8/27/17 - Fatality on Capitol Peak

[mr_Chris]

Just looked back at the route description for Capitol and see that Bill added this warning:

HOLD ON! This is the most-difficult of the standard 14er routes; It's long, tedious and dangerous. Climbers have died here, including 4 in the Summer of 2017 so don't take it lightly, don't go if you don't have solid Class 3/4 climb skills and don't go just to check this mountain off your list. It's a serious climb and we want you to make it back safely.

Sadly, that total is now 5. And also, would it be worthwhile to add a note in there, either at the end of the description itself or in the notes at the bottom, to not be tempted to shortcut the descent, as there have been several deaths as a result of people doing that? From some of the comments here I've seen, it sounds like there is a path that looks doable from above but cliffs out and can trap you (or kill you) before you realize what is happening. I know some other route descriptions have warnings about areas to avoid that one might be tempted to take while actually up there, and those have always stuck out to me when I've done those routes.

Condolences to all those who have died up there this year.

[Scott P]

...

[d_baker]

Keep beating that horse, Scott.

[paully]

First of all, I'm curious what others of you think is the responsibility we bear towards the people with whom we go into the backcountry. Should Wilhelm have been more insistent that his climbing partner not take the alternate route? Should he even have allowed the kid to join him, given the kid had never climbed a fourteener before and Wilhelm, having completed 42 peaks, had to have an idea that Capitol is a terrible choice for a first fourteener? And once they were descending and the kid was already part way down the north face gully, should Wilhelm have left him? Especially this last question gets me, because I feel strongly that no hiking/climbing partner should ever be left behind. I mean, did he really think that the kid had any chance of making it down to the lake? But then I wonder if perhaps Wilhelm was making the safe choice, ensuring at least he made it down safely so that he could call for help. It sounds like perhaps he did not have a SPOT or similar device.

Absolutely nothing wrong with asking these types of questions, I've been asking myself the same... so have made it clear on this forum that they find such questions to be baseless and useless at best, disrespectful at worst. I think these folks are well-meaning but incorrect, for all the reasons you state in your post above (not just the quoted portion).

My opinion is that 'responsibility' and 'what I would do' are totally different. I don't find this young man's climbing partner to by responsible or culpable in any way, but that doesn't mean I would have done things the same way. The thing is, none of us will ever know how that exchange between the two went down just prior to them separating. If the young man had been aggressively insistent about going off-route and there was nothing I could do to stop him... then I suppose I would have done the same. It SOUNDS to me like he gave this young man plenty of reason to stay on route and yet his partner started down the couloir/chute despite that. At that point I'm not going to physically try to force him back on-route, nor am I going to follow him down and put my life (and the futures of my family and loved ones) in peril on someone else's behalf. I understand your statement about not leaving your partner behind, but I believe every policy has its limits. Nor am I going to wait at the top forever and doom myself to a night spent on a high and dangerous peak. So where I would have acted differently comes way before any of this happened. If my original climbing partner bows out of the climb and I end up getting saddled up with an unknown stranger who has zero mountaineering experience... I'm sorry but the trip is off at that point, or I'm seeking out a new partner on this site, or MAYBE I move forward with a solo attempt... but I'm not committing to something like Capitol with that kind of wildcard stacked in the deck. Second, there is NO way I'm sleeping in until 9am and (presumably) not hitting the trail until close to 10am. So all of this is to say, I'm going to make decisions (hopefully) early in the day in order to prevent the exchange that ultimately transpired and led to the separation of the two climbers. But in no way is the surviving climber responsible for what happened, we all make our choices... I certainly feel for the man and what he must be going through. It's too bad that there (apparently) was no knowledge of what had happened the prior weekend, that may have been enough to spook the kid into sticking with the long slog down and out.

As far as that evening goes, I doubt the surviving climber would have hiked far enough up the scree field above the lake to get to the final resting place of his partner. It looks to me like there is lower angle scree leading up from the lake, but that eventually steepens before reaching the north face itself, and I doubt he got anywhere near his partner's body. That is obviously pure speculation though...

PLEASE everyone, if I ever have an accident like this, I would appreciate this kind of discussion. Nothing would be more of a silver lining to a tragedy like this than the potential prevention of a future incident that might otherwise occur if there was no discussion. These last two weeks are a case in point. The discussion of the previous week's tragedy was there for the reading, I just wish one of these two men had stumbled into that discussion before starting their climb. Closing off all discussion in the name of some misplaced sense of respect for the deceased... totally bogus guys.

[highpilgrim]

This may be a view of the chute and slabby area described. Just out of sight: cliffs.

capitol ramp to nowhere.jpg (665.57 KiB) Viewed 3048 times

[Tornadoman]

So where I would have acted differently comes way before any of this happened. If my original climbing partner bows out of the climb and I end up getting saddled up with an unknown stranger who has zero mountaineering experience... I'm sorry but the trip is off at that point, or I'm seeking out a new partner on this site, or MAYBE I move forward with a solo attempt... but I'm not committing to something like Capitol with that kind of wildcard stacked in the deck.

