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#88285 12/27/11 07:25 AM
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 35
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Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 35
There we were, having a great time. Our group had climbed all morning and had just moved to a new location. We had rigged our top rope and one of our merry band decides to rap off. Anchor is bomber. ATC is rigged and the crab is locked. Time to cast off. A pause just over the lip...POP! WTF was that?!? In my life I have never seen eyes get that big. The story has a happy ending. The "rapper" is one of the strongest humans I know. "Jet boat waterski racing strong." He grabs both ropes and halts his decent. My other partner and I haul him back over the lip.

When we started breathing again we were all staring at a perfectly good harness completely open and hanging down around the secured leg loops.

My partner failed to double back his harness. I failed my partner by not giving him the triple check.

It was a cold, damp day. Layers of tee shirts and sweatshirts were hanging out. We were only at the top of a 40 foot cliff. Between the four of us we had nearly 90 years of firefighting/rescue experience between us. We had all been laughing so damn hard, having such a great time...I mean really, what could go wrong?

I will never fail my partner like that again. I will never fail my partner like that again
I will never fail my partner like that again.

Peace,

Tad




Joined: May 2008
Posts: 64
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Joined: May 2008
Posts: 64
Sobering. Thanks for posting.

John

Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 298
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 298
Yes, thanks for posting. We need to hear these stories when they occur so we remember how easily an accident can happen. We have often said while climbing, "You can never be too safe." Glad your experience had a happy ending.

Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 104
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 104
Glad disaster was averted.

BTW,I know its part of the vernacular since the mid-80s but the word near-miss is nonsensical.You can have a near-hit but not a near-miss.Does a near-miss imply a hit that could have been averted?A miss is a miss.No such thing as a near miss.


Evil triumphs when good men do nothing.
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 139
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 139
Near miss or near hit I'm glad that turned out ok. We can never be reminded too much about how dangerous rapping is, thanks for posting!


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Mt. Whitney Weather Links


White Mountain/
Barcroft Station

Elev 12,410’

Upper Tyndall Creek
Elev 11,441’

Crabtree Meadows
Elev 10,700’

Cottonwood Lakes
Elev 10,196’

Lone Pine
Elev. 3,727’

Hunter Mountain
Elev. 6,880’

Death Valley/
Furnace Creek

Elev. -193’

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