Jeffersonville, Vermont—March 16, 2009 Height of Land Publications, the independent publisher of Alpinist, Backcountry and Telemark Skier Magazines, announced today the well-known climber and editor Michael Kennedy will join Senior Editor Katie Ives to relaunch Alpinist Magazine. Issue 26 ships to subscribers, shops and newsstands April 15.

Founded by Christian Beckwith and Marc Ewing and operated in Jackson, Wyoming, until the autumn of last year, the quarterly Alpinist features a timeless, clean design with minimal ads. Publishing only the highest quality and most authentic climbing art and writing, Alpinist portrays the essence of the climbing life, inspired by an ethos of beauty, purity and style, and a dedication to help preserve the natural world that makes all adventures possible.

”My aim is to continue to explore the heart and soul of the climbing experience,” says Kennedy, “building on the incredible foundation Alpinist has developed over the last six years.” Widely known in the climbing community for his work at Climbing Magazine from 1974 to 1998, Kennedy served as an advisor to Alpinist since its inception in 2002. In over 35 years of climbing he has ventured far and wide, from pioneering Colorado ice climbs to lightweight alpine climbs in Alaska and the Himalaya, and he remains an active rock climber and backcountry skier today.

Independent publisher Height of Land Publications was founded in Jeffersonville, Vermont in 2002 and currently owns and operates Alpinist, Backcountry and Telemark Skier Magazines. "Our mission is pretty simple," says cofounder and Height of Land Publications Editorial Director Adam Howard, "to publish about that which we live. Michael is climbing, and he understands little companies like ours. It's a perfect fit."

Rare Planetary Alignment Forecast

British astronomer Sir William Herschel announced on BBC radio, on March 3, 2009, that an infrequent linear alignment of Pluto and Jupiter will occur on 4/1/09. Tides will be noticeable higher and lower. Extreme tidal variations are most often associated with “spring” and “neap” tides corresponding to the phases of the moon.

easter05-alignment

With the extra alignment of Pluto and Jupiter it is possible, for example, for people to jump in the air and experience greater height. The period of maximum alignment is between 8:39 and 8:56 am GMT (4:39 – 4:56 pm PST) on 4/1/09.

Attempts will be made at various records including pole vault and high jump, by Olympic athletes, during this brief window of opportunity. It is rumored that some climbers will be attempting particularly vexing boulder problems. Please report your experience to cmg-owner@yahoogroups.com for data collection.

Risk – National Public Radio – Health Dialogues

The March edition of Health Dialogues is all about risk. How much risk do people take with their health? How does knowing the risks we face affect our behavior? When is it actually healthier to take risks? How much risk do you take with your health? How does scuba diving or piloting planes affect getting a life insurance policy, and how do insurers figure out how long we'll live anyway? The March edition of Health Dialogues explores the many angles of health and risk.

http://www.kqed.org/radio/programs/healthdialogues/

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Ice Climbing Park in Norway Triggers Mud Slide

OSLO – A mudslide hit several houses and vacation homes in central Norway on Friday, sweeping some into the fjord below, police and rescue officials said. There were no reports of injuries.

Marit Dahl, spokeswoman for the Nord-Troendelag police district, told the press by telephone that seven people were evacuated and that none of them was seriously injured.

mud slide

She said there were no others reported missing in the mudslide in Namsos, about 330 miles (530 kilometers) north of Oslo. The evacuation "went very well," Dahl said.

Police spokesman Jostein Grimstad said rescue crews and helicopters were on the scene to double-check the area.

State radio network NRK reported that it happened below an area where Ice Climbers had built an Ice Climbing Park in the fjord extending 500m. Spring thaws collapsed the ice formation as ice climbers scrambled to safety.

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Incidents

Jackson Hole – Kathryn Miller – March 13

On March 13, Kathryn Miller, co-owner of Jackson Hole Mountain Guides, had a skiing accident while descending Spacewalk Couloir, an out-of-bounds run south of the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Her injuries included a clavicle fracture, three broken ribs, and a severe head injury. According to a family update, she has apparently suffered irreversible brain damage.

