Accidents Occurring in 1958 not Previously Reported, Colorado, Halletts Peak

Publication Year: 1960.

Colorado, Halletts Peak—On July 18, John Barry (28) and David Burke (27) of Boulder were climbing the north face of Halletts Peak by the 800-foot sixth class chimney. After a long struggle with the final large overhang, lacking tension stirrups or water, the climbers began an unbelayed rappel descent over a series of chockstones. At one point, a six-inch angle piton could be driven in only half way. Barry used the rappel rope as a hand line and climbed safely down. Drake, placing his full weight on the piton, began an ordinary body rappel. Several feet down the chockstone, the piton came out. Drake fell about thirty feet, breaking a vertebra in his back, spraining an ankle and suffering a laceration of the hand. He was revived and able to continue the descent, belayed from above by Barry.

Source: J. J. Barry via Harold F. Walton.

Analysis (Barry): Rappel pitons should first of all be soundly placed. If in doubt, though time consuming, belays should be established.

The use of a six-inch piton in any but deep cracks is highly questionable. The leverage exerted when the full length of the shaft cannot be inserted no doubt contributed a great deal to the piton’s failure.

In this case, the lack of elementary first aid knowledge made the continued descent highly dangerous. Drake complained of back pains but was able to move about. That no serious damage was done to the spinal cord as a result of the broken vertebra was indeed fortunate.