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timstich
Oct 24, 2004, 12:20 AM
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I talked to Angus briefly on the phone when I missed his call to go climbing. He sure struck me as a colorful character, which I really liked. That eulogy was really nice. I lost a good friend in a climbing accident myself years ago and we labored to try and capture my friend's off-color humor in his tribute. Looking forward to seeing you all on Sunday the 31st. Take care.
Oh, and I have to say that the picture of Angus with the cigarette on the gocart is classic. I got a big smile out of that.
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johnhemlock
Oct 24, 2004, 12:45 AM
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Wow. Angus and I met on rc.com and climbed Calypso together this summer. He had a great attittude, was a good partner, and was really looking forward to getting into trad leading. I am very sorry to hear about this and my condolences go to his loved ones.
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tgreene
Oct 24, 2004, 1:01 AM
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The skydiving hat he is wearing in the go-cart pic, is from the World Free Fall Convention, which used to be held about 15 minutes away from my home in IL. The WFFC is the biggest boogie in the world, and is made up of a really tight group of folks that are very similar to the climbing community.
Assuming Angus was also a skydiver, does anyone know if members of that community have been made aware of this tragic loss..?
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skycat
Oct 24, 2004, 3:32 AM
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I went ahead and put a post up on Dropzone.com, even if he doesn't jump anymore, he was still a skybrother.
Kelli
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barmaley
Oct 24, 2004, 3:38 AM
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Hi
My name is Kirill. My brother belay him in that day.
Angus was the best friend for me here . He was good man and had a big heart. He had good sence of humor. And he was great partner. I cant beliaeve it can happened. I so upset about it. I miss him very much.
He was good friend of my family. My dad want to share
I am shocked.
I was worry when I come home and Alexey was absent. It was 11-30 p.m.
Angus and my son were in mountains.
I won’t say a story.
I’d tell few words about the friend of our family.
We are only 4 months in USA. Angus was a friend of ours sons and all family.
I can say now that he was the closest friend for our family in Colorado.
It was great person and unusual man.
A lot of people knew him. I can say only about myself.
My heart is hert and empty.
I didn’t think how much he was in my soul, in my life, in my sons.
My soul is hert. My soul yells! It’s impossible, it could be happenned.
Why die the best?
I cry and mourn.
Why die out the best?
God bless him. I believe that his soul is clean before Lord and he find his place in paradise. I send my light all why knew him. I condole you.
We lost great and remarkable person.
Vladimir
v.beliaev@juno.com
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glencoe
Oct 24, 2004, 4:45 AM
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My Heart Is Broken----I am a federal safety officer and a climber of 30 years. I climbed with Angus twice and tried to share what I knew. Anthill Direct is a dangerous climb and one of the top climbs in ELdo for accidents/rescues. The run-outs on the second pitch are up to 15' on tricky protection.
Angus has a heart of gold and an undefitable spirit, but he should not have tried to lead Anthill.
I write this not to denigrate Angus, but to emphasize to novices that climbing is dangerous, and those new to it should take their time in building experience.
I am so sorry. If Angus had called me to ask, I would have said no. I had a novice friend who asked about doing Kiener's Easiest on Long's in early season, and I spent 1/2 hour convincing him no. His friends went anyway, took a bad fall, and retreated with the only lasting harm to their egos.
I feel worst of all for Angus's son, of whom Angus spoke constantly. May the Lord bless him and keep him.
I wished I had told him no.
With Tears---George
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familyofangus
Oct 24, 2004, 9:31 PM
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I am Angus' sister. I wanted to express my thanks to all of you, on behalf of my parents and myself. Reading the comments posted here - by both people who new and climbed with Angus, and people who did not know him at all - have brought us a little peace. You have helped us to see a side of him that we were not a part of and one we didn't especially understand. Your kind comments and condolences were heart felt and have truly touched us and made a difference. He told us how much he loved climbing and I can see, like he did, that it attracts many wonderful, caring and spirited people.
Until a couple years ago, my feeling and memories of Angus were mostly of him as a child and a young man. I confess, we did not remain especially close through the years. A few years ago my father had heart surgery and I flew to Seatle from Michigan to be with my parents. Angus flew in from Colorado too. We were able to spend time together as adults and I saw not only the boy, that I knew so well, but also the man that he had become. Generous (to a fault - literally - he would give you his last dime), strong and so very, very funny. My father was confused after the surgery and didn't recognize us as his children, he was calling us different names from his past. I was mortified and upset, crying and unable to deal with it . Angus was strong and loving, staying with my father through the night, patiently helping him to understand, not letting him "escape" from the hospital - he was a pillar of strength for my mother and me. He told me later that he didn't care who my father thought he was for the moment, as long as my father wasn't afraid and Angus could help him feel better. I was amazed and humbled by this. He was a unique and wonderful person, with a huge heart and we will miss him more than I can say. ALL of the best and funniest stories in our family involve Angus.