Miller kathryn-hess-miller

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A ski patroller at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is in critical condition following a skiing accident outside the resort boundaries. Kathryn Miller fell Friday morning while skiing into Rock Springs Canyon, south of the resort boundary. Resort spokeswoman Anna Olson said Miller and a colleague were skiing together when Miller fell and tumbled down a chute.

Miller, well-known by her former, married name Hess, fell in Spacewalk Couloir just south of the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort boundary, resort spokeswoman Anna Olson said. She was on a backcountry patrol with colleague Kevin Maloney when the accident occurred, Olson said.

Olson gave the following account.

The two were negotiating the narrow, steep and rocky descent into Rock Springs Canyon at 11 a.m. when the accident happened. Miller was held up at a rocky crux in the gully, then fell while attempting to ski past. She tumbled down the rest of the chute, suffering serious injuries along the way. Maloney immediately called for assistance.

Ski patrol came to her aid, as did a physician from the Teton Village Clinic. The team moved Miller into a toboggan and slid her down Rock Springs Canyon to the resort base and clinic. Medical personnel stabilized her there and loaded her into an air ambulance at 12:46 p.m. The ship flew her to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, where she remained in a coma in critical condition Sunday evening.

On the Caring Bridge Web site, an Internet portal where friends and family share news of those in peril, relatives have posted updates of Miller’s struggles to survive head trauma, among other injuries. Support from friends was pouring in. “Everyone at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort has Kathryn and her family and friends in our thoughts and prayers at this time,” resort President Jerry Blann said in a statement Sunday.

Olson said Miller is a seven-year veteran of the patrol. She works as a guide for Jackson Hole Mountain Guides and has guided throughout the Rockies and on Denali. She specializes in Utah's red-rock country, and is a former instructor for the National Outdoor Leadership School.

In 1999, Miller climbed 26,906-foot Cho Oyu, on the border of Nepal and Chinese Tibet. It is the sixth-highest mountain in the world, one of only 14 peaks higher than 8,000 meters. Miller gained the summit of Cho Oyu without the aid of oxygen, without help from Sherpas, and with American teammates who were all women. It marked the first time an American women's team had surpassed the 8,000-meter barrier in that style.

Joshua Tree – Woody Stark – March 16

Riverside rock-climbing pioneer, 67, falls to death at Joshua Tree

10:22 PM PDT on Monday, March 16, 2009

By DAYNA STRAEHLEY and BRIAN ROKOS
The Press-Enterprise

Southern California rock-climbing pioneer Curtis Woodrow "Woody" Stark, 67, of Riverside, died Sunday in a fall at Joshua Tree National Park. Mr. Stark fell from a rock formation called the Great Burrito, a 200-foot-tall vertical rock formation, part of the park's Hidden Valley Nature Trail, a popular destination with both day hikers and rock climbers, a Park Service news release said.

Mr. Stark was the lead climber and was followed by Alfred Kwok. Mr. Stark, who was not wearing a helmet, experienced some difficulty with his climb and began to descend, the news release said. His equipment, including bolts and clips designed to halt a fall, failed, and he struck Kwok on the way down. Kwok also fell, but his equipment stopped his fall.

Curtis Woodrow “Woody” Stark. Photo: Todd Gordon / Special to The Press-Enterprise

Two other climbers helped lower Kwok from the face of the cliff, according to the park service. Kwok was airlifted to Desert Regional Hospital in Palm Springs. Kwok declined to comment Monday when reached at his office at Pomona College, where he is a physics professor.

Two firemen from the Joshua Tree area who had been climbing nearby helped rescue Kuok. Four park rangers and nine Joshua Tree Search and Rescue volunteers also responded. A San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department helicopter airlifted Kuok to the hospital. Because it’s an inherently dangerous activity, safe climbing techniques and proper safety gear, including helmets, should be used when climbing the rocks, Zarki said.

