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Rudmin
Feb 25, 2010, 6:56 PM
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Registered: Mar 29, 2009
Posts: 606
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concerning events of Jan 6th, 2010:
Alpine experience is a Catch-22. The only place to build experience is out on the peaks, but you need experience to know what you are getting into. Some climbers have mentors to show them the ropes, or can afford guides and courses. Without these things, tackling summits requires a bit of a leap into the unknown.
“Let's look at the map again!” I rummage into the top of my pack as Buck slogs through deep powder. I already know the map, but I need some way to reconcile the path on paper with the terrain in front of me. We aught to follow a stream along the valley floor. Looking up high, the stream sprays down a rocky gorge and flows into a heap of avalanche debris. Buck arrives and drops his pack without a word. There is no sign of the summer route underneath the snow cover. High and to the right, the snow slope narrows beneath grey cliffs until a thin steep band of white passes over the waterfall. On the left, the slope curves steeply upwards and is broken by jumbles of rock, eventually gaining a ridge line at the top of the gorge. Using my mountaineering ice axe as a pointer, I sight a line on the left which draws a balance between climbing high into the mountains and tackling the steepest section of rock and snow near the gorge. Buck shrugs, and I start pushing a path of switchbacks up to the ridge...
continued http://experienceinthepyrenees.blogspot.com/
This is the more dramatic recounting of the accident report I wrote here:
http://www.rockclimbing.com/...d;page=unread#unread
My partner wrote a longer complete trip report over on Summit Post:
http://www.summitpost.org/...ational-Changes.html
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evanwish
Feb 26, 2010, 1:48 AM
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Registered: May 23, 2007
Posts: 1040
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Wow good report. A bummer of a trip ending though!
Heal up and get back into it!!
I know how you feel, I shattered my tib&fib a few years ago.
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mrtristan
Mar 2, 2010, 5:21 PM
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Registered: Jun 21, 2002
Posts: 596
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Man, that sucks. Cool pics, though. And at least you didn't die!
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fresh
Mar 9, 2010, 5:22 PM
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Registered: Aug 7, 2007
Posts: 1199
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thanks for posting that, and sorry for your injury. but as todd skinner once said while rappelling in a rainstorm, "it could be worse, we could be accountants!" I am, of course, assuming you are not an accountant.
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