Again, thank you for all of your kind words and prayers - God Bless all of you and stay safe.
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nextascent
Oct 24, 2004, 11:58 PM
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As Brittney mentioned there will be a memorial for Angus next Sunday at their place. They haven't nailed down a time (likey around 1-5?). If you need their address, please shoot me a pm and I'll send it to you.
I've talked to both Brittney and Cindy and while they're devasted...they're strong amazing women and welcome having the climbing community join them Sunday. They know how important climbing was to Angus and have found so much comfort in the words shared here and from phone calls from other climbers.
Brittney will also be able to pm you address and directions...I'm just offering up here cuz I'm a nerd that is on the computer a LOT.
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charley
Oct 25, 2004, 2:05 AM
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My condolences to the family and friends. You will be in my prayers.
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sharpie
Oct 25, 2004, 2:32 PM
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From today's Rocky:
Answers sought in climber's fatal fall
Man, 39, perished in canyon he 'loved'
By Sarah Huntley, Rocky Mountain News
October 25, 2004
A 39-year-old climber who plunged 50 feet to his death at Eldorado Canyon State Park Thursday died in one of the places he loved best, family members said Sunday.
Alexander Angus McInnes, who usually went by his middle name, moved to Colorado 15 years ago and was immediately taken by its beauty.
"He had a great passion for the outdoors. He loved that canyon," said McInnes' ex-wife, Mary Hughes, of Wheat Ridge. "The view, especially. He liked to get to the top."
The Boulder County Sheriff's Office was continuing to investigate the incident, which happened at about 7 p.m. Thursday while McInnes and a teenage climbing companion were scaling the 600- foot-tall Redgarden Wall.
The companion, who was not identified by deputies, began yelling for help after he lost contact with McInnes on radios the pair had been carrying. Authorities had some difficulty communicating with the boy, who is from Russia and does not speak English very well.
It took rescue crews six hours to rescue the teenager, who was stranded on a ledge. The crews later found McInnes' body dangling from his climbing rope.
The cause and manner of his death had not been determined Sunday, according to the Boulder County coroner's office.
Hughes said her ex-husband had climbed the canyon often but apparently got "off track." She said she believes he was trying to find a safe route down when he fell.
Authorities said the pair had been heading up the Anthill Direct route, considered by climbers to be of moderate difficulty, but they encountered a more challenging pitch about halfway up. McInnes was lead climber.
"I don't think that Angus would endanger anybody. I'm sure he had him (the teenager) there to teach him," Hughes said.
Hughes divorced McInnes six years ago, but the two remained friends. They have a 15-year-old son, Alex.
"He loved Alex very much," Hughes said.
McInnes ran Creative Ink, a silk screening business in Wheat Ridge. Hughes said she and her son would remember McInnes as "eclectic . . . and charismatic."
"He can make friends with anybody," she said.
Funeral arrangements had not been made as of Sunday night.
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angus21
Oct 25, 2004, 3:43 PM
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Taken from Dailycamera.com
Climber was a friend to all
Alexander "Angus" McInnes was teaching a Russian family how to climb
By Chris Barge, Camera Staff Writer
October 25, 2004
Alexander "Angus" McInnes, a climber who died last week after falling in Eldorado Canyon, was an outgoing and irreverent lover of life and climbing who befriended almost everyone he met, family and friends said Sunday.
McInnes, 39, fell about 60 feet Thursday night while climbing from a ledge about 300 feet up a cliff from the canyon floor. His climbing partner, a 17-year-old boy, was belaying McInnes when McInnes climbed around a bend out of sight and then fell.
McInnes took the boy, his brother and their parents under his wing shortly after the family immigrated to Colorado from Russia four months ago. The family had posted a message on the Web site rockclimbing.com, looking for someone to take them climbing, and McInnes obliged.
His family and friends said he often gave of himself to others, sometimes to a fault.
Lisa Malabad also met McInnes through the Web site. As he taught her how to climb this summer, she said she was struck by his strong, outgoing character and sense of humor.
She and McInnes and the Russian family climbed together in August.
"He was just a super host for America," she said. "I'm really happy that he's one of the first families that they got to meet. But they're devastated."