Mr. Stark's death hit the rock-climbing community hard. A thread about the accident on the message board of Supertopo.com, a Web site for climbers, had 155 posts as of Monday evening. Todd Gordon, of Joshua Tree, said by phone that Mr. Stark was a friend and an "addicted" climber who popularized Joshua Tree as a climbing spot in the 1960s by scaling less-traveled paths.

"He and some buddies basically pioneered some of the routes at Joshua Tree that are considered some of the classics today," said Gordon, who added that he had planned to climb with Mr. Stark next week. "It was pretty much overlooked for big places like Yosemite, the Tetons and the Alps. Then instead of being a practice ground, instead of being a means to an end, it became an end to itself." Joe Zarki, public information officer at Joshua Tree National Park, said fatalities there are rare.

Mr. Stark had climbed in South America, Asia and the western United States.

Gordon said in recent years he and others unsuccessfully tried to get Mr. Stark to be more conservative in his climbs. "He kept trying to climb like he was a cutting-edge youngster," Gordon said. Mr. Stark's thrill-seeking extended beyond climbing.

Gordon related how Mr. Stark kept his beloved Mini Cooper in mint condition, and that "He drove that thing like a 17-year-old who had been drinking a bunch of Red Bull."

Gordon said Mr. Stark was divorced and retired a few years ago from teaching school in Riverside.

Stark’s friends remembered him as a man who simply loved to climb and commanded respect for his love of the sport despite age and injury.

“I wouldn’t say he was reckless, but he was a go-for-it guy, and a lot of climbers in their 60s are not go-for-it type of dudes,” said climbing buddy Todd Gordon of Joshua Tree.

The climbing world knew Stark as “Woody,” and he had climbed in Asia, South America, Alaska and most of the western United States.

Gordon said Stark was a retired schoolteacher and voracious reader: “His house was filled with bookcases and next to the bookcases were more books piled to the ceiling.”

The father of two, Stark had a wide circle of friends and did mountaineering and ice climbing, in which he would scale frozen waterfalls.

The Joshua Tree community knew him as a pioneer. “He’s a little bit of an icon, because in the 1960s, when Joshua Tree wasn’t much of a climbing area, he and his friends were some of the first ones to do some of the climbs, and now they’re some of the most famous and popular climbs in the world,” Gordon said.

Stark was an old-fashioned climber, his friend said.

“He always climbed the same — whether he was 20, 30, 40, 50 or 60, there was only one way to do it. The technology of climbing has made things a lot safer, but he just climbed the way he learned, relying on confidence, skill and nerves.”

E-mail Received from Al Kwok

I forgot to include you in my "mass email" informing climbers that I was not injured as seriously as what some media reported (i.e. NO back injury, NO internal damage). I was supposed to have fractured 2 ribs according to a CAT scan but since I haven't been in any pain (OK, a little when I cough), I doubt it ... And I am planning my next trip out to JT already (will take the next 2 weekends off, but can't rest for that long).

I also mentioned in the "mass email" that the accident reports online are all wrong. Bottom line: It was NOT a leader fall. Woody had already completed a climb. He brought me up and was [getting ready for (Ed.)] me to lower him (before I brought the 3rd climber up). We both did a total brain farce and did not anchor me into the anchor properly. So, Woody ended up pulling me off the rock ... (I weigh 125 lbs!) Woody was the one who anchored me in and I should have checked that more carefully. Best, Alfred

Zion – James Welton

On October 17, 2008, James Welton fell to his death while climbing the Touchstone route in Zion National Park. The National Park Service subsequently conducted an investigation into the cause of the accident in cooperation with the Washington County Sherriff’s office. Their findings have been released. The three-person climbing party had climbed three pitches (approximately 180 feet) without significant event. When the member leading the fourth pitch had reached the pitch’s top anchor, he tied the end of a rope into it. The climbing party’s gear, weighing 104 pounds, was attached to the bottom end of this rope, which was to be used as a haul line. The climbing partner then ran the haul line, which was also Welton’s ascending line, through a Petzl Pro-traxion device, a pulley which incorporates a cam allowing for rope capture as rope is hauled in. The climbing partner pulled 15 feet of slack through the Pro-traxion prior to Welton starting his ascent. The group planned to haul the gear to the top of the fourth pitch after Welton, the second climber, had completed his ascent. The third party member planned to ascend a second rope, the leader’s lead climbing rope.

