforts.
Rescuers, including searchers riding snowmobiles, were thwarted in their attempts to find the group Wednesday. Continued bad weather turned away a military helicopter that had been called in for the search, Stuart said.
Family members said the men, ranging in age from 45 to 75, have experience camping in the snow. Authorities arranged for a military helicopter from Mather Air Force Base to search for the men once the weather breaks.
___
Associated Press Writer Tom Verdin in San Francisco contributed to this report.
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thomaskeefer
Oct 21, 2004, 4:51 AM
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Isnt this a fairly old report where essentially the bodies were frozen in place on the bolt ladder just beneath the summit?? I am guessing by the days mentioned (Tues and Wednesday) that it had nothing to do with the storm that pushed through the area over the last 4 days.. and is in fact just and old report.
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holdplease2
Oct 21, 2004, 5:09 AM
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No, thomas, this is today. See www.supertopo.com website for further discussion.
-Kate.
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milk
Oct 21, 2004, 5:29 AM
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how could they have avoided it? Is snow normal this time of year? was it forcasted?
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hugepedro
Oct 21, 2004, 5:40 AM
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In reply to: I can see where this thread is going. Ghoulish voyeurism, followed by insulting deconstruction of the event (they were idiots in cotton t-shirts, etc) that eventually winds down when something even more ghoulish and titilating happens.
You know what, climbers are a group of people who come together when stuff like this happens. We talk about it, we argue about it, and we usually learn from it. This sh_t is important to us because we all know that we are lucky to not be in the same boat as those we are discussing.
What have you contributed with your post?
ZERO.
Get a life.
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epic_ed
Oct 21, 2004, 6:00 AM
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Thanks to Tim for implementing the new "Merge Thread" feature. I combined the two posts covering this topic.
Ed
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pheenixx
Oct 21, 2004, 7:00 AM
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In reply to: I can see where this thread is going. Ghoulish voyeurism, followed by insulting deconstruction of the event (they were idiots in cotton t-shirts, etc) that eventually winds down when something even more ghoulish and titilating happens.
:lol: :lol: :lol:
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pheenixx
Oct 21, 2004, 7:25 AM
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In reply to: how could they have avoided it? Is snow normal this time of year? was it forcasted?
This situation that has happened is most sad and extremely tragic. :cry:
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tgreene
Oct 21, 2004, 12:39 PM
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In reply to: In reply to: how could they have avoided it? Is snow normal this time of year? was it forcasted? I have spoken to the forest rangers who live in that general area and the weather can be changeable at ANY TIME from September on. Which means prepare for SUDDEN CHANGES in weather. More so in the higher elevations. While ElCap is by the valley floor, it's possible that these climbers, being Japanese, were visiting and had not known this history of the area. I actually had a trip to Red Rocks scheduled (Mon 18) to do some mulit-p starting the day before this storm was due to arrive. My partner & I watched it for 2 days and monitored it's progress. We decided to cancel at the last minute (Sun eve). The initial forcast of this storm's intensity was not evident from a planning point several days in advance and it accelerated as it moved across the state of Ca. Anybody in the valley floor, seeing a beautiful blue sky - and not having access to TV or weather reports could have easily been trapped. We can learn from this by carefully examining weather forcasts prior to departure on any adventure. If I was planning a long trip at a seaonal time of year for any area -- I would take along some sort of radio (2-way or otherwise) that can call to a recorded weather station. I think something is available for us outdoor animals. This situation that has happened is most sad and extremely tragic. :cry:
I recall telling you about the freak snowstorms that hammered us in the Tetons, in mid-August.
2 weeks after we returned home, my climbing partner and some friends were backpacking in Glacier NP, when 6 of the 8 turned back on day 2, because of an unexpected blizzard. My partner and his close friend were the 2 that elected to finish out the trip, after receiving additional supplies from those that bugged out.
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