California, Kings Canyon (National Forest). On April 20, Daniel Smith (17), Richard Dixon, E. J. Pagliassotti, Jerry Sarquis, and Ellis Hedlund started to make a six class climb to Generator Cave which is about 55 feet up an 80 degree cliff. The climb was started at dusk after dinner. The dark presented no apparent problem because all were experienced ‘splunkers’ of the National Speleological Society. Carbide lamps and hard hats were in use.

Smith placed his highest piton at 31 feet. This was apparently the last (good) piton crack. Dixon and Hedlund were going to do the rest of the climb with drive studs. Smith hung a cable ladder from the top piton. Then he proceeded to remove the lower pitons. Then Hedlund questioned Smith about the number of pitons at the top of the ladder. Smith proceeded up the ladder to place a second piton to correct the error. Everyone was quiet now. No one was aware of the mistake that Smith was going to make. This was to start a piton in the same fracture line. On about the second blow he felt the vibration in the ladder. Next he was falling. He was turned in the fall to face away from the cliff as his hard hat chinstrap popped, and the hat departed. Sarquis was standing below Smith while belaying him. Smith struck Sarquis on the shoulder knocking him down. Both were now on their backs behind the twelve foot spire where Sarquis had been standing a moment before.

After a few minutes Smith recovered to the point that he was able to walk the 100 yards back where the cars were parked. He rested well and made the trip home on the following day. His family doctor required him to stay in the hospital for several days for treatment of a strained back.

Source: Ellis Hedlund.

Analysis: (Hedlund) Darkness made it hard for others to see what Smith’s procedure was. We did not see that he had used the same piton that held the ladder for his safety rope. If you take time to tell your teammates exactly what you are doing, they or you will discover the treachery of the situation. The climbers were lucky in this case. Never be a one piton climber or a two piton climber while using a single fracture when on a sixth class climb. (See accident that occurred on cliff near Dublin, Ohio, ed.).