Chamonix Mountain Guide (UIAGM / IFMGA we are the only official guides) looses Japanese client in Abseiling accident - 13 August, 2009: http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/2009-08-20.htm
The news so far: After leaving his client tied to the belay via a daisy-chain and that is not a hand-made chain of flowers, the guide abseiled to the next abseil point some distance lower down the mountain. At some point, the client who had been left alone at the original abseil point became detached from the mountain and fell to hs death. The French are not looking at the Chamonix guide - because he is very experienced...? The equipment is being looked at as the possible reason for a fatal accident.
Had the guide descended last, instead of first, he would have had full control of his client during and after the abseil, he would have been able to observe everything. It is not yet known, and may never be known, if the client was in fact tied to the guide via a safety rope as many qualified instructors allow their clients to wander around unroped in mountain situations. As will no doubt be found out in this case, the mountain guide could not have been at fault because - he is very experienced...?
Apparently, there is some controversy regarding the 'reporting of climbing accidents' and who should be 'responsible' for collating the material. Interestingly, the BMC who publish by far, the most pictures of young people climbing; being introduced to climbing whilst not wearing protective gear has become involved. The forum is accompanied by an interesting picture of a climber sitting at the bottom of, and close to, a crag. The ground around him is littered with various sized rocks that have fallen from above, his safety helmet, tucked away somewhere - safe. http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=1099 brings a whole new meaning to - Chance, Risk and Accidents - still waiting to happen.
The BMC still advocating the use of the 'overhand' knot (British Death Knot) whilst abseiling: 'The overhand knot is less prone to jamming when being retrieved, when in fact, it will jam in small cracks too small for the bulkier 'double-fishermans' to enter. Apparently, that there are cases of the 'overhand' knot unravelling when the 'double-fishermans cannot, is of no consequence when it comes to - Chance, Risk and Accidents... http://www.thebmc.co.uk/Feature.aspx?id=1736
17 June, 2008: Patrick Monzat (58), Chamonix Independent guide and ex PHGM was killed in the Gouter Couloir when he and his two mountain clients were avalanched. Fortunately, the two clients survived.
20 June, 2008: two missing climbers have been found dead after falling in the Ecrins.
23 June, 2008: A British climber fell and was killed on the Pic Coolidge in the Ecrins.
Liam Costello fell and was killed whilst climbing on Snowden in October, 2007, and a High Court Judge has pronounced that the accident was 'bad luck'.? http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/north_west/7498803.stm Liam, just 11 years of age, would still be alive today if he had been 'short-roped' to one of the adults climbing / scrambling with him.
Dutch Family Decimated: It beggars belief really - a woman left alone on an alpine glacier (French Alps July 25, 2008) after witnessing her whole family fall to their deaths. What ever happened to - don't split the party and belaying. Apparently, after being unroped from the rest of her family not, lets go home mothers not up to it, she sat and had to witnessed the fall.
That situation is not new. Walking along a glacier in the French Alps in 1989 it was drawn to my attention that a lone woman was franticly waver arm around. Changing directions, we walked over to her and as we approached she pointed towards a crevasse near her. Peering in, the site was quite amazing. Trapped at the bottom of the crevasse, was a man with his head almost back-to-front. Over the next two hours we, as gently as possible, extricated and brought him to the surface, he was very badly lacerated (he, they had no First Aid kit). Luckily, he had not broken his neck he was very lucky to be alive. But who would have looked after the lone woman if there had been nobody else around? They were wearing crampons but were (fortunately as it turned out - he would have dragged her in) not roped together. He did not have a clue - but something; someone enticed him out here. Each summer, the French Alps are covered with people who really should be - elsewhere.
On the 17 June, 2008 an Independent, Chamonix guide was killed when he and his two lients were avalanched down the Gouter Coulior on the Normal Route on Mont Blanc:
http://chamonet.com/whats_new_article.php?id_whats_new=3548
Posted by: Dennis | July 04, 2008 at 06:23 PM
I watched with intepidation today a Youtube video of a group crossing a snowed-up Grand Couloir on the Normal Route to Mont Blanc. I cringed as they had their 'safety rope' attached to a supposed 'safety cable' that has been strung out across the Couloir for many years now. As they proceeded to cross, their safety rope is pulled away from them as the hang of the cable is too far out from the couloirs surface. Having seen too many 'epics' at this spot and watched many antics surrounds this 'safety cable' I have never personally attached to it. Climbers have been bounced off the tiny; sometimes icy path at this spot once the heavy cable started to 'bounce' along its length
Posted by: Dennis | July 07, 2008 at 02:06 PM
In recent years it has become common place for so-called qualified guides to allow their clients to wander for example, up and down Mount Everest of all places. In the Chamonix case mentioned above, it should have been impossible for the client to fall in such a manner.
Posted by: Coulaud Bodin | August 21, 2009 at 08:40 AM