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Rockclimber cliff-face heli rescue - Yosemite, California

Posted: Tue Oct 18 2011, 18:10
by Tom
I love climbing and I love choppers. Having climbed on El Capitan myself (3000ft granite wall in California's Yosemite Valley) it is amazing to see rescues like this pulled off (it's not the first, or last time either). The climber fell, and a sling wrapped around his thumb and came tight, cutting it off (it landed on a small ledge next to his climbing partner, and was later successfully reattached).

http://www.elcapreport.com/content/spec ... scue-92611

And pic of El Cap for scale and perspective. The climbers were on a famous route called 'The Nose', which climbs the prominent line in the middle of this pic (on the sun/shadow line). It traditionally takes several days to a week to climb.

Image

Re: Rockclimber cliff-face heli rescue - Yosemite, California

Posted: Tue Oct 18 2011, 21:41
by Queestce
Tom wrote:... It traditionally takes several days to a week to climb ...


Unless of course your Tommy Caldwell, then you free climb it in 11 hours... :shock:

Looks like the best outcome from a pretty horrible situation in this case though. Don't know how people have the cojones for the major big wall stuff, the exposure messes with my head too much!

Re: Rockclimber cliff-face heli rescue - Yosemite, California

Posted: Wed Oct 19 2011, 02:09
by Tiger
A bubble on the pilot side door looks almost big enough to climb into!

Re: Rockclimber cliff-face heli rescue - Yosemite, California

Posted: Wed Oct 19 2011, 02:11
by Tom
Yes, TC is a machine, and ironically also missing half of one finger! I have a buddy about to attempt the Nose in a day (aiding) which is impressive in itself - but freeing, let alone in 11hrs, blows my mind.