Rescuers and friends said McInnes and his partner were more than halfway up Eldorado's 700-foot tall Regarden Wall, on a moderately-rated route called Anthill Direct. They were wearing helmets, appropriate technical climbing gear, and walkie-talkies.
But on the fourth pitch they got off-route, and McInnes climbed sideways to a nearby gully that looked easier, but proved otherwise. He slammed into a rock wall and died. Rescuers found him still dangling from his rope.
A cause and manner of death was still pending from the coroner's office on Friday.
McInnes' fiancee, Cindy Mitchell, said the former U.S. Army Ranger learned to climb and skydive during his service with the 2nd Battalion. From that point through the rest of his adult life, she said, he lived for climbing.
"Whenever he was having any sort of stress in his life, that was his way of releasing the stress," Mitchell said. "It was his very favorite thing to do and he loved climbing in Eldorado Canyon. He made it up there quite often."
McInnes and Mitchell lived in Littleton. He is survived by his mother, his father, and his 15-year-old son.
He was the second technical climber to die in Boulder County this year.
Contact Camera Staff Writer Chris Barge at (303) 473-1389 or bargec@dailycamera.com.
Contact the family
October 25, 2004
Alexander "Angus" McInnes' family and friends are establishing a trust fund for his 15-year-old son. Funeral services will be Sunday. For information on either, e-mail creativeink1@msn.com.
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barmaley
Oct 25, 2004, 8:30 PM
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Hello, my name is Alexey. I'm Kirill's brother (barmaley's)
I’m the one who climbed with Angus that day.
It’s so many things in my head and it’s difficult for me to say something. We were very good friends with him, I loved to spend time with him. I loved his humor. Sometimes it was too black but I still like it. Once we were going to Eldo early morning and I was sleeping, he pushed the breaks on the speed about 30 miles and screamed “AAAAAAAAAAA…”. I woke up and was very scared because I thought that we are going to hit something. But when I looked on Angus he was laughing on me. He loved to make jokes, he was doing it every time and when he saw that I’m thinking about this seriously, he asked me “You know that I’m just fucking with you, do you?”
We were talking a lot with him and planning lot of things. He said that not long time ago he fixed his boat and he never sailed after it, he told me and my brother that we’re going to boat some day. We were going to try ice climbing soon. We were going to make a skydive together but he had no time for it. He told me that when he has time (in about 2 weeks) we’re going to go camping with Alex (his son) and Cindy’s family. He loved them very much. He talked a lot about Cindy, he always told me “She is the best chick I ever had”. He told me about his past live when he had lots of money and wasn’t happy and he told me that now he’s poor (last time he had no money even to buy cigarettes) and he is happy then ever. Once we went climbing and he forgot to tell that Cindy, he was worrying that Cindy is going to be anger on him. When he called her, he realized that she didn’t call him because she went to her x husband and she didn’t know he went climbing. He was happy as a kid.
He loved his son, he always told him that. Few weeks ago he moved in house across the road of house where his x wife and his son live. He told me that he’s going to buy him sell phone so that he would be able to talk with him anytime he want’s.
There were always a lot of garbage in his shop and car, anywhere you stepped there were bottles, cups, cigarettes and other stuff. Once me and my brother came in his shop to go climbing and I asked him why it’s always so many garbage in his shop. He answered me “Every time I have time to clean it, I’m going climbing”, then he made serious face and said that he decided to not go climbing but clean his shop and then he laughed and said “ No… let’s go climbing”.
He was very hardworking person so he usually worked about 15 hours a day (sometimes more), he didn’t sleep whole night working to go climbing next day. When I asked why he doesn’t sleep, he answered that he was going to sleep a lot when he was dead.
I asked why he is working so much, he told me that he loved his job, but he’s not crazy about his job because if he would be rich, he would go climbing every day.
He was really kind man; he met my brother on this site and invited him to go climbing with him. In a while we met him closer, met his son and his family. I can say for shore that Mitchels were his family; Cindy’s daughters were his daughters. I want to say that I and my family love them. They invited my brother, me and my parents for dinners and just to hanging out in Cindy’s house. Angus gave us the work in shop and Cindy in her house before we founded full time jobs.
Angus was very king man. He always paid for gas, soda and some food when we went climbing. Once I tried to pay for water, I already gave money to cashier; Angus took it back from his hand and told “Do not take money from poor Russians”. I paid just once on last Monday (we went in Boulder canyon). This day he gave to cashier his last dollars for cigarettes before climbing. After climbing I asked if he needs money at lest to eat, I had $30. He said no but that he would like some Pepsi, we went to the store and this was first and last time I paid for him.