Welton’s fall occurred when the Pro-traxion failed soon after he started to ascend the haul line. The Pro-traxion operates with a cam and pulley mounted to a fixed plate. A sliding plate allows a rope to be inserted into the device. When the sliding plate is properly closed, a button locks the device together. NPS investigators were able to reproduce the failure of the Pro-traxion during informal tests when the device was closed improperly. They noted that the device could appear to be properly closed (but not truly closed) if the device was weighted prior to the side plate sliding into place. When improperly closed, the device can deform when weighted, causing rope to move rapidly past the cam in the unintended direction. When the Pro-traxion failed, the 15 feet of slack ran rapidly through the device, causing Welton to fall this distance while still attached to the rope by his mechanical ascenders. The force generated by the fall transferred to Welton’s ascenders, which severed the rope, resulting in Welton’s tragic fatal fall. [Submitted by Ray O’Neil, Plateau District Ranger]

Separate Report from Mountain Project:

Here's basically what happened: The team was climbing as 3. They climbed pitches 3 and 4 separately but decided to link the hauls in one shot. Matt was at the top of pitch 4, James and Perry were at the top of 3, and the bags were hanging on the haul line near the top of pitch 2. Matt had finished pitch 4 and fixed the haul line onto a pro traxion and backed it up. James was to jug the haul line while perry cleaned pitch 4 because the rope was in reach of the 3rd belay, albeit weighted already with the bags. I'm pretty sure they were using James' 9.5mm 70 m static line -- the same one we used on the Salathe a week before with no issues.

James somehow malfunctioned the attachment of his jumars to the taught haul line, but after he had released his daisy chains from the anchor. He began sliding down the haul line until one of his jumars finally engaged some 30 feet later or so. There was a sheath piling found on the scene, so we know he broke the sheath first, initiated a sheath fall, and finally the core broke after the sheath fall ended and shock-loaded the system. He and the bags fell 300 feet to the base. Other details are not known yet. We do not know how James failed to attach the ascenders properly, but we do know that he is used to using the new BD ascenders and for just that pitch he used the petzl jumars.

Please folks, understand that jumaring taught haul lines is not safe and should always be avoided. I had a close call on the Nose in 2003 when my partner jumared a taght haul line and we broke a pro-traxion in half during the lower out. It cut the sheath, and the backup knot I tied saved his life. I only use pro-traxions these days with a full strength swivel and a big locker in the bottom hole.

James Welton

When climbing as 3, the second should always jumar the slacked haul line first so he can be backed up with knots or a gri gri, then the bags can be lowered out. In their case, it was not possible because they linked the hauls. If you link hauls like that, the second should clean the upper pitch first, then the third should jumar the lead line after it's been cleaned rather than grabbing the taught haul line and comitting to it. Plus, linking hauls like that is usually not possible anwyay because the haul line hardly ever hangs within reach of the intermediate belay. And also, saving time by linking those hauls is counterproductive when you consider that to get the other two up safely, you'd need to wait until the upper pitch is cleaned before the third can come up.

If a taught haul line is going over a lip, you cannot pass it with 2 jumars and because you cannot be backed up with a gri gri or knots, you are only on one jumar during the maneuver. It's also too much strain for the hauling device and is more likely to chop ropes going over sharp edges. It doesn't save time to do it this way either. Just avoid it no matter what. I've climbed many walls with 3 people and always jug an unweighted haul line. The one time we did otherwise (on the Nose) my partner almost died. --Pete

Tremblant, Quebec – Natasha Richardson – March 18

An ambulance sent to the Mount Trembant Resort where actress Natasha Richardson suffered a fall was turned away, a paramedic said. Richardson, who suffered a head injury while taking a beginners ski course, died at age 45 on Wednesday at a New York hospital.

