UKC

Just after we arrived at the Solvey Hut, we heard some screaming and looked back to see an Australian climber falling down the East Face. I say "falling" but I cannot describe the horror... his head would hit, then airborne, then his legs, then airborne, then his head.. on and on tumbling at high speed more than 200m before somehow he came to a stop on a snow ledge. Fortunately we could not see his body from the hut, but five minutes later a large pool of blood was visible on the snow. There are a half dozen of us at the hut, and my partner - who speaks German - called the rescue team. The victum's poor partner (British) arrived at the hut some minutes later, obviously in bad shock and we had to sooth him until the helicopter arrived, first to recover his partner's body, then to pull him off. (We later confirmed that he had indeed died during the fall -- it would have been impossible to survive so we were not surprised.)

Apparently he just plain slipped on some snow. The two were not roped together -- the section, called the Mosley Slab, has climbing of II/II+ but made a little more difficult due to snowy conditions. About 75% of the teams, (excluding the guides, who always short-rope their clients from hut to summit) including my partner and I, were climbing unroped at that point in order to move fast over the easy but long terrain. Bolts and other easy pro opportunities appeared every 10m or so, so in a way it heartbreakingly unfortunate that the team had not roped in. Obviously doing so would have prevented or at least minimized the accident. On the other hand, on long alpine climbs like this, unprotected climbing is really the only way to complete the route in adequate time. So we could not judge the team's decision not to rope up in as being a bad decision.

I never imagined such a fall could happen. You see rocks tumbling down like that -- airborne several meters off the ground, then they bounce and fly again -- but to see a person in that state, it almost brings tears to my eyes again just to think about it. Obviously we were all very shaken up at the experience and indeed many did not continue after that point. After sitting at the Solvey Hut for perhaps an hour, we finally decided to continue on. After that point though, it was difficult to close my eyes without the image of the fall coming into my head. I asked myself many times later, "what the @#$%^ am I doing here? This is seriously dangerous!!" Every time my footing was even a little bit unsure I would look down and almost go into a bit of shock. Why do we climb mountains, when dead is so close at hand at every move? Any sane person would surely stay at home. Is getting to the summit really worth the risks that are inherent in alpine climbing?

I refused to climb unprotected -- from that point on, Thomas and I simul-climbed with about 20m of rope always clipped into at least one pro... the thought of taking a 30-50m fall (which would probably be deadly) somehow did not scare me, but the thought of tumbling out of control all the way down the East Face definitely did. On the way down especially, we wasted a lot of time rappelling and downclimbing while clipping pro due to this fear. Finally we got past the Mosley Slab, where the accident had occurred, and there was little objective reason to continue roped up. Little by little my confidence returned but still I was very happy when we finally arrived safe at the Hornli Hut.

The thing is, the climbing is super easy on the lower section. Still, I think it fully set in for the first time that a fall even at that point would have likely meant a fatal tumble to my death. How often had I crossed such easy terrain without enough respect for how deadly a single silly mistake in footing would be? Not again!

In reply to John Blab:

You've said it all.

It has always baffled me, BTW, how many people fail to realise that technically 'easy' ground can still be v dangerous; and gravity is very cruel. 'Respect' is the key word in your posting, and something that came up earlier today on another thread.

In reply to John Blab:

maybe you should post this on the Australian site Chockstone.org

In reply to John Blab:

Your roped descent was a very good call given the state of shock you experienced. Good judgement. Fast Alpine climbing can wait for another day.

Keep climbing.

In reply to John Blab: For fecks sake simul-climbing in the Alps is the proper thing to do - especially on a peak such as the horn.

It should be done on all technically easy ground with runners in between if need be and is therefore just as fast (but much safer) than climbing unroped!

In reply to John Blab:

Brian, You've just sent a chill down my spine!! Your description of the fall is so horrific that I imagine seeing it would be far worse. I can't believe you carried on after seeing that. I would have been frothing with knowledge where someone had just recently fallen off here, or was it there, or was it over there.