I believe that many people want to know what happened so I’m going to tell it.
This day when I paid for him first time, he told me that we should go climbing together again and I said that my next day off is Thursday. I didn’t pay attention for that because sometimes he wanted to go climbing but he couldn’t because his work.
On Thursday I woke up, took a shower and had one cup of coffee. Then I was trying to check my email but I couldn’t because my phone didn’t work. Nobody was home; I didn’t know what to do so I start playing computer. In 10 minutes playing I watched in window and saw Angus passing my door. I ran out and saw that Angus was going to knock my neighbor’s door. I stopped him. I was very surprised because he didn’t call me. It was about 12 am. He said that he was trying to call me from 8 am; he said that he thought I’m setting in some porn sites. So I took my stuff and we went in his shop to take his gears and stuff.
Next day I checked my mail and founded 2 messages from him: “been trying to call for an hour and a half get off the internet. Angus” and “get off the internet been trying to call it's 9.00am lets go climbing”.
In the shop we grabbed his stuff, water and 2 Pepsis. Near the shop we met Angus’s friend who came to his shop to take something. They talked about something and we went in Eldo.
On the way to Eldo Angus took the wrong tern and, as he said, we lost 20 minutes. While loosing 20 minutes he called Cindy and told her that we’re going climbing.
I want to say that usually it’s 3 of us going climbing: Angus, Kirill and me. Once el_capitan went climbing with us and we went climbing with my parents and nextascent.
Kirill went with him few times without me and I went with Angus without him 3 times. First time was in Eldo, it was my first lead, second time - on last Monday and third – on last Thursday (Kirill had to work).
He chose one rout. He said it’s a long one but easy (5.5 - 5.6). We took jackets and head light. He thought that it’s going to be raining in the evening and if we will be late, we’re going to need this. He gave me Eldo-book to put it in my bag and he had copied page in his pocket of this rout so that we wasn’t going to be lost.
First peach was easy and beautiful; we didn’t reach the tree as says in book. So the second peach was short. Third peach was difficult, there were many loose rocks and we had to climb on vertical rock. We were going left and a little bit up. When I reached Angus he was smiling, he said “That was the hard motherfucker”. He said that on the middle of this peach he was going to turn back.
We took some pictures, I gave him all gears, he gave me an anchor. When I asked him why I need it, he answered that I was going to need it if he would fall. He told me that we were out of the rout and that he doesn’t know where we are. He told me that there’s a Redguard passing near and he was sure that there are some bolts on it. And we were going to use it to reach the ground. He had 2 brand new 60 meters long ropes which he got on his 39th birthday 2 weeks ago.
He started climbing to the left to rich the crack. We had little “walky-talkies” to talk with each other. In the beginning I was asking him something, he answered me without “walky-talkie” just by voice. I realized that the route was hard, I stopped talk with him. After a while I felt big put from his side, I even felt. I kept him tite and I thought that he’s anger because the route is hard and I don’t give him the rope. He didn’t say anything, he kept climbing. I still kept him tite. He didn’t move for a long time and I asked him if he’s making an anchor, he screamed no. I didn’t understand was it screaming of anger or tiredness or something else. In my head it was anger because he pulled the rope before very hard. In a while I felt big pulling from his side again, I was thinking that he’s anger again, it was the hard moment and I don’t give him the rope. So I gave him the rope but it stocked in the rocks and didn’t go, I pulled it and gave him the rope again because it was still pulling from his side… The biggest problem was that I couldn’t see him. In that moment I realized that he may be falling. I stopped give him the rope and asked if he’s OK, he didn’t answered, I thought that his “walky-talkie” can be broken, I screamed him but he didn’t answered. He had a helmet but I thought that he could still hurt his head and be not awake.
I put the rope around karabiners and rock so that Angus could be safe. I put the prussic around the rope, it was tite. My hands were shaking. I climbed to the last gear, then rope was going strait gown in the crack so that I couldn’t see Angus. On left to the crack it was about 2-3 meters. I was trying to put belay device on the rope so that to get down to Angus but I couldn’t because the rope was tite. I realized that there’s nothing I can do. I came back and start asking help. It was dark already so I turned on my head light. Few guys saw me and went to ask help. I was talking to Angus and screaming, I was hoping that he would wake up and we will finish our rout. But he didn’t answer. I took the belay on me and put Angus down. Then I was asking him to pull the rope if he hear me but he didn’t answer.