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Yves Coderre, director of operations at the emergency services company which sent the medics to the Mont Tremblant resort, told Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper Wednesday that ski patrollers requested an ambulance after Richardson fell. Paramedics responded, but when they arrived they were told they were not needed. They never saw the patient and turned around." It wasn't clear who sent the ambulance away or why, but a resort spokeswoman said Tuesday that Richardson initially said that she was fine.

Victims of head trauma often believe they are fine, a mistake that can cost them their lives. "When you have a head trauma you can bleed. It can deteriorate in a few hours or a few days," he said. "People don't realize it can be very serious. We warn them they can die and sometimes they start to laugh. They don't take it seriously."

Another ambulance was called later to Richardson's five-star hotel near the base of Mont Tremblant. By that point, she was conscious but "wasn't in good shape" and was rushed to hospital. She was eventually moved to a Montreal hospital before being transferred to New York.

The resort issued a statement Tuesday that said that Richardson didn't appear hurt and was walking around shortly after the incident. "She did not show any visible sign of injury but the ski patrol followed strict procedures and brought her back to the bottom of the slope and insisted she should see a doctor," said a statement from the resort, which is about 80 miles (128 kilometers) northwest of Montreal. The ski resort said the instructor and a ski patrol accompanied the actress to her hotel, where they again recommended she should be seen by a doctor.

New Paltz, NY-Various - March 21 & 22

This was a tough weekend for climbers at the Gunks, there were three reported accidents. Two Saturday, one from falling gear and another with a climber decking with serious injuries. One on Sunday with an ankle / lower leg injury. There is already a thread on gunks.com: http://www.gunks.com/...s.php/topics/43730/1

Unknown

The first accident on Saturday involved climber on the Dangler fumbled a #2 camalot and yelled rock as it bounced off of the slab below the GT ledge. Climbers at the base scattered, with one climber running towards the cliff. This climber was struck in the head with the cam (not wearing helmet) and was removed quickly. He suffered lacerations and received staples for the wound.

I was the climber on the Dangler Saturday. I was near the end of the traverse and fumbled a #2 camalot. As soon as I realized it was out of my hand, I yelled rock very loudly. It seems everyone heard on the ground and everybody directly below (between MF and Something Interesting) scattered. One climber ran towards the cliff, the others away. The cam skipped once off the slab about 50 ft below me, then continued in a straight line and connected with the climber who was against the cliff. The cam took about 3 seconds to travel from my hand to the ground, and I yelled out rock before the cam bounced off the slab, in about 1 sec. He covered his head with his hand, and the #2 hit both his hand and center of his head at the same time. From where I was (hanging from the Dangler) I could see blood on his head and hand, but he was concious and moving around. The rangers were called and he was escorted to the road. Rightfully, he bootied the cam. I was told he was taken to the hospital and received stitches. I am truly sorry for the mistake and any harm I caused and wish him a fast recovery. I left my contact information with his friends who remained at the wall. I hope he is well soon. Hopefully, I can buy him a beer or six if we meet up.

After 5 minutes or so, when things calmed down, I realized I was no help hanging from the roof, so finished the last move. We rapped as quickly to the ground as possible, and inquired if we could be any help, but the climber was long gone.

Steven Lee

The second accident occured 20-30 minutes after the first at Blood Mary which is next to the more popular Drunkards Delight. The climber fell apparently as he was placing his third piece of protection. The second piece came un-clipped (it is presumed that it was back-clipped) and he fell to the ground. The climber was unconscious and had no pulse immediately after the impact. The climbers in the immediate area responded quickly and from all reports the rescue went incredibly well. Several people began CPR and rescue breathing which continued during the evac. At the latest report the climber (Steve from CCC) was in intensive care and was responsive and awake. quick update on steve lee (fallen climber on bloody mary): he is at st. francis hospital in poughkeepsie, in intensive care. he is responsive, but breathing on a machine, so just nods and blinks now. He has a fractured C2. it is too early to tell how serious that will be, although the prognosis is not good. so far no movement below his neck, but some sensation in his hand.

