RAPPEL FAILURE, OFF ROUTE, DARKNESS, INADEQUATE PROTECTION AND EQUIPMENT, FATIGUE, ILLNESS

California, Yosemite Valley

On April 23, 1984, about 1900 hours, Donald W. Barnett (39) took a fatal fall of approximately 50 meters from about mid-point of a route known as “Overhang Bypass,” a dihedral on the north face of Lower Cathedral Spire. Interviews and evidence indicate that the fall came as a result of Barnett rappelling off the end of his rappel rope and being unable to secure himself to temporary protection that he had placed in the face of the rock. The following account has been edited from an interview with Howard Replogle (37), his climbing partner, conducted by Chief Ranger C. W. Wendt.

Howard Replogle and Donald Barnett had come to the park to do some climbing. They entered the park via route 120 and set up camp at Big Oak Flat campground just inside the entrance station on the left. Replogle had only been climbing since January 1984. Barnett had been climbing for the past eight years. On Sunday, April 22, Replogle and Barnett climbed on an area known as “Manure Pile.” Barnett led

some of the pitches up the route. After they had finished climbing, Barnett contacted his former instructor from the Yosemite Mountaineering School. He suggested that they climb the Overhang Bypass on Lower Cathedral, as it was not too difficult a route for a beginner.

Replogle and Barnett arrived at the Lower Cathedral and parked along the road at Bridalveil Straights at 0900 on April 23. By the time they had arranged their equipment and begun the walk up to the base, it was 0945. They were on the approach for four to five hours—the route was very confusing to them. They consulted a map which indicated the route as a Class IV, but in reality it appeared to be much more difficult than that. They also looked at a map that Barnett had found on the route up the wall. They finally got to the Overhang Bypass between 1300 and 1500. Barnett led the finger tip traverse up to the left of the overhang and Replogle led up through the beginning of the “Hog Trough.” Replogle found a route that had some pitons. He followed them not realizing that he had gone past the route he wanted to take. Barnett was getting impatient with him because of the time and the fact that he could not find the right route. When Barnett would get tired he would hurry, get impatient, and had a tendency to get angry. Replogle thought it might be shorter to go up the face. When he arrived at Barnett’s location, they argued about what Replogle was supposed to be looking for. Replogle went out again and returned. He told Barnett that the route only went out to the top of a dihedral above the overhang. At this point, Barnett wanted to get out as it was getting dark. Replogle told Barnett that he wanted to spend the night where they were. Barnett replied that it would get pretty cold. Barnett said he would lead back to the top of the dihedral. He proceeded out about seven meters and placed three pieces of protection in the rock.

By now Barnett was moving about in a “frenzy” and Replogle was getting scared. Barnett practically pulled him over to the top of the dihedral. They fixed a sling around a ‘big jug’ and Barnett asked him if he wanted to go first. Replogle replied, “Yes,” and then put the rappel rope through his rappel plate and swami belt and began to rappel. It was getting dark and they could not find the center marker for the rope, so they designated one the long end and the other the short end. As he was rappelling, he was having a very difficult time as the swami was rising up on his body and hurting his chest. At two different times, he had to practically hang upside down in order to relieve the pressure on his chest.

As he was descending toward the ledge below, he came to the knot in the short end of the rope and could go no further. He was three to five meters above the ledge and was holding all of his weight on his arms. Barnett yelled down to him, “Can you get a stance?” He replied, “No. ” Replogle then untied the knot in the short end of the rope, passed it through his rappel plate and told Barnett to belay him to the ledge. Barnett accomplished this and when Replogle reached the ledge, he yelled to Barnett, “Off belay,” to which Barnett replied, “Belay off.” Replogle then yelled up to Barnett, “Are you coming down?” Barnett had the entirety of their climbing equipment with him. Barnett yelled, “O.K. I’m coming down.” Replogle then yelled up to Barnett, “The short rope has no knot,” and then he repeated the warning again. The next thing to happen was the statement from Barnett, “Oh, it ends right here.” Replogle yelled up to Barnett, “Tie it off.” Barnett yelled back, “I can’t.” Replogle yelled, “Pull up,” and Barnett yelled back, “I can’t, I’m burnt.” Replogle kept yelling, “Pull up, you have to.” By this time Barnett’s voice was sheer “terror.” Replogle continued to yell for him to pull up.

