http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/06/14/missing.climber/index.html?hpt=hp_bn1

http://www.skyvalleychronicle.com/FEATUR...-RAINIER-688886

It's not looking good.

According to these stories, the missing climber was hypothermic and his two friends left him to get help. I wasn't there and I don't know how they reached that decision, but I'd like to think that I'd stay with my friend and use a PLB or a SEND instead.

Liberty Ridge on the north side of Mt. Ranier is one of the most difficult routes on the mountain. It is a very steep ridge and often avalanches, falling ice and rock are a constant hazard to any climber on the route, even during perfect weather. The likely cause of this climbers hypothermia is that commonly mountaineers on routes like Liberty Ridge will pack a minimum sleeping arrangement to save weight. Perhaps a good down parka and a "half bag" setup or even less. This is a long climb, one way up and another way down thus every item must be carried to the summit, no leaving items behind at a high camp. It is considered too difficult a route to downclimb. It has been done but I am sure not by intention.
Best wishes for a happy outcome to the fate of this climber. Doubt it will be though.

Hopes and prayers for a good outcome.

So traveling 'lite' claims another life. I guess that being experienced doesn't necessarily mean you're very smart.

And I don't understand leaving him there, either. He manages (managed) an outdoor store... and didn't have a PLB?

The number of climbing deaths on Mt. Rainier is getting really close to 100.

Sue

Considering the number of climbers on Mt. Ranier every year and many of them being of a low experience level, a total of 100 deaths is surprising. Any mountain that size can be deadly and it only shows the Park Service had done a great job of keeping deaths to a minimum. Some things are just beyond your control.

The problem I have with this story is that hypothermia is deadly but seldom should keep someone from getting up and getting going. One can only speculate as to the cause of this man's inability to get going in the morning, frostbite could be another matter altogether. Yes going lite can add to the hazards but so can travelling with more weight than can be safely carried in a particular situation. in mountain climbing there is often an increased risk because of the trade offs made. The desire is to climb a route like that fast. However to climb fast there may be an increased risk because of less safety gear carried.

At some point us old mountaineers become ex-mountaineers because perhaps we don't want to take the risks anymore. We also can look back often and remember a close call or two.

I live in Olympia and have known Rob for about 12 years, as I’m a regular at Alpine Experience. Rob was a really nice guy who always struck me as one who would be prepared and use his head. In fact, I’ve had kit and gear discussions with him numerous times. We don’t know that he was “traveling lite” at this time. When his two companions left him to get help he was in a bivy, I don't know if he had a PLB or even had time to deploy it. That mountain has claimed some very smart and experienced people in the past. At least he died doing what he loved.

Even the most mentally and physically prepared people have succumbed to very common, avoidable causes of physical defection (like hyper/hypothermia). This is especially true in A-Type personalities. It is true for myself.

If you were going to die climbing, would you rather it be by a senseless mistake of your own doing or a senseless mistake someone else made?

I have done my share of high altitude mountain climbing and also knew someone who perished on Mount Hood. It has been proven that deaths in mountain climbing are not caused by one single mistake, rather it is a sequence of events that are triggered minutes, hours or even days before.

This same sequence applies to the most rank amateur climber right up to the most experienced climber who has years and thousands of feet of advanced climbing and survival skills in one of the most hostile environments that man or woman can ever pit themselves against.

As for "climbing / traveling lite", this is wide open to interpretation and speculation by many. I know from first hand experience that you may start off at a lower camp and altitude with a 70 -80 lb pack but for a summit push, it could be half of that weight with a wide selection of gear and still be considered "climbing / traveling lite". We may never know what Rob Plankers was carrying but it really does not matter now. A good and a well respected man in the outdoors and climbing community who helped many over the years is now gone.

I certainly would not imply travelling lite was at fault here. I know from my own experiences climbing, that light and fast is the safest way to climb many mountains and/or routes. That is not to say a light pack causes accidents/deaths. It can be a contributing factor. The circumstances can overcome the best laid plans.

