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Australian Landscape Photography by Michael Boniwell
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Chockstone Forum - Accidents & Injuries

Report Accidents and Injuries

 Page 1 of 2. Messages 1 to 20 | 21 to 31
Author
Gear left Belougery Spire abseil Accident 6 Oct'15
EACamp
9-Oct-2015
7:07:48 AM
Hi there,
There is a tonne of gear left dangling from a tree along the second abseil at Belougery Spire in the Warrumbungles. Due to an accident my climbing partner had whilst abseiling (he got choppered out and is ok. Very lucky and a bit broken).
If anyone comes across this gear we would be so grateful if they could retrieve it and contact me. Would be more than happy to reward $150 for the effort! Apologies in advance for the Nalgene with a bit of wee in it sitting on the ledge. It was a long night....
mikllaw
9-Oct-2015
9:16:33 AM
I may be there in 2 weeks, PM me with more details about where.

Please please supply details of the accident so we can learn from it.

IdratherbeclimbingM9
9-Oct-2015
11:25:43 AM
On 9/10/2015 EACamp wrote:
>Hi there,
>There is a tonne of gear left dangling from a tree along the second abseil
>at Belougery Spire in the Warrumbungles. Due to an accident my climbing
>partner had whilst abseiling (he got choppered out and is ok. Very lucky
>and a bit broken).
>If anyone comes across this gear we would be so grateful if they could
>retrieve it and contact me. Would be more than happy to reward $150 for
>the effort! Apologies in advance for the Nalgene with a bit of wee in it
>sitting on the ledge. It was a long night....

I hope your climbing partner recovers fully and quickly, and that you get your gear back sooner rather than later.

You refer to "the second abseil at Belougery Spire" ...
It has been a while since I was there last, but I only remember one; that being the standard descent from the top via the summit saddle (exposed) to an abseil station; abseiling from which (two 50m ropes required), takes you down the RH side of the face containing Vertigo, ie down the climb known as Abseil Gully. From the end of that abseil (the half-way ledge), it used to be all down-climbing starting with a scrubby gully located to your right (facing out from the cliff)...

Has there been a second abseil station installed? If so, where?
... or did your party do an impromptu continuation abseil that you rigged yourselves (into seldom visited territory), from near the base of that described above, due to darkness etc.?

Post edit:
I just thought of another possibility; being that you did the standard descent using only a single rope, and thus had to break it into two abseils, possibly off a 'tree' enroute to enable getting to the base / half-way ledge?

IdratherbeclimbingM9
9-Oct-2015
12:07:56 PM

http://www.theherald.com.au/story/3407183/rescue-helicopter-aids-abseiler/
gfdonc
9-Oct-2015
12:46:29 PM
I echo M9's comments. I recall a scramble down to a single abseil point from two bolts at the top of the gully which were replaced in 2007 with SS expansions and chain afaicr.
I can't remember how long the rap was but pretty sure you needed two ropes.
Of course abseiling off them on one 50-60m rope might have undesirable consequences.
Hope your friend fully recovers.