I'm off to climb the Matterhorn next week and I'm definately going to simul-climb that part and no amount of bravado will convince me otherwise.

To top it off, I'm Australian!! Also, I'm in contact with the climbing community in Australia and I would appreciate if you have a name or know where I could pick up some news of the accident.

Thanks for a quick reminder that we are all suspectable to loosing our lives so very quickly.

In reply to No-ozone:

had a recce of the ridge for another time the day after the accident. My friend climbed down the ridge after ascending the italian. On that day he witnessed the death of someone he knew in a similar fall, then that of 2 japanese near the start. Still obviously this affects him,

Doesn't necessarily have to affect the rest of us after the event however, otherwise we'd be stricken with all the people whove died on Striding Edge or the Ben. Sorry to be hard but that's life

Thanks everyone for your comments.

Gordon --- That was definitely my lesson learned. We did the Dent Blanche yesterday and I find myself now constantly assessing the fall potential and the quality of every single foot and hand hold. The main reason I posted this message was in hopes that others learn the same lesson.

NZ Cragrat --- Go ahead and cross-post if you like, or include a link here. I figure one forum is enough for such sad news, anyway I am not a member of Chockstone.

Anonymous #1 --- I totally disagree. Roping up unncessarily increases other risks, such as stone fall to other parties (from a rope dragging on the easy but loose terrain) and the risk of not completing a long route in time (hypothermia, route-finding problems in the dark, etc.). The Hornli ridge takes most parties more than 13 hours to complete. Even given a 5 AM start (earlier is impractical due to the route-finding difficulties and hut regulations), a signifigant number of people (including us) were still making their decent dangerously close to nightfall.

The book "Alpine Climbing: Techniques to Take you Higher" says on the subject: "Experienced, careful, and confident climbers can be sufficiently safe without a rope on terrain they consider easy, even if it is very exposed and consequences of a fall would be disastrous."

I suggest it is good to discuss factors that led to the accident (another reason I posted this message) however please be more sensitive. Would you, as a surviving partner who has just lost his friend, enjoy a posting tell you your decisions were blatently wrong?

No-ozone --- I was not sure if it was appropriate to post even this message and prefered to leave the names anonymous. I told the victum's partner about the posting and believe he has read this thread. I'll leave it up to him to contact you.

In reply to Anonymous:

Greatest sympathies go out to his family and friends.

Paulie

In reply to John Blab: I was up on the matterhorn 2 weeks ago, we bivy'd up below the Hornli hut, and when we were setting our gear up i noticed a snow covered tent and sleeping bag rolled up under a rock, it had obviously been there some time, can only guess what happened to the owner.

In regards to the two Japs that died, how old were they, because we saw 2 climbing up to the hut, but never saw them on the route? (we turned back)

In reply to John Blab:

When we climbed the Matterhorn a month or so ago by the Hornli ridge, I must admit I was flabbergasted by how quickly people seemed to get down it (mainly guided so I suppose that explains it). I don't count myself as a slow downclimber at all, but some of the sections were so loose, we went very slowly and it took quite a lot longer to descend than it had to go up. As there was very little snow, there was no actual rush anyway (we started quite early) and I think my partner and I both agreed it was better to go slowly than to take a risk and end up like the above. I usually agree with the "faster is better" maxim but not on ridges like that. One significant slip on most sections would have ended in trouble.

Why is it people seem to need to prove themselves, by running up unroped?

In reply to John Blab:

Well done for such a sensitive and humane telling of a terrible and terrifying story, Brian. Climbers do need to be made aware of these occurrences, as it makes us all a little more humble and aware. Brought tears to my eyes, and I applaud you again for your sensitivity and courage.

Steve.

In reply to John Blab:

That is so sad. We enjoy a wonderful sport, but need to be constantly alert to what can happen, paricularly on easy ground when our guard is down. As Edward Whymper wrote "....it takes a momentary negligence to destroy the happiness of a lifetime...."

In reply to AndyK: Not if he was clipped into one of the bolts which adorn that section!

RIP Trudge. Will miss you buddy.