I am sad to hear a fellow mountaineer has lost his life doing something he loved. I know most of us are only speculating, perhaps in our struggle to try to understand how this could happen. I have never felt cold enough that I could not carry on, slow maybe but not a total halt. I can only guess that there is some other cause in this instance, altitude sickness or something else that would take all your energy. I know I have been ill on Ranier and was until I got down below 10K. To climb down Liberty Ridge would not likely be possible with a serious illness. It is not an easy task on a perfect day with a fully energized climber.

I have seen nothing that even mentions whether or not this party was "lite," heavy, or in between. Didn't we have a recent thread about the decline of news coverage, especially its accuracy? Apparently that doesn't hinder rushing to judgment about this situation...

It is worth mentioning that this is one of the kinds of situations where a PLB, SEND, etc. is not necessarily all that useful. When you embark on challenging terrain and throw in bad weather, rescue is not going to happen quickly, if at all. You simply must depend upon your own resources.

Let us hope for a good outcome, although it certainly doesn't seem likely.

Here is what the NPS stated this morning. Emphasis added in bold face by me.

Today's Report | Recent Editions
Wednesday, June 15, 2011


INCIDENTS

Mount Rainier National Park (WA)
Climber Perishes During Liberty Ridge Ascent

A party of three climbers departed White River on June 10th for a summit attempt via the challenging Liberty Ridge route. During the climb, one member of the party, Rob Planker, 50, of Olympia, Washington, became severely hypothermic and possibly frostbitten. On June 13th, his partners were unable to get him walking from their camp at 13,600 feet, so left him to seek assistance. They contacted a ranger on Emmons Glacier at 5 p.m. that evening. Two teams of climbing rangers headed to his location, one team from Camp Schurman and the other from Camp Muir. One of the teams had to turn back at 12,100 feet due to winds blowing at 55 mph. Members of the second team spent the night in a snow cave and resumed their efforts to reach Planker at 5 a.m. the next morning. They found some of his gear at the point where his partners left him, but were unable to find Planker. Air searchers found a 2,000-foot-long slide track leading down a 50 degree ice- and snow-covered slope over some of the steepest and most inhospitable terrain on the mountain. The track indicated intermittent airborne periods and ended at an icefall below Liberty Wall. No signs of Planker were found during a thorough visual search of the slide area. A Chinook helicopter from Joint Base Lewis-McChord and an MD 530 from Northwest Helicopters assisted in the search, which was called off at 4 p.m. due to high winds. Limited visual searching from the ground will continue. The operation is now considered a body recovery, as the risk-to-benefit ratio is not conducive to extensive searching. Liberty Ridge is one of the most technical climbs on Mount Rainier. Members of the climbing party are experienced climbers and were well equipped for the climb. IC on this incident was Brian Hasebe. [Submitted by Patti Wold, Park Information Officer]

I can't find the article that said that. I thought it was The Olympian, but...

The articles say he had a bivy bag. Not a sleeping bag and a bivy bag, just a bivy bag. Let me guess: he was wearing the clothes he sweated up the mountain in, then climbed into the bivy and ...

That's at 13,600 feet, temp. of ~5ºF in a 50 mph wind, on snow. Translation: 24º below zero!

He had gotten away with it before, and assumed he would get away with it again is probably closer to the truth.

I live between these two d**ned mountains, Rainier and Hood. If it isn't some dorks climbing in winter with minimal gear, it's others climbing on a 'nice June day'.

"Experienced and well-equipped" -- yeah, aren't they all?

Sue

Susan:

As usual, the news stories do not offer complete details and often conflict each other. One of the news articles I read summed it up the best: Many details of the incident remain unclear. Truth be told, we will probably never know the complete story...and that is fine with me.

From what I read, and I carefully heed my own words above. By the time Rob Plankers was assisted into the bivy bag, he was non-ambulatory (unable to walk unassisted) and hypothermia had set in. Unforgivably at 13,000 feet there is not a lot of options left and Planker's climbing partners had to make a very tough choice. Rest assured, every climber I have ever talked to on this subject will categorically tell you that this is the one decision they hope to never have to make.

