Quandary Peak, West Ridge, rescue 5/29/17

[CheapCigarMan]

http://www.summitdaily.com/news/rescues ... -prepared/

Is this an article from 2009? 8 years ago.....

[AyeYo]

I don't usually comment on these rescues because SHTF and mistakes are many times are made. Some folks got on their high horses and let Tracy have it... even though she was asking valid questions and offered some good observation.... and she's fairly accomplished with safety on her mind.

These guys started at a time when they should have been finishing. They did not have enough water. They had no sunscreen... hence, improper gear. They did not know the route well enough, the toughness of it. They got baked and severely dehydrated. No stove or small pot to melt snow for water. They were exhausted and this affected further judgment.

And at the end of the day, none of that matters because they called SAR due to being cliffed out - not for lack of water, not lack of energy, not lack of sunscreen, etc. As was already pointed out in this thread and in the more detailed news articles, even SAR didn't find the route between the climbers and the summit to be safe enough to travel on. There's nothing left to be said beyond that. s**t happens. They weren't Boulder hipsters in mandels and tee shirts with no backpacks or supplies. They were at least prepared enough to survive the night like they clearly did and that's what matters. Maybe she wouldn't have gotten roasted so hard if she didn't come in with such a typically condescending attitude.

Condescending attitude? Your arrogance with such a MINISCULE back country... portfolio... needs some correction. You sound off like a know it all... yet... you're SO experienced? Hardly!

You know me? Tell me all about my experience level and what I've done.

After you tell me you don't know me and have no idea what my experience level is, I'll remind you again your experience and her experience are equally irrelevant, because I don't care if she climbed K2 with two broken legs and an amputated arm, she was very clearly being judgmental and condescending regarding a situation she was totally uninvolved in.

[Jon Frohlich]

After you tell me you don't know me and have no idea what my experience level is, I'll remind you again your experience and her experience are equally irrelevant, because I don't care if she climbed K2 with two broken legs and an amputated arm, she was very clearly being judgmental and condescending regarding a situation she was totally uninvolved in.

Barely. She asked a valid question. The reaction from a few people in this thread is way over the top considering what she posted.

Speaking for myself the kind of crap in this thread is one of the reasons why I barely post anymore.

[justiner]

http://www.summitdaily.com/news/rescues ... -prepared/

Is this an article from 2009? 8 years ago.....

I don't believe the situation is getting any better -

http://www.postindependent.com/news/loc ... ffing-out/

As the helpful ranger reminded us at the Q. trailhead, Quandary easily attracts those that are unprepared, as it's so close to Breck. and the TH is right off the highway. Say you're visiting Breckenridge, and want the whole, "Colorado Experience". Climb a 14er! There's one that my rental care to get to! Wake up with no plans, then settle on the 14er idea late in the morning, and get into trouble, because you aren't properly prepared - you don't live in Colorado so maybe you don't know what it's like at the top of the mountain. *

And the trap is set.


I was on Quandary a few weeks ago - wanted to do the the West Ridge but the conditions weren't in, so East Ridge it was. There was a party of 4 that basically turned back late in the day I met about 500 feet from the summit. Except for one dude. He saw me go up (on my second lap, cause I'm me), and thought - well that guy can go up, I can go up!

So he followed me, as a snow storm started whipping up. I knew I can run up *and* down the mountain, so I wasn't too worried, and I had done the route that very morning - I knew exactly how far I had to go and what conditions were like.

He didn't know jack sheeet, and was under the impression that summits were always cold, windy, socked in, and snowy. Like - that's just how it was, so that's what you're always going to get. All of a sudden, he needed me to get him down the mountain - a white out! - I became his guide! No discussion beforehand, it was just, "now I'm following YOU!". I told him, I'm running down this thing, as I'm just wearing what amounts to a wind breaker - did he not see the weather going UP?!

So I run down to where his friends are huddled waiting for him, and we all watch him basically run-fall down the mountain - it's all powder snow, so whatever, he's on the ridge, and not going north so he's fine. I check with his friends to make sure they're OK (they are), and if they think he's going to be OK (they do), and I keep running down.

Not until I run into *another* group of bros - this time with helmets and technical ice tools. It's like noon at this point, it's snowing, hailing, and thundering. I have no f'ing idea what they want to do with this gear, but f-it, I'm going down.

This is one day in mid May on Quandary. The off season. It's a #SS up there half the time. I sympathize to all those that go, "Yeah, bunch of dums dums up there", while also sympathize with the, "you don't know what conditions were like/what the scenario was like!" I see why both opinions are formed. Tourists go to Quandary thinking it's akin to a groomed run on Peak 9, where the black diamonds are anything but ("but" so you can boast about how many blacks you've done aprés!) and ski patrol is everywhere. Most of the time, they get away with it. Sometimes they don't. They can be prepared - over-prepared with their gear, it doesn't help if they don't know how to use it, or if it's the wrong gear. They look the look - kind of the gaper prob.