jrc
9-Oct-2015
11:32:45 PM
There is the top station, as described by you, M9, of the ab gully descent, then about 25m below that is another bolt station on a ledge - so with a single 60 you could get down in 2 abseils. If you've got the longer rope set its of course far easier to bypass and do as one rap.
EACamp
12-Oct-2015
9:26:15 AM
Hey all,
Sorry for the tardy reply. Yes, climbing partner recovering with fractured sternum, vertebrae and severed ear. He's lucky indeed!
The rusted old abseil point just below half way ledge has been replaced with new chain/ring. Making it possible to descend from Belougery in 2 abseil a using a 60m rope.
The accident occurred when my partner, in setting up the abseil miscalculated the rope lengths based off what he thought was the half way mark on the rope. He commented on how the lengths seemed uneven, then thinking that it was relatively short abseil it would be OK. No knots in the end, he began descending. In a flash the rope was screaming through the ring of the abseil and he was gone. It was dark so I couldn't ascertain exactly how far he'd fallen ( I had a head torch but not staring enough).
I assumed it was a fatal fall as there was no response from him, just a gurgling laboured breathing. This stopped after five min. After another 10 min the sound of rustling came from below, followed by moaning. He survived but mind in a bad way. We stayed put for the night (me at the abseil ledge, he at the base of the abeil). Unfortunately I didn't have a phone and the rope was down below with my mate!
We called to one another through the night, ensuring my mare was conscious. His mind sharpening as time went on.
At first light I assessed the terrain. Initially trying to climb up to what I thought was the half way ledge seemed a good idea. Below was too steep to down climb. Irradiated Ibadan enough gear to link it all together, anchoring it from the abseil ring to create a 'daisy chain' that would get me to a small tree growing from a crack below. I made it to the tree, secured the Daisy chain of gear. Then went backup to the abseil point above to release the top of the chain. By doing this it would now become the bottom of a chain secured to the tree. Monkeying down the makeshift Daisy chain got me tithe bottom of the abseil.
I got to my mate and we decided to try and move him to the prominent pinnacle at Belougery, allowing easier emergency access and a cool gully for him to eat in in the meantime. It took an hour or more to get there through scrambling and setting up guiding ropes for him but we made it. Stashed water from the previous day was a saviour! I raced over to the hut and raised the alarm. Within 3 hours he was being choppered out. Parks, emergency chopper and volunteers were fantastic!
EACamp
12-Oct-2015
9:27:56 AM
As a result there is a 'chain' of gear hanging from a tree at that abseil. If we can retrieve it that's be tops! Happy to pay $150 and cover freight of course!!!
climberman
12-Oct-2015
10:49:03 AM
On 12/10/2015 EACamp wrote:
>Hey all,
>Sorry for the tardy reply. Yes, climbing partner recovering with fractured
>sternum, vertebrae and severed ear. He's lucky indeed!
>The rusted old abseil point just below half way ledge has been replaced
>with new chain/ring. Making it possible to descend from Belougery in 2
>abseil a using a 60m rope.
>The accident occurred when my partner, in setting up the abseil miscalculated
>the rope lengths based off what he thought was the half way mark on the
>rope. He commented on how the lengths seemed uneven, then thinking that
>it was relatively short abseil it would be OK. No knots in the end, he
>began descending. In a flash the rope was screaming through the ring of
>the abseil and he was gone. It was dark so I couldn't ascertain exactly
>how far he'd fallen ( I had a head torch but not staring enough).
>I assumed it was a fatal fall as there was no response from him, just
>a gurgling laboured breathing. This stopped after five min. After another
>10 min the sound of rustling came from below, followed by moaning. He survived
>but mind in a bad way. We stayed put for the night (me at the abseil ledge,
>he at the base of the abeil). Unfortunately I didn't have a phone and the
>rope was down below with my mate!
>We called to one another through the night, ensuring my mare was conscious.
>His mind sharpening as time went on.
>At first light I assessed the terrain. Initially trying to climb up to
> what I thought was the half way ledge seemed a good idea. Below was too
>steep to down climb. Irradiated Ibadan enough gear to link it all together,
>anchoring it from the abseil ring to create a 'daisy chain' that would
>get me to a small tree growing from a crack below. I made it to the tree,
>secured the Daisy chain of gear. Then went backup to the abseil point above
>to release the top of the chain. By doing this it would now become the
>bottom of a chain secured to the tree. Monkeying down the makeshift Daisy
>chain got me tithe bottom of the abseil.
>I got to my mate and we decided to try and move him to the prominent pinnacle
>at Belougery, allowing easier emergency access and a cool gully for him
>to eat in in the meantime. It took an hour or more to get there through
>scrambling and setting up guiding ropes for him but we made it. Stashed
>water from the previous day was a saviour! I raced over to the hut and
>raised the alarm. Within 3 hours he was being choppered out. Parks, emergency
>chopper and volunteers were fantastic!

