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Chockstone Forum - Accidents & Injuries

Report Accidents and Injuries

Author
Mountain climber rescued....

GravityHound
17-Dec-2009
6:58:20 AM
Mt Arapiles! Wonder if he was taking the west ridge? (Taking the piss out of the article not the person). Hopefully the person is OK


A MOUNTAIN climber is recovering in hospital after the scorching heat forced him to make an emergency call in Victoria's northwest.

The 22-year-old had been climbing Mount Arapiles, west of Horsham, when he radioed for help around 8.30pm (AEDT) yesterday.

Temperatures had reached a high of 40C degrees in the area and the climber and become dehydrated.

A police rescue team and the state's emergency service helped winch the man to safety about two hours later.

He was then airlifted to hospital suffering from both heat exhaustion and dehydration.
Wendy
17-Dec-2009
7:31:06 AM
On 17/12/2009 GravityHound wrote:

>Temperatures had reached a high of 40C degrees in the area and the climber
>and become dehydrated.
>
>
>He was then airlifted to hospital suffering from both heat exhaustion
>and dehydration.
>
I don't know the details of the call out, but rescue for dehydration at Arapiles? That's got to be up there with the person who rang because she was lost in Pharos Gully. Yes it was hot, but surely any sensible person would be prepared with lots of water, climb in the shade and recognise dehydration early enough to get down, which is hardly an epic retreat even if you had to leave some gear behind? A helicopter rescue for dehydration? I'm curious to hear more details.

ajfclark
17-Dec-2009
7:55:30 AM
On 17/12/2009 Wendy wrote:
>but rescue for dehydration at Arapiles?

Happened over cup weekend too (though without the helicopter).
Wendy
17-Dec-2009
12:13:40 PM
I missed that thread in my sojourn in China. I don't think it's Ben's fault they ended up in that mess - he ws afterall on his first climb, and even then had the common sense to wonder about it. Another lesson in the value of talking through things. That story is such a long series of poor judgements that started before they even got here. Syrinx as a first climb? On a 36 degree day? Only 2 hours? Only 1l of water? And the signs that they should change plans were there from the start. Andy didn't get dehydrated suddenly. He was dehydrated when he woke up. That's what a large part of a hangover is. He felt too bad to eat and drink and still embarked on the already badly judged plan. It reads as if he was struggling on the 1st pitch, not to mention the observation that is was baking, and it the signs of dehydration and heat stroke just became more and more screamingly obvious. Retreat is a wonderful thing sometimes. It could have been called at camp, at the base, at every belay up until it became impossible (ie by the time only person not delirious was a beginner). A bit of gear is a small sacrifice. People have big nights out and go climbing the next day all the time. They adjust their expectations accordingly.

Eduardo Slabofvic
17-Dec-2009
12:19:10 PM
The obvious answer is to install water coolers at all of the belays.

cruze
17-Dec-2009
12:23:08 PM
On 17/12/2009 Eduardo Slabofvic wrote:
>The obvious answer is to install water coolers at all of the belays.
We should begin a consultation process before installing any fixed water coolers.
Did the FA drink water on the climb?

jkane
17-Dec-2009
1:01:25 PM
The FA took a slightly different line to reach a puddle on a ledge.

cruze
17-Dec-2009
1:26:53 PM
So is it kosher to retro-puddle the direct line?
patto
17-Dec-2009
1:51:56 PM
-Could you please post the link to the source article?


A helicopter for dehydration is absurd. The number of rescue call outs at arapiles is getting quite disturbing. If I was an ignorant tax payer I would be getting quite annoyed at these 'mountain climbers' wasting tax payers money. Given that rescue from the campground-natimuk it would be good to see those resources being used. That said im rescuers would get sick of hauling dehydrated people off the cliff.

No mention though has been made of the climber's partner so maybe this guy was a 'bushwalker'. Though the question does need to be asked on whether all these gym climbers from the city are getting themselves in over their heads. It really isn't that hard to bail off most climbs at araps if needed, are people these days climbing without even basic knowledge on how to bail off a climb?
gfdonc
17-Dec-2009
3:13:08 PM
On 17/12/2009 Eduardo Slabofvic wrote:
>The obvious answer is to install water coolers at all of the belays.