Hello all, I will add my perspective on the situation on Saturday so that we can possibly sort out the facts more clearly, and hopefully learn from the situation. I apologize if anything is inaccurate, this is what "I" interpreted. At the time of the accident I was over by the climb Frog's head. When I heard the climber(steve) fall, I quickly ran over to the route Bloody Mary. To my knowledge, I was the first one who arrived at Steve's side. His climbing partner acted quickly and was dialing 911 as I arrived. The climber was face down when I arrived, and my initial assessment showed no signs of responsiveness or breathing, bleeding from a significant head wound and an obvious broken left femur. After realizing this, I quickly ran back over to my pack for a first-aid kit and pocket mask(of which I didnt have with me). When I returned to Steve moments later, there were maybe about three people close by, and a few running for help, but noone treating him yet. I reassessed his condition, he was still not breathing and without a pulse. Then another climber arrived to help stabilize his head/neck, and an EMT named Becky showed up(the one with a pink coat). After re-confirming his condition, I quickly de-crumpled his legs,and about 4 of us rolled him onto his back (while maintaining spinal alignment) to begin CPR. Many climbers were around at this point, we spent about 20 seconds looking for a pocket-mask, then the EMT Becky decided to begin anyway. (She should be commended) Becky gave breathes while I did compressions, someone kept his head stabilized, and others began to cut-away his pants, in order to better assess his broken femur. After about 1 or 2 rounds of CPR compressions Steve's heart started beating again, we got a radial pulse and a pedal in his right leg, but not the one with the broken femur. Some climbers were arriving with the litter from the rescue box, some were taking notes on the patients vital signs, and others were being helpful just by staying out of the way and providing gear as needed. The patients pulse became gradually weaker and Becky, the EMT, continued with rescue breathing for a good few minutes until we lost his pulse again. Giving Steve air was difficult because he began clenching his teeth, he had fluid around his mouth, and much air appeared to be going into his stomach not his lungs. Another WFR or EMT took over compressions and continued with Becky until the ranger arrived with a bag-valve and oxygen. At this point I left the patient to more qualified personnel and went over to help prepare the litter/evac.

Climbers in the area did a great job of assisting to the best of their ability. Many helped to prepare the trail/evac route, and others helped with moving gear and relaying information to the ambulance, Via the rangers radio.

Eventually we loaded the patient into the litter, and continued down the trail to the rangers truck. All who were involved in the litter transfer did exceptional. Two other climber's and I, and Steve's partner, road with him to the ambulance while giving him CPR. It appeared to be about 15-20 minutes from the time that we first lost his pulse to the time we arrived at the ambulance.

I hope that everyone involved can learn something from this situation. It is important to realize that had this been most of the other climbing areas in the world, Steve wouldnt have had any chance. Most climbing areas are much more remote, with much less people around, longer, more-rugged approaches, pretty far from definitive care. Steve is lucky in this sense, and everyone should take things like this into account when climbing anywhere.

When accidents tend to happen people often look for problems, or "mistakes" that the victim made, in order for us to distance ourselves from the event. Anyone with enough climbing experience knows, that Steve didnt do a whole lot other than what most of us do.(except the helmet issue lets not get into) This may be the scariest thing. He didnt appear to have an excessive runout. When gear runners are extended (and if not as well) often the carabiner can flop around funny and create a potential for back-clipping. Yes, there is a proper way to clip your rope, but once you climb past that point, you never really know what its doing. This is often hard to avoid. Alot of times belayers arent conscious enough of the amount of slack and rope-stretch-potential in a near ground fall, however I dont think that played a part in Steve's case.

Unkown
Sunday, a climber apparently fell from Ape Call rated R and injured their ankle / lower leg.

Italy – Shane McConkey – March 27

Extreme skier and base jumping pro Shane McConkey has died in a ski-base accident while filming his latest movie in Italy.

shane_mcconkey_200x300 McConkey started as a competitive freestyle skier, then moved on to extreme skiing movies. He won several national and international skiing competitions, including the X Games and World Extreme Skiing Championships, but became best known for combining base jumping with skiing.