This... On a peak as serious as Capitol you need to make sure that both partners understand what they are up against and have appropriate experience. If you have doubt about a partner's abilities don't climb with them as it is subjecting both of you to increased danger.

Regardless of what happened I feel shocked and saddened by another death up there and we are sadly discussing another young life gone way too soon. Please be careful up there my friends!

[MountainMetaphor]

Looking at highpilgram's photo, if this is the route the 21-year-old took, I can understand why he felt it was a better alternative than having to go back over the Knife's Edge. One thing I really appreciate about navigating in the mountains is how even when you know the route through scrupulous study of topo maps, etc., what you see at any given moment with your eyes is VERY convincing. Add in the variables of being tired / thirsty / scared / sore, and it's very easy to go with what your eyes tell you, rather than your knowledge of the route and terrain. It's exactly like the cliched image, shown often in cartoons and such, of someone out in the desert, crawling on his hands and knees towards the mirage of a sparkling pool of water when in fact none exists.

I can see how even objectively knowing there's a cliff band below might not be able to dissuade someone from attempting that route down on Capitol. I really can--even someone with more experience than this unfortunate 21-year-old.

I just saw on the 14ers.com FB page comments suggesting the young man's family IS reading these threads. And while I stand by my opinion, stated earlier, that asking, "Could this accident have been prevented, and how?" in no way denigrates the parties involved in the accident but instead can provide valuable learning for the rest of us, I do want to give my most heartfelt condolences to the man's family and friends for their loss. Things happen in the mountains, no matter who or how experienced you are. We all do things we later realize we should not have done; we all have errors in judgment. It's just that we on these forums so far have been lucky that those errors did not cost us our lives, and I am so, so sorry that this young man did not have such luck.

[Jim Davies]

This has some interesting parallels with the Michelle Vanek incident on Holy Cross. Obviously there are also many differences (like the arguing), but in either case the problems started before they left the trailhead. An experienced partner with a novice has to take some responsibility for getting in over their heads. But how much responsibility should a 21-year-old have to assume? They were barely adults, and young men that age frequently make bad decisions and take risks without understanding them.

[IntrepidXJ]

But how much responsibility should a 21-year-old have to assume? They were barely adults, and young men that age frequently make bad decisions and take risks without understanding them.

They also can't force a 21 year old to do something they don't want to do...

[two lunches]

So where I would have acted differently comes way before any of this happened. If my original climbing partner bows out of the climb and I end up getting saddled up with an unknown stranger who has zero mountaineering experience... I'm sorry but the trip is off at that point, or I'm seeking out a new partner on this site, or MAYBE I move forward with a solo attempt... but I'm not committing to something like Capitol with that kind of wildcard stacked in the deck.

This... On a peak as serious as Capitol you need to make sure that both partners understand what they are up against and have appropriate experience. If you have doubt about a partner's abilities don't climb with them as it is subjecting both of you to increased danger.

Regardless of what happened I feel shocked and saddened by another death up there and we are sadly discussing another young life gone way too soon. Please be careful up there my friends!

I would like to echo this sentiment. If your climbing partner shows up with all the red flags I read: in all cotton, wearing flat-soled skateboarding shoes, has no 14er experience it should be your personal responsibility as the more-experienced climber to tell this person you would be grateful for their company, but that this specific mountain is not the right one for their inaugural adventure.

With regard to the question posed about the experienced climber being more adamant about taking the knife edge... you can lead a horse to water, but you can't force it to drink.

This whole narrative is so incredibly sad. I am so sorry for the loss of a fellow adventurer and mountain lover.

[Geneva]

Having no done numerous hike and climbs in Colorado I'm amazed at some of the calloused comments......but much more importantly the lack of maturity and wisdom when one doubt the value of the accident analysis.
As the loved ones of the couple recently said at their service...."let's make sure their deaths aren't in vain." That they prompt warning, sinage or a permiting process that includes language of warning, accountability, and at the very least posting at the trail heads WARNING of the specific dangers. On CAP. Peak it would be that the scale and accent are only for experience mountain
Climbers, and no alternative routes down are possible.
List those folks died trying, it will drive home a point.
I have met people beginning a services climb, hike, whatever, swigging from flasks, smoking a joint and being impaired on their journey.....or swigging alcohol or having a joint on the on the summit.
Truely not realizing that they will be less attuned, aware and likely careless on their way down.
Sad.
I hope the event deaths prompt this group to use the accidents t educate and prevent further ones with even a few small steps!!!!

[kingshimmers]

So sad. My condolences to all friends and family. The community is thinking of you during this difficult time and the time moving forward.