As for "He had gotten away with it before"...well we all have in one pursuit or another in life. Climbing at high altitude such as 13,000 feet or more is always a big risk. I have done it a lot more then once and if I ever have the chance again, I would do it in a heartbeat.

A difficult route ... incoming bad weather ... only limited time to make the ascent and get clear of the summit. That's a bad combination.

Very sad outcome. My prayers for the family and loved ones of this man. Sounds like he was a really good guy.

Pete #2

I think you're veering into speculation here. Note that the "experienced and well-equipped" evaluation was made by the extremely competent and experienced park service guys, not the victim party. The park service sees all kinds of assclown on the mountain so they are in an excellent position to make the judgement.

Your tone is pretty heavy too. What is your mountaineering experience?

The earlier posters with experience in that realm are correct: being skilled and going light will, in the long run, be safer in the mountains than going heavier and slower. When I say "being skilled" I mean exercising good judgment based on experience, not just being able to physically do the work.

Widget,

It is very common for persons with hypothermia to have trouble walking. In the early stages (after shivering stops) for the brain to become confused and lead to stumbling, etc. On very rough terrain like this is described (I have never been on Ranier) this can be very dangerous and may have led his companions to say he could not walk. In later stages there is not enough warmth to keep the muscles working and they stiffen to the point that walking is essentially impossible.




Nothing here should be construed to refer to the loss on Ranier, we don't know enough to discuss that yet imho.

Going fast and light is not necessarily "safer" than going heavier and slower, it just has different risks. Both of them have significant dangers. I know that many if not most climbers prefer the risks of light and fast, but not all will agree they are correct. I also know many who take the "light" part to extremes. I do not think anyone should go so light that they do not have the equipment and food to stay overnight, although I have seen many who claimed it was "safer". I also know many who go as light as they can while being able to spend the night. I also know a few who do not fall in the fast and light group. I have been on rescue missions for all three groups -- just different risks.

Respectfully,

Jerry

Those who adhere to expedition style climbing would not think that a "well-equipped" alpine style climber is in fact "well-equipped". That's simply a difference of opinion.

I have friends who don't feel safe in anything smaller than a full size SUV. Does that make a mid-size sedan unsafe? Does "safe" mean it performs better in a accident or it has emergency handling capabilities that let it avoid (or lessen) the accident?

Opinions vary as do acceptable levels of risk.

Jerry,

I have never experienced a level of hypothermia where I felt incapacitated. I also have never laid on a mountain and let myself get colder and colder. I can imagine circumstances where that can happen, I can't understand how that happened to one person and the other 2 were seemingly fully functional. They were exposed to the same conditions at the same time. So, that is hard to believe this climber would be that far gone without someone intervening. That is part of being a climbing team, look after each other. Was there a condition that was different for him compared to his friends, a contributing factor such as mountain sickness from altitiude, or...?

The other 2 climbers would have had to continue up to reach someone on the Emmons Glacier since it is a considerable distance from Liberty Ridge. That meant that it took them a long time to get to the top of the ridge, traverse to the Emmons and descend to where they notified park personnel. Afternoon was mentioned, so the injured climber was left for a considerable period of time before anyone was even starting to attempt to reach him.

All together a sad scenario. A typical climb of Liberty Ridge involves one night on the ridge but probably not as high as 13,000 ft. Was this perhaps an additional, totally unplanned night out? That could certainly be a contributing factor to this accident.

As for the term light and fast, it is not the same in mountaineering as it is in fast paced trail hiking. A good climber has to decide what gear is essential and what is unnecessary and pack accordingly. The obvious hazard on this climb is the steep terrain and potential of falling rock and ice. They surely had ropes and protective anchors and ice tools to accomplish the climb. There is also a risk of weather to include cold and there is always a compromise somewhere in how you pack for that unforseen weather. You plan on what you think you need but also can error by taking too much or too little. Add to this the effects of altitude and fatigue from strenuous activities. You cannot plan when you have a bad reaction to high altitude. I have been fine at 14,000 and a week later been sick at 11,000, it just hits and the effects can stop you in your tracks. That would be very harsh on a climb that is harder to climb down than up, meaning you can't retreat you can only suffer and perhaps die without intervention or rescue. A cell phone would have likely worked from the ridge, if one was carried.

