FALL ON ICE, INADEQUATE EQUIPMENT

Oregon, Mountain Hood

On May 19, 1985, Stan Meeuwssen (30), Michael Cenedella (34) and Kurt Cornick (19)

were climbing Mt. Hood’s Castle Crags route. They reached the arete at the top of the Crags by 0700. The arete consisted of solid, exposed gendarmes with very loose gullies intervening. The guidebook hadn’t prepared us for Class 5 climbing. It reads, “Follow the ridge to the summit, staying on rock most of the way.” We had only one 50 meter rope and a few slings and ’biners. The terrain, party size and short leads made for very slow travel. At 1000, a point was reached at which a choice existed: a 25 meter rappel to class 2 rock and snow below, or about 50 meters of the arete which gives easy access to the snow. The decision was made by Meeuwssen and Cenedella to rappel, in view of slow travel and likely deteriorating snow conditions.

After Meeuwssen and Cornick rappelled, Meeuwssen dropped his helmet, which rolled a considerable distance toward Illumination Saddle. A climber below, ignoring shouts from above, attempted to steal the helmet. Meeuwssen and Cornick were by this time on the snow, and Cenedella had just finished his rappel and was dealing with a stuck rope. Meeuwssen asked if Cenedella felt safe enough for Meeuwssen to glissade after Cornick to try to save his helmet. Cenedella, the most experienced climber in the party, said that he did. Meeuwssen glissaded toward Illumniation Saddle.

Cenedella climbed the loose rock a bit, retrieved the rope and moved very carefully to the snow. He is familiar with the dangers of moats and soft snow and had mentioned them to others in the party. Nevertheless, despite careful ice ax probing, he fell backwards after only two steps on the snow, apparently because of a moat. He tumbled uncontrollably 100 vertical meters, attempting three self-arrests, only to have the ax torn from his grasp each time. Unlike many reports of many such falls, Cenedella had no disorientation; he was always painfully aware of which was was down.

After swinging his legs downhill when he was going slower, Cenedella stopped and determined he’d injured his right shoulder. He shouted to his companions, who helped him to the saddle. A doctor who happened to ski by administered Percodan and descended to the ski lift to alert the ski patrol. Cenedella was able to walk about halfway to the top of the lift when the pills began to make him unsteady. Cornick descended to the ski patrol, who evacuated Cenedella to Timberline Lodge.

The emergency room doctor had some difficulty diagnosing Cenedella’s injury as a rare posterior shoulder dislocation. (Source: Michael Cenedella)

Analysis

The party was too large (by one) and inadequately equipped. The problem was in an overreliance on a guidbook; a few inquiries with people who had done the route could have eliminated the problems which led to the accident.

Deteriorating snow conditions made gaining the snow an attractive alternative and led to the crucial decision to rappel. The decision was rational, but had unfortunate consequences.

I have 12 years of climbing experience, Meeuwssen has eight years, and while this was Cornick’s first alpine climb, he had practiced basic techniques and did well. He’s about the only beginner I would have considered for a trip of this nature. (Source: Michael Cenedella)