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FALL ON SNOW, CLIMBING UNROPED, FAILURE TO SELF-ARREST...

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FALL ON SNOW, CLIMBING UNROPED, FAILURE TO SELF-ARREST Colorado, Rocky Mountain National Park, Chaos Canyon On August 16, 1991, Wolfgang Schoch and Thorstein Hoh (18) were climbing a 45- degree snowfield in Chaos Canyon, Rocky Mountain National Park. Hoh lost his foot- ing and slid 150 to 200 feet, struck rock, and slid another 50 feet. Hoh suffered deep lacerations to the right posterior thigh and buttocks, and was unable to walk. Schoch hiked out to report the incident to park rangers, who responded with a four man tech- nical climbing rescue team. The rescuers raised Hoh up 300 feet of technical terrain to the Continental Divide, where they were met by the air ambulance helicopter. Analysis Hoh, although equipped with an ice ax, was unskilled in the techniques of self-arrest. Without proficiency in this technique, even an uncontrolled slide on an easy to moder- ate angled slope may result in injury or death. In climbing with beginners on snow routes, it is important to belay them until they have gained sufficient experience and proficiency with the climbing and safety (including self-belay) techniques. (Source: Jim Detterline, Ranger, RMNP)
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Page 1: FALL ON SNOW, CLIMBING UNROPED, FAILURE TO SELF-ARREST …aac-publications.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/anam/1992/... · 2013-06-22 · LIGHTNING, POOR POSITION Colorado, Rocky Mountain

FALL ON SNOW, CLIMBING UNROPED, FAILURE TO SELF-ARRESTColorado, Rocky Mountain National Park, Chaos CanyonO n August 16, 1991, W olfgang Schoch and T horstein H oh (18) w ere clim bing a 45- degree snowfield in Chaos Canyon, Rocky M ountain N ational Park. H oh lost his foot­ing and slid 150 to 200 feet, struck rock, and slid another 50 feet. H oh suffered deep lacerations to the right posterior thigh and buttocks, and was unable to walk. Schoch hiked out to repo rt the incident to park rangers, who responded w ith a four m an tech ­nical clim bing rescue team . T he rescuers raised H oh up 300 feet o f technical terrain to the C ontinental D ivide, w here they w ere m et by the air am bulance helicopter.

AnalysisH oh, although equ ipped w ith an ice ax, was unskilled in the techniques o f self-arrest. W ithout proficiency in this technique, even an uncontrolled slide on an easy to m oder­ate angled slope may resu lt in injury or death. In clim bing w ith beginners on snow routes, it is im portan t to belay them until they have gained sufficient experience and proficiency w ith the clim bing and safety (including self-belay) techniques. (Source: Jim D etterline , Ranger, RM NP)

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