New York, Shawangunks (1)—On April 5, Donald Hetz (20) and Jim Walker (20) of the Yale Mountaineering Club, set out to climb the “High Corner”, a Class 5 rock climb in the Shawangunks. Hetz, leading, climbed up about 12 feet to a large ledge and clipped into a piton that can be reached from the ledge. Although the route goes left at this point, Hetz climbed up and slightly right over very thin rock. He experienced considerable difficulty and stopped for some time, looking for a way up. At this point, he drove a piton but it was not sound, probably because the rock has only a few tiny cracks here. At this point he fell. The fall began feet first from a point about 20 feet above the ledge, but Hetz turned over while falling and hit the ledge head-first. He was wearing a crash helmet which was damaged by the fall since he apparently struck the edge of the helmet.

The high piton Hetz had driven in pulled out without a jerk on the belayer and the other piton was too low to prevent him from striking the ledge. His fall ended when he wedged in a crack, feet and head up, in a jack-knife position. In spite of prompt rescue and first aid efforts by other climbers, one of whom was a doctor, Donald Hetz died in the hospital without regaining consciousness, because of extensive brain damage. Praise is due to Dr. Hans Kraus, and the staff of St. Francis Hospital in Poughkeepsie, N. Y., to the climbers who aided in the rescue, and to the New York State Police, for their efforts to save Donald’s life.

Source: Appalachia: 32, 562-563; J. Walker, Cran Barrow, and Robert Jones, Chairman, Rock Climbing, N. Y. Chapter, A.M.C.

Analysis (Cran Barrow and Bob Jones):–This young climber had had only a few months of climbing experience and was leading a climb with which he was not familiar. He was not on the route and was unable to foresee the difficulty of the rock. He climbed to a point where he could not go on and apparently could not climb down. This may be an example of the tendency of some young climbers to begin leading before they are sufficiently experienced.