According to ESPN, McConkey experienced problems in the air after launching off a cliff with the expectation of deploying his parachute canopy and then gliding down to the ground. A witness said a ski failed to come off in the air, causing McConkey to spin out of control, preventing him from deploying his parachute.

McConkey is survived by his wife, Sherry, and their 3½-year-old daughter Ayla.

Half Dome - Jun Ho Wang – February 23

On February 23, 2009, a group of seven Korean mountaineers were attempting a winter ascent of the Direct Northwest Face (NWF) on Half Dome. The Korean team was utilizing the normal approach route to the NWF (commonly referred to by climbers as the “Death Slabs”). To facilitate the climbing effort the Koreans had fixed lines up most of 3,000-foot approach route, which was almost entirely covered with snow and ice.

One mountaineer, Jun Ho Wang, had been camped at the base of the wall with other members of his team. Recent warmer storms had brought rain up to around 6,500 feet, causing heavy water flow between the granite of the Death Slabs and the snow pack covering it.

Wang decided to descend the fixed lines alone to return to Yosemite Valley to obtain additional supplies. During Wang’s descent, an avalanche released above him. Wang was enveloped in the flowing debris and was swept an estimated 100 meters down the rock face. Luckily, Wang came to rest on the surface of the debris flow but during the slide he had sustained multiple life-threatening injuries.

Wang lay there alone until discovered late in the day by other members of his party who were sent down in search of him. The National Park Service was alerted at approximately 4:00pm. Via family band radio an English-speaking member of the group informed Rangers of the critical nature of the injuries, and requested assistance.

A spotter immediately went to Mirror Lake and was able to see what they believed was the injured climber. A ground team of five climbing rangers was prepared and deployed shortly before sunset. Immediately after leaving the forested area of the Death Slabs approach trail the team encountered heavy amounts of recent avalanche debris. Due to the unseasonably warm conditions and low elevation, the soft snow proved to be thigh deep under the weight of heavy packs. The team continued on to start fixing ropes for additional rescuers to begin shuttling supplies.

Shortly after finishing the first technical section of the approach, multiple avalanches could be heard in Yosemite Valley. The rescue team continued on through an area relatively protected from avalanches, fixing lines higher. From here, normal approach route continues to traverse to climber's left into the lower section of Bushido’s Gully. While the team accessed the gully, more large avalanches were heard. Because of considerable avalanche exposure beyond this point, the team staged the rescue gear there and retreated to the valley floor to wait for lower overnight temperatures to stabilize the snowpack.

A team of five high-angle rescuers ascended the Death Slabs again at 5:30am on Tuesday, February 24th. Near-freezing temperatures throughout the night had hardened the snow, reducing the danger of avalanches. The team retraced their ropes and continued to fix lines upwards. The team reached the injured climber in the morning hours and began a medical assessment. Two of the injured man’s climbing partners had stayed with him throughout the night, keeping him warm with extra sleeping bags that the rest of the team had left behind before they descended.

California Highway Patrol (CHP) A-Star Helicopter H-40 flew into Yosemite Valley at 7:00am and near-perfect conditions allowed them to insert additional rescuers and extraction gear into the Bushido Gully by hoist. Wang was hoisted from the mountain 15 minutes later and flown to Awahnee Meadow. Wang was rushed to the Yosemite Medical clinic for stabilization and shortly thereafter flown by PHI’s air-medical helicopter to Doctor’s Medical Center in Modesto. Field assessments indicated that Wang had sustained multiple traumatic injuries including a possible femur fracture, probable rib fractures, and severe back pain. Contributions: Ranger Keith Lober, Ranger David Pope. Edited by Nate Knight

Product Reviews

Fast Find PLB

The Fast Find PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) rescue device works by receiving a GPS signal and then sending out a 406 MHz distress signal and 121.5 MHz locating signal. When a search and rescue authority (SAR) receives a 406 MHz distress signal your position and contact info is sent to the nearest SAR and they use the position and 121.5MHz to home in on you. The device currently retails for close to three hundred dollars.

FastFind210