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.

couchwarrior wrote:
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.

I apologize

If I were to die climbing, I would prefer for other climbers to disect the situation evaluating every choice that was made. It is imperative to learn not only from your mistakes but from other's mistakes as well. That way the learning curce isnt as brutal, and hopefully wouldnt claim as many victims (possibly?).

On the same token I'm not proposing to be cold and harsh to those who have died; have respect, but learn from their mistakes as well.

Climb safe, see some of you one the rock this weekend.

The storm was well forecasted over a week out.

http://www.supertopo.com/...tml?m=44882#msg44882

The weather is coming in next week with showers also..so that is a big consideration. Not sure which route would be safer in that respect.

thanks, yeah all forcasts show a storm rolling through mid next week, but so far it doesn't look too serious....

ok dingus -- you musta known this was coming...

WHO THE HE*L GOES TO A CHAT FORUM TO CHECK THE WEATHER..!
Do you think the the visiting Japanese in Yosemite have access to this.?

Regarding the mentioned URL:
Yea, and weather ALWAYS is coming...and going away before it gets to you sometimes. These people are also in Oregon. As mentioned farther down in the discussion (as I cannot check the URL for the weather forcasted from Oct. 14) the original poster of the forum (after checking the URL offered) says:
enough said :robert:

I'd say that he was more unlucky than foolish, and that he weathered a storm that bad for that long says to me that he was decently prepared.

Yes, check the weather report, but sometimes, it's just grimmer and not that eaily within our ability to control these things.

dingus:

.. i think its the nature of the beast (big wall climbing) .. every down plays the risks while on the ground ..

-- ricardo

And you and I know too, a climber gets on a wall this time of year, that climber takes her chances. Simple as that.

...And yet, as we tend to see each year, despite the free climbs and record zings up fixed routes, climbing El Cap IS a big deal and it can kill. There are many climbers on this site and others who would do well to remind themselves of this from time to time. People a lot harder than you or I have been freaking killed on El Cap due to weather.

I'm sure its true Bro. I only add this... it is more the nature of the Beast in October than it is in August, at least for sure in the Sierra.

The easy lesson is to only climb in July and August when not only are storms not predicted, but unpredicted storms are unlikely...or at a minimum only get on walls when no rain is predicted anywhere in the extended forcast. This isn't a useful lesson for a lot of us though, because a lot of us would rather risk possible rain over likely desiccation.

Yeah, I think I mentioned this in my prior post that you appeared to slam in it's entire-tee. Pick your words (and battles) more accurately and maybe YOU TOO can pre-di*k the weather...

aHAHAHAHAHAH ~ :lol: :lol: :lol:

I'm not going to banter with you dingus -- too much typing and I have other things to do today.

dude .. forget about what anyone says .. or doesn't say -- its a pretty f--- up thing that people died in a storm .. and thats all thats important right now --

not who posted what .. and who was right or wrong ..

like melissa .. this event has shocked me .. not only because i know one of the people who got rescued .. but because i've wondered if this had occurred 1 1/2 weeks ago what epic i would have been stuck in.

[quote"pheenix"]Yeah, I think I mentioned this in my prior post that you appeared to slam in it's entire-tee. Pick your words (and battles) more accurately and maybe YOU TOO can pre-di*k the weather...

aHAHAHAHAHAH ~ :lol: :lol: :lol:

I'm not going to banter with you dingus -- too much typing and I have other things to do today.

94-598 - Yosemite (California) - Multiple Rescues


In the early morning hours of October 4th, the park was hit by an unpredicted wet storm in which Yosemite Valley received approximately two inches of rain over a 24 hour period. Since fall is the peak of the big wall climbing season in Yosemite, there were many parties on El Capitan, and several were signalling for rescue by early afternoon. Because of the bad weather, helicopters were unable to fly. A ground approach to the top of El Capitan was accordingly begun that afternoon. Approximately 40 people and a string of mules were used to haul equipment over the eight miles of trail to the summit of El Cap in a continuous downpour. When it got dark, the rain turned to snow above the 7,000-foot level. It snowed most of the night, and the entire team spent an extremely unpleasant wet and cold night. About half a foot of snow fell in the area. The precipitation stopped by morning, permitting team members to set up a lowering operation at the top of the Nose. Rescuers were lowered 600 feet to Camp Six on the Nose route. Nine stranded climbers from four countries, who spoke three different languages, were squeezed on a ledge which is considered crowded with three people on it. Four of them were in early stages of hypothermia. With the assistance of rescuers, all nine ascended the ropes to the top. While the group from the Nose was ascending, a party of two Americans on the Salathé Wall route signaled that they also needed to be rescued. As a rescuer was being lowered the 700 feet to them, a third party, comprised of a Norwegian and an Englishman, yelled from their position on the Sunkist route that they could not make it through another night. They were hanging in a porta-ledge which was in a small waterfall and their gear was completely soaked. After NPS rescuers reached them and the weather improved, all 13 victims ascended the fixed ropes to the top under their own power and were eventually flown off by helicopter. Several were transferred to the Yosemite clinic for treatment of cold injuries to their hands and feet. All gear and personnel were flown off the following day. [YOSE, 10/11]

I certainly hope that you don't interpret my post as saying that we all should climb in October...more just a recognition of the fact that many of us will. I agree with many of your points, but just feel less cut-and-dry about some of it.