In couple of hours rescue team came and got me on top. There I was told that Angus died. He was a strong man. I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe that I’m not going to see him again. I didn’t know what to do; I didn’t know how to tell that to Cindy.
That was the worst night in my life. I want to tell thanks to rescue team, tell thanks for rescue me and for doing everything they could.
I can’t stop thinking about Angus. I’m trying… I’m working, watching movies, playing computer… but it’s not working. It’s still hard to understand that he died, even when I saw him dead in morgue.
Angus moved to new house, he moved to new shop, he was going to buy new car if future, sell his business and start a new one, he was going to put new tooth (he broke one on his shop). He was full of live. His live just started.
He was a kindest man and I’ll never forget him. He loved rock climbing. I think if he knew that he was going to die, he would be happy to know that he was going to die climbing.
Climb save and appreciate everything you have
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ambler
Oct 25, 2004, 9:05 PM
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What a harrowing story by Alexey. It sounds like he was trying his best, in a terrible situation.
In reply to: He chose one rout. He said it’s a long one but easy (5.5 - 5.6).... First peach was easy and beautiful; we didn’t reach the tree as says in book. So the second peach was short. Third peach was difficult, there were many loose rocks and we had to climb on vertical rock. We were going left and a little bit up. When I reached Angus he was smiling, he said “That was the hard f---”. He said that on the middle of this peach he was going to turn back. |
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amber
Oct 25, 2004, 9:16 PM
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Alexey - my heart goes out to you. I'm sure you've received a million shoulders to lean upon, but please add my shoulder to that list.
On a more pragmatic note, I did want to point out something - something that I hope beginners can pick up on. As simple and obvious as it seems to many of us, I would not have known to do this, had I been in your shoes, when I first started belaying people on trad routes.
In reply to: I put the rope around karabiners and rock so that Angus could be safe. I put the prussic around the rope, it was tite. My hands were shaking. I climbed to the last gear, |
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anykineclimb
Oct 26, 2004, 8:09 AM
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you know Amber, I was thinking the same thing. How many people nowadays go out for a day of just practicing self rescues?
Alexey- My heart goes out to you. For your loss of such a good friend and mentor also to you for having to experience such an ordeal.
I can't give any advise on how to "get over" this. I just hope you can do it soon and enjoy the good memories you have of Angus.
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timstich
Oct 26, 2004, 2:47 PM
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Craig Luebben gives self rescue clinics for parties of six.
http://www.craigluebben.com/...clinics.html#rescue1
If not, we can practice some of the techniques from David Fasulo's Self Rescue book. Get a copy of that if you don't already have one. It's a Falcon book. The thing is, we need to do this with gear we would likely have on us during a regular climb. So that means ascending the rope with prusik knots or other knot.
Shall we keep the self-rescue discussion here or move it to the Front Range Partners thread? I assume most of us read both threads.
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amber
Oct 26, 2004, 6:12 PM
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I've taken self-rescue and wilderness first aid classes, but it's been awhile. I'd be happy to hop in on a self-rescue practice session and/or to join five others who are equally interested in saving their own butts. :)
I'm obviously somewhat anal about safety these days. ;)
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dirtgirl
Oct 26, 2004, 7:10 PM
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Bob D delete this!
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sarcat
Oct 26, 2004, 8:17 PM
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My condolences to his son, family and friends. You will be in my prayers.
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deleted
Deleted
Oct 26, 2004, 8:36 PM
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Sorry about your friend, but the story doesn't make sense. Sounds like you and Angus lost communication didn't have a rope tug system to communicate. You thought he wanted slack we in fact he was falling??? Sounds like you gave him lots of slack and feel far or he pendulumed hard sideways and feel sounds like he was traversing, maybe didn't place enough gear and swung down and the belayer gave him slack by mistake at the sametime?
Anybody make sense out of this???
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zozo
Oct 26, 2004, 8:42 PM
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In reply to: Anybody make sense out of this???
Not really the time or place.
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mother_sheep
Oct 26, 2004, 8:43 PM
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No doubt dude! Check your PM and don't let the door hit you in the a$$ on the way out.
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deleted
Deleted
Oct 26, 2004, 8:52 PM
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Whatever, safety is always my first thought. What if this accident was caused by a biner that should be recalled? or bad bolts at that crag? I want to know how to not have this happen to me. I look at what people are doing very closely when I'm climbing, and almost every climber I see is making one mistake or another. I'm no expert at climbing but I'm amazed I don't see more accidents. If we can all become a little safer right now today. Then that is more important than anything. Feelings can be healed, broken skulls can't.
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