NUT/CHOCK PULLED OUT, FALL ON ROCK

California, Yosemimte Valley

On August 19, 1984, Mark Vlahakis (28) was taking a climbing class in direct aid with the Yosemite Mountaineering School when a #1½ Friend pivoted out of a crack, resulting in a fall of ten meters. He was jummaring up a fixed line at the time. (Source: Mead Hargis, Ranger, Yosemite National Park)

Analysis

The guide told me that he had led an eight meter pitch on Horseshoes and Hand Grenades on Puppy Dome, and had placed a top rope safety system of five anchors to protect his students while they were climbing. He said the anchors consisted of a fixed pin, two chocks and the Friends. The lowest of the five was a #1 1/2 Friend, which pivoted out of the crack. He stated that he then had another client climb the pitch as though she were leading, but with the top rope. When she reached the top rope anchor, he had her clip the rope she was trailing into the anchors. He stated that he asked her to clip into at least two anchors. After she descended, he then had Vlahakis ascend the fixed rope using jumar ascenders, and the plan was for him to down jumar when he reached the anchor. Since Vlahakis would be belayed by the two jumars, the guide didn’t use the top rope. This is not unsafe as a technique, and I know that it is commonly used by the school. The guide said that when Vlahakis reached the last piece of protection on the climb before the anchors, he swung to the left, and then the #1½ Friend must have pivoted out of the crack. He further stated that before Vlahakis climbed, he visually inspected the anchored rope from the ground and pulled on it to make sure it was in the anchors.

I inspected the #1½ Friend and found it to be in proper working order. I also looked at the crack where it was placed, which slightly flares in places but in my opinion was suitable for using Friends. Friends, however, can pivot when subjected to sideways pulls, which could cause failure of the anchor. Used in conjunction with other anchors, this would not present a safety problem.

I also interviewed the chief guide. He told me that the other client, in his opinion, was unreliable in her judgment of climbing situations even though she had been climbing for some time and had been a client of the school before. In general, I think that the guide was using safe instruction technique and was not negligent in techniques or recognized safety considerations. The problem I see is that having been forewarned of the other client’s unreliability, it would have been better to use the top rope rather than trust her to attach a trail rope to the anchors correctly. From eight meters an experienced guide should be able to see the anchors, but from that distance it is always possible that a flaw in the anchoring could be missed. Extra caution when teaching beginners is of underlying importance here. (Source: Mead Hargis, Ranger, Yosemite National Park)