You bring up a lot of factors in this incident that require some explanation. It does indeed seem unusual that one member of a party could get in such bad shape while the other two were relatively unimpaired.

The search effort has basically ended - bad news.

That's the part of the story that I'm hung up on. I've never climbed outdoors but hyporthermia is serious business for any outdoor enthusiast. I would think that anybody considering climbing a mountain, especially experienced climbers, would be on heightened alert for it and trained to know what to do. As part of a team, shouldn't there be a commitment to each other to take care of each other and do something when things start going south? We don't have enough details, I know, but I wonder how it got that far?

Widget,

The generally accepted stages of hypothermia (this part copied from "Medicine for Mountaineering" by the Mountaineers (highlights are mine):

98 - 95F Sensation of chilliness, skin numbness, MINOR IMPAIRMENT OF MUSCULAR PERFORMANCE, especially of the hands.

95 - 93F MORE OBVIOUS MUSCLE INCOORDINATION and weakness, slow stumbling pace, mild confusion and apathy.

93 - 90F GROSS MUSCULAR INCOORDINATION with frequent stumbling and falling and inability to use hands, mental sluggishness with slow thought and speech, retrograde amnesia.

90 - 86F Cessation of shivering, severe muscularincoordination with STIFFNESS AND INABILITY TO WALK OR STAND, incoherence, confusion, irrationality.

At any point in this, on steep terrain, one might find that continuing on is unsafe. The choice may not have been just to drive on. The mind is a very powerful thing, but it cannot overpower hypothermia. In fact, one of the early signs is the person making poor decisions.

The response to hypothermia is not the same for everyone. A complicating factor like mountain sickness or even a cold could have contributed to one person succumbing first. Body conditioning, shortage of food or (one of the most common problems especially among light and fast mountaineers) dehydration and many other things can influence the succeptability to hypothermia. Sweating, clothing and clothing use are also important factors. It is very common for one member of a party to become hypothermic while others in the same group do not.

I will not speculate if or why the other members of his party did not intervene sooner. They might have but were left no option except to do what they did or the person may have hid the early stages from them. With what we know it would again be speculation. What choices they made and why they made them I don't know and may never know. This is not the first (or unfortunately the last) time that the choices made led to the death of a climber. Would I have made the same choices, I don't know, I was not there. Would different choices (once the situation took hold) have made for a different outcome, we will never know. Can we evaluate the situation and think about what we would do -- ONLY if we know the true situation. Or we can look at several possibilities and how we would react to them.

I was talking about mountaineering when I discussed light and fast. Although my comments would also hold for trail hiking, they are double for mountaineering. I totally agree with you that what you pack for weather is a compromise. A good climber will be VERY cautious about weight. It is just that I see too many people in the hills that, IN MY OPINION (for whatever that is worth to others have chosen poorly. Many of these people I have seen as I assist them out of the mountains. I will say that I see fewer super light and fast advocates among the rescue community than outside it.

Again, my comments are not directed at this incident.

Respectfully,

Jerry

bacpacjac

the so-called "alpine style" system of climbing is based on the idea that climbers are in great shape, very skilled, and can keep moving up their chosen route on the mountain. In essence, the climbers are wagering that they have the "edge" on the mountain ... when it comes to strength, skill, and judgment. The system does indeed work very well IF the bet pays off. The climbers move quickly over the terrain, and therefore don't expend tons of extra energy carrying gear they don't really need. Body heat is largely generated by the fact that you are moving relatively continuously.

The whole thing can go horribly wrong if conditions change (a storm comes in fast), you misjudge your capabilities (e.g. have a bad reaction to high altitude sickness), or other factors undermine your physical performance (e.g. sickness or unexpected hypothermia). Once the team gets into a bind, everyone has got a serious problem - because no-one is equipped for the dangerous conditions of a bad storm, howling winds, and icy temperatures. No doubt the climbing companions on this trip reasoned that the best overall approach was to try to get off the mountain quickly and seek help for their friend. But it's a tough situation and the outcome can be tragic ... as it appears to be in this case.