Ha! As suggested by me 4 years back ..
http://www.chockstone.org/Forum/Forum.asp?ForumID=1&Action=Display&MessageID=29229&PagePos=&Sort=

nikolisper
17-Dec-2009
3:14:38 PM
On 17/12/2009 cruze wrote:
>So is it kosher to retro-puddle the direct line?

You are a funny dude.
kieranl
17-Dec-2009
5:51:07 PM
On 17/12/2009 patto wrote:
>A helicopter for dehydration is absurd. The number of rescue call outs
>at arapiles is getting quite disturbing.
Serious dehydration is a medical emergency. This fellow was only coming out on a stretcher. The alternative to picking him up by chopper was to endanger a significant number of rescuers by a stretcher carry out from the top of Arapiles in the dark. Cost isn't the deciding factor. The safety of the rescuers and the casualty are the main considerations.
More significantly, why have we suddenly got two serious dehydration cases in two months? People really have to have some idea of how dangerous really hot days can be. For pity's sake carry enough water and moderate your activities for the heat.
climbingjac
17-Dec-2009
10:49:26 PM
On 17/12/2009 kieranl wrote:
>More significantly, why have we suddenly got two serious dehydration cases
>in two months? People really have to have some idea of how dangerous really
>hot days can be. For pity's sake carry enough water and moderate your activities
>for the heat.

Hi Kieran

This will probably sound a bit lame, but perhaps a bit of an educational notice is in order? (For the noticeboard at the Pines loos and perhaps also on Chockstone). Perhaps some people don't actually know how many litres of water per person are required in certain situations?

For eg :
"When temperatures are above ??? degrees centigrade, it is best to climb in the shade or take a rest day, but should you decide to climb, it is advisable to drink at least ?? litres of water per person per ?? hours. Further, it is advisable not to remain out climbing for more than ?? hours in such temperatures."

Ah hell the writer of such a thing would probably get sued for getting the calcs wrong.

Anyway, just a suggestion.
kieranl
18-Dec-2009
9:44:14 AM
Hi Jac,
Not a bad idea.
Of course problem is finding reasonable guidelines. A perfunctory google found this :
http://www.mtba.asn.au/cms/uploads/policies/hot_weather.pdf
This has some good stuff, particularly the hydartion guidelines at the foot of page 2.
I'll try to see if Parks have any material that they are prepared to put up.
ZERO
18-Dec-2009
4:07:11 PM
Horsham newspaper said the climber was on Ali's.
Was he going up or coming down?

I don't believe signs are the answer.
The second can always carry some water, especially on longer routes.
We have good access to accurate weather forecasts by phone and radio.
People have to learn when to take a mandatory rest day.

Eduardo Slabofvic
18-Dec-2009
4:27:23 PM
The same thing could happen playing cricket in the back yard.

I've never seen a sign that says "Don't lie in the middle of the road because you'll get run over by a truck"; so due to the lack of such sign am I to assume that it's perfectly fine for me to lie in the middle of the road, as I will be perfectly safe?

There's no sign anywhere reminding me, or anyone else for that matter, that we need to breath; and considering the small number of asphyxiating people lying about the place, I can assume that most of us don't need to be reminded to breath.

There's no sign that says, "Don't stick your head into a bag full of brown snakes"; or "Don't shove a live grenade up your bottom"; or not to mention "Don't saw yourself in half with a chain saw".

So when you're out walking/climbing/cycling/weight lifting/falungooning in the boiling hot sun, remember, always always always don't drive on the footpath.
ZERO
18-Dec-2009
4:55:28 PM
Speaking of rehydration Eduardo, you owe me a beer!!
But please, not in the middle of the footpath.

Eduardo Slabofvic
18-Dec-2009
4:56:07 PM
See you at the pub tonite?

pmonks
18-Dec-2009
5:08:53 PM
Not if the pin falls out of the grenade!
kieranl
19-Dec-2009
11:16:41 AM
On 18/12/2009 Eduardo Slabofvic wrote:
>The same thing could happen playing cricket in the back yard.
>
I do agree. Sometimes it seems as if some people these days don't know which side of the toilet paper to wipe with.

There are 20 messages in this topic.

 

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