Barnett yelled, “Maybe I’ll have enough friction on one rope.” Replogle yelled back up, “Hell, no, you don’t have enough friction,” and kept yelling for Barnett to pull up. Barnett kept yelling back, “I can’t.”

At this point Barnett dropped one end of the rope and Replogle asked him what he was holding onto. Barnett told him that it was a nut he’d placed. Replogle told Barnett to put the rope through the carabiner. Barnett said that he couldn’t. Replogle started extending the end of the rope Barnett had dropped with a piece of nine millimeter rope he had found on the ledge. He did not know what he was going to do, but thought of climbing the rope up to Barnett. He tied the ropes together with a figure eight follow through and tied a “funky” knot in the other end.

Replogle at this point knew that Barnett was going to fall, so he unclipped himself from the end of the rope, as he had no protection from being pulled off the ledge. Barnett fell, grazed the ledge on which he was standing, and continued past the ledge until the rope that was still through one half of his rappel plate stopped his fall. The reason Replogle thought Barnett hit the ledge was that as his body passed, Replogle saw a flash of sparks. The knot that he had placed in the small rope had jammed into a crack between the ledge he was on and the wall of the rock face.

Replogle pulled on the rope and yelled to Barnett but got no response. He felt out of control himself and he began to yell for help. He did not look at his watch, but estimated that the accident occurred approximately 1900. The first time he did look at his watch, it was 0115 on April 24.

He was carrying the pack with all their clothing and extra gear, and he prepared himself to spend the night on the ledge. He was carrying a cleaning tool which he tried to use to establish some sort of protection but could not. He jammed Barnett’s shoes into the crack between the ledge and the wall, and that offered some extra support. He put on his flannel shirt, made a hat and muffler from his long underwear, put a small stuff sack over his head, adhesive taped his pant legs shut, put on his leather gloves, and used the pack to cover his upper legs and to put his hands and forearms in.

He yelled for help every hour. While he was fairly certain he would survive the night, he knew a few hours could mean everything for his partner. At first light, he cut the bottom from his empty water bottle and used it as a megaphone to attract the attention of a tourist. He also waved his long underwear. At 0800 he was seen and heard, and soon SAR Rangers John Dill and Susan Harrington arrived at the scene, and a rescue ensued. (Source: W. Michael Quick, Ranger, Yosemite National Park, and John Dill, SAR Ranger, Yosemite National Park)

Analysis

Howard Replogle has written a descriptive and moving 20 page narrative of the events surrounding this climbing accident, and hopefully reprints will soon be available for persons interested. Between Replogle’s analysis and John Dill’s conversations with him, the followng summary is offered.

The climb was within the technical capabilities of the climbers, but being off route and in a hurry, compounded by the lateness of the day and lack of adequate bivy gear, resulted in some immediate errors. Replogle pointed out that they should have turned back sooner, and that they should both have fashioned leg loops for their rappel. Barnett should have hauled the rope up and put his own safety knots in. It is not known why he didn’t try using a prussik instead of going for a crack in the rock.

Several months after the accident, Replogle wrote to John Dill and told him another important factor not mentioned in the interview. Barnett’s wife told Replogle that her husband had been diagnosed in 1976 as having rheumatoid arthritis, and had been taking naprosyn to reduce inflamation in his back. She indicated that if he missed his once per day pill, his stamina would be severely affected and that he “could hardly get out of bed in the morning.” She said he was quite athletic before this, and was distressed and possibly secretive about having this physical limitation.

After the accident, Replogle and Barnett’s wife searched through all of his belongings for his pills and found none. If he had run out, this could have contributed significantly to his lack of stamina and unwillingness to bivouac. (Source: John Dill, SAR Ranger, Yosemite National Park)