During the days that I climbed I always tried to pick routes on mountains where i would have a good edge i.e. I was stronger than the obstacles in my path. When that judgment was good, I had great days. When that judgment was bad, I paid for it. Nobody gets it right all the time.

Just my $0.02

Pete #2

Thanks Pete. I appreciate the insight. I'm not trying to be critical. I can only imagine the things that go on on a mountain top. It's a good reminder though that even experienced prepared people can end up in life-threatening situtation!

Good points guys.

Perhaps the incapacitation was due to hypothermia plus another factor like altitude illness or hypoglycemia. Just as widget describes, the altitude factor can whack you seemingly out of nowhere. I recall getting really whacked at only 8,000'... then two days later hiked up to 12,800' like I had wings on my feet.

I'm not sure I ever felt worse than when I had altitude illness. If in that condition I had to climb onward, I don't know that I could have done it. I didn't even feel like I could make it across the campsite.

The most danger of packing inadequate items can easily not come from experience but from other influences such as magazine articles, TV shows, even fictional movies can influence a persons taste or preparations.
While I am now old and aware of each pound I have to carry in my pack, I was not always that way. I still am not one to cut off my toothbrush handle to save a tenth of an ounce. I can gain knowledge from some of the fast/light hikers but I have to take care to apply my experience in a careful thought process that helps me make wise decisions on gear and what to carry.
Example: a few years ago I want on a backpacking trip and had to carry all my own stove, tent, etc. The tent I chose is one that was very popular with the ounce counters, I won't name it's maker but it was basically a tarp with some netting and a floor. I set up the tent just before it started to rain and layed inside to keep dry, late afternoon. I kept feeling colder and colder and finally decided I needed to get up and do something to warm myself. What I discovered is that I was laying in a puddle of water in the floor of the tent and my sleeping bag that I had been using as a pillow in it's stuff sack had also gotten soaked. I looked at the cause of this inconvenience and discovered that the design of this particular tent would allow, even promote the water to flow in if the rain came from a certain direction. Something that is hard to control since it started raining after the tent was set up. Design compromise was to save weight some features were not what they should have been.
I have not used that tent since and never will again. Saving a pound is not worth the potential serious consequences.

All this had little relative value to the incident on Ranier but the point is sadly we often make decisions based on input from sources outside our own experience and should take care to apply our own knowledge and the knowledge of others and make wise choices of gear to carry and not just take what someone else recommended. If a popular method for climbing a route was to carry a bivy bag and no real insulation does not mean it will work 100% of the time for every climber. Metabolism varies as will conditions. I would not consider just a bivy and my clothing for a high altitude alpine climb, based on my times on a big mountain and what I know I need to stay warm.

The two who left to get help were apparently husband and wife, and they probably slept together, giving them an edge.

Well-equipped and experienced must mean all kinds of things. It simply puzzles me why these supposedly equipped and experienced people keep dying.

I have absolutely NO experience or interest in mountaineering. And I really don't care if the people who do, live or die. How's that for callous and cynical? They make their own decisions and sometimes their judgment appears to be rather poor. If they die, they die.

What I DO object to is their screaming for help when their poorly thought-out plans go awry. Then they want other people to risk their lives to save them. Sure, there are people who are willing to run out in a blizzard to find the victim. And some of the saviors become victims.

As far as I'm concerned, the bottom line is this: If you want to put yourself in danger, go for it -- just don't try to take other people down with you. If you die on the mountain, expect to stay on the mountain.

Sue

Don't fret, Susan. It's basically climbers helping other climbers, whether as paid staff(park rangers) or volunteers (I was both). I am pretty sure that a good many of us, should we chance to expire in the hills, would be content to remain there.

Even doing SAR, which does involve some danger occasionally, you have better chances of dying in an automobile accident.

Lolz! Years ago I rope soloed a borderline A4 rock route. It was a full on spookfest and a major milestone for me. Then on the drive home I was almost T-boned by a guy who ran a stopsign. Closest call I had on the entire trip.