Fark.

Hope your mate recovers well physicaly and mentally, and you recover ok mentally also.
lightfoot
12-Oct-2015
11:50:30 AM
Glad to hear your both alive and recovering. I have started carrying a personal locating Beacon (resqlink + ) andat all times for situations like these. Not going to make things safer but saves leaving your buddy for help etc. For $300 its a no brainer for me now. I originally got it for solo stuff but now i ts with me all the time.e on long routes.

E. Wells
12-Oct-2015
11:55:43 AM
...or a mobile. Awesome to hear your both ok. Well done.
gfdonc
12-Oct-2015
12:28:55 PM
Link to another thread about EPIRBs
http://www.chockstone.org/Forum/Forum.asp?Action=Display&ForumID=1&MessageID=94433&Replies=16

I'd like to hear recommendations from the group about the advantages/disadvantages of the EPIRBs currently on the market (in that thread pls).
mikllaw
12-Oct-2015
1:29:54 PM
wow! Epic and so glad all turned out well. If we get the gear obviously we won't be charging you anything.
jrc
12-Oct-2015
3:24:27 PM
Thanks for the account of the accident. I know that terrain very well - not a nice place to be when things go wrong like that and you did outstandingly well in helping your partner out. There are a lot of things you haven't said.

Very best wishes for the recovery.
rightarmbad
12-Oct-2015
7:59:06 PM
Was this one of those ropes with the extra marks to signify that the end is near?
maxdacat
13-Oct-2015
8:49:14 AM
Wow....sounds epic! Glad you made it out.
TimP
13-Oct-2015
1:24:18 PM
Hi EACamp

Thanks for telling your story here and I'm glad it wasn't worse, I think you did well to get yourselves through this.

"Luck is where opportunity meets the prepared mind" Alex Gibney

I learn a lot from these stories: they make me think through my own processes.

So apart from a knot on the ends it got me thinking about the stone knot/hitch. I've never used it but it seems a quick one to chuck on for the first climber down if abseiling in the dark or unknown. Thought I'd mention it here to get others response to this as a useful habit.
Dave_S
13-Oct-2015
1:36:07 PM
On 13/10/2015 TimP wrote:
>So apart from a knot on the ends it got me thinking about the stone knot/hitch.

I use them occasionally when someone in a group needs to rappel on a grigri or other single rope strand device. They're quite useful for that.

I've also used them when rappelling on a rope that doesn't have the middle marked, and the bottom isn't visible from the rap point, or when the rope isn't quite long enough (*cough*Muldoon*cough*) and I want to send others down on a longer single strand first, before removing it and doing the dubious rappel on two strands myself.
Jayford4321
19-Oct-2015
9:34:49 PM
On 12/10/2015 rightarmbad wrote:
>Was this one of those ropes with the extra marks to signify that the end is near?

How many have one of those yuppy ropes?
.. an fat lot of goo that kind of tech would do ya on a dark or stormy nite when ya headtorch is still at home, or has batts going flat if ya got it with ya.

Drake
19-Oct-2015
10:30:51 PM
>>> Irradiated Ibadan enough gear to link it all together, anchoring it from the abseil ring to create a 'daisy chain' that would get me to a small tree growing from a crack below. I made it to the tree, secured the Daisy chain of gear. Then went backup to the abseil point above to release the top of the chain. By doing this it would now become the bottom of a chain secured to the tree. Monkeying down the makeshift Daisy chain got me tithe bottom of the abseil.

Wow that is some innovative work. Releasing the top of the "daisy" from the abseil point must have been exciting! Good on you for getting your partner out, and thank you for sharing the story.

 Page 1 of 2. Messages 1 to 20 | 21 to 31
There are 31 messages in this topic.

 

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