* To all those who do visit CO looking for advice, you're doing it right. Thank you for being responsible, I don't mean to talk trash about everyone, and I've been a dum dum up there on Quandary under-prepared. That goodness for Horton.

[SchralpTheGnar]

Does anyone know who pays for this rescue? Last I heard that COSAR card didn't cover actually anything, it was a donation to SAR, and that the county paid for rescue through tax dollars, but this situation involved lots of agencies. Do any other factors determine who pays for it? What if it's a justified vs non-justified SAR call? Is there any discretion there for SAR to send a bill to the party?

[AyeYo]

After you tell me you don't know me and have no idea what my experience level is, I'll remind you again your experience and her experience are equally irrelevant, because I don't care if she climbed K2 with two broken legs and an amputated arm, she was very clearly being judgmental and condescending regarding a situation she was totally uninvolved in.

Barely. She asked a valid question. The reaction from a few people in this thread is way over the top considering what she posted.

Speaking for myself the kind of crap in this thread is one of the reasons why I barely post anymore.

It's the kind of crap that she's posting that makes this board suck and drives people, especially potential new members away. The very first reply to her post was spot on. Because of the type of attitude on display here, this board can be summed up as follows:

1. No "real" mountaineers make mistakes
2. My peak list, my peak list, my peak list
3. All good luck is skill
4. All bad luck is lack of skill
5. I'm a badass because I walk up Colorado 14ers.

Rinse and repeat in every thread.

[gurlyclimber]

Some of you have some serious ADHD. You can't focus on the actual questions or maybe you can't handle the logic so you focus on me. Its quite amusing.

I stand behind my questions 100000000% and I got my answer and I'm not surprised at all.

I'm so sorry I used the word warranted and offended so many of you. hahahahahahaha

Bunch of whiny babies

[gurlyclimber]

After you tell me you don't know me and have no idea what my experience level is, I'll remind you again your experience and her experience are equally irrelevant, because I don't care if she climbed K2 with two broken legs and an amputated arm, she was very clearly being judgmental and condescending regarding a situation she was totally uninvolved in.

Barely. She asked a valid question. The reaction from a few people in this thread is way over the top considering what she posted.

Speaking for myself the kind of crap in this thread is one of the reasons why I barely post anymore.

It's the kind of crap that she's posting that makes this board suck and drives people, especially potential new members away. The very first reply to her post was spot on. Because of the type of attitude on display here, this board can be summed up as follows:

1. No "real" mountaineers make mistakes
2. My peak list, my peak list, my peak list
3. All good luck is skill
4. All bad luck is lack of skill
5. I'm a badass because I walk up Colorado 14ers.

Rinse and repeat in every thread.

God it must suck to be so insecure.

[gurlyclimber]

http://www.summitdaily.com/news/climber ... -of-death/

It appears through their own words, they were not prepared for this route, mentally, physically and gear wise.

Thanks to SAR and Heli rescue, they live for another day.

This was what I was looking for. So perhaps this could be a lesson to to forum to be more prepared or perhaps to avoid routes that are out of your league.


But lets focus on me.

[AyeYo]

God it must suck to be so insecure.

I'm not the one frantically trying to save face after getting roasting for trying to play mountain badass in a SAR thread.

[gurlyclimber]

God it must suck to be so insecure.

I'm not the one frantically trying to save face after getting roasting for trying to play mountain badass in a SAR thread.

That's funny. I'm so far from being a badass or even considering myself to be one. I get out and have fun and sign logs and take photos. Totally hyper not badass. There is no need to save face. I stand by what I asked and agree that perhaps I should have worded it better.

[mtree]

God it must suck to be so insecure.

I'm not the one frantically trying to save face after getting roasting for trying to play mountain badass in a SAR thread.

That's funny. I'm so far from being a badass or even considering myself to be one. I get out and have fun and sign logs and take photos. Totally hyper not badass. There is no need to save face. I stand by what I asked and agree that perhaps I should have worded it better.

Yes...perhaps wording it better and leaving out the condescending remarks would have helped.

"How did this warrant a rescue? My partners and I and many of you have been in similar situations. You push forward and keep moving. I've been on the route. Yes, it is a bit contrived and in bad weather, even more so but I really don't get this mentality of getting a rescue cuz you're scared, cold and a little lost. I find it hard to believe they exhausted all of their options if no one was injured. Maybe I'm missing a big piece of information? Enlighten me or flame me. Either way, I don't get it.

So they were stuck overnight anyway even with the rescue??? So freezing to death wasn't the issue.

Confused"

That said, time to move on to more important things. Lunch!