BCAS‬ reports a climber has fallen from the Chief

[c-plus]

was driving by the chief around 8:15pm today (Sunday) and saw a helicopter doing a long line extraction from the base of the grand wall, just a little right of exasperator... not sure if this is connected to the above post, but wishing everybody well...

[NateDoggOG]

Very unfortunate. Not often you hear about this type of situation in Squamish. I heard the heli and thought it was a typical long weekend epic. Never would have thought it was anything overly serious.
Sorry to hear it. Really puts things in perspective.

[polishbob]

Any info on specific nature of the accident (climbing or not climbing related?)

[mirth]

News from this AM...

http://globalnews.ca/news/762351/police ... -squamish/

http://www.news1130.com/2013/08/05/woma ... the-chief/

Very sad

[bramski]

CBC is reporting the fall originating at belly good ledge.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-c ... death.html

Unroped and wet from the rains?

[NateDoggOG]

No way that it would still be wet. Silly to be unroped. Any experienced climbers would know better than to go across unroped, but it's too exposed for a newer climber to think that it would be a good idea. Maybe it was their first time and they thought it was a walk after the first narrow bit? Slipped on some loose stuff over towards Millennium Falcon?

[Drew]

Any experienced climbers would know better than to go across unroped,

Experienced climbers never solo?

[NateDoggOG]

Just hypothesizing about the details. Was it a climber or a lost hiker? Coming off of Bellygood sounds like a climber. For it to be a hiker, they would either have to be really lost, or know exactly where they are going. If they knew where they were going, then chances are they would know what they were getting into on Bellygood.
Was the person alone, or did they have a partner? If they were climbing, then there is probably a 99% chance that they were with someone else. If that's the case, then the chances of both people feeling comfortable going across the narrow bit unroped are cut in half. Besides, if they did come up the Grand, the narrow bit is within spitting distance of the belay atop the Sail Flake. It just seems strange that they might solo across when they can simul it which is just as quick and rather safer.
Don't mind me though, I'm just playing detective. I don't know anything.

[Brendan]

This is a truly unfortunate event.

I can't help but wonder though...
People are still debating hiker vs climber - was she wearing a harness or any other climbing-related equipment? Not from what I've heard. That makes her a hiker, no? Not to mention that no partners have come forward (unless fowl play is a factor and she was pushed off Bellygood), which would be a second key indicator, other than the lack of climbing gear on her body.

Those who have been on Bellygood would know that it would be fairly difficult to find, and 99% of "hikers" that would be up there would stop in their tracks at the last thin section where the exposed roots are (starting onto Bellygood from the right).
Sure there are always people around when you get to the last descent rope on the Backside trail, but people just look in awe and keep going, trying to catch their breaths. For the most part, they couldn't be bothered to explore up that way knowing it's a "climbers" trail.

I'm thinking she got lost somewhere in the vicinity of where the Backside trail splits left and goes to The Penthouse/Shelter area, probably to go pee or something, and got a little too close to the edge..... ..................

[Optimally-Primed]

Super sad...
Just to toss out another tidbit that may be relevant.
The top of the Upper Black Dyke is directly above the area where she apparently landed. Descending from the first summit, it's really easy to wander over there if you miss a left turn. That said, basic care (even for hikers) keeps the top of the UBD a safe place to have a look over the edge. It would have taken more than a minor slip to go over from there.

[jonny2vests]

Super sad...
Just to toss out another tidbit that may be relevant.
The top of the Upper Black Dyke is directly above the area where she apparently landed. Descending from the first summit, it's really easy to wander over there if you miss a left turn. That said, basic care (even for hikers) keeps the top of the UBD a safe place to have a look over the edge. It would have taken more than a minor slip to go over from there.

CBC said SAR reported she fell from Bellygood.

[Brendan]

CBC said SAR reported she fell from Bellygood.

Earlier reports from search and rescue officials said the woman fell from an area known as Bellygood Ledge on the Grand Wall, which has a drop of about 500 metres.

All the latest info tells us that the exact location is still unknown. SAR probably meant the "vicinity of Bellygood." How could they tell where she feel from without witness verification!?

[jonny2vests]

Ok, I see your logic but it seems odd they would name Bellygood without cause.

[John Wilder]

fwiw, i crossed Bellygood a few hours before the woman fell- it was pretty dry, no more sketchy than it usually feels.

the only climbing party behind us was a pair of men climbing the Grand Wall- we didnt see any other parties that would have been on Bellygood, and given the temperature forecast, it seems unlikely that anyone would have hiked up to climb in the afternoon.

super sad to hear about it- between that and the rockfall, it was a pretty crazy day on the Chief- weird that we did the Grand and missed all of it.

[woahmid]

super sad to hear about it- between that and the rockfall, it was a pretty crazy day on the Chief- weird that we did the Grand and missed all of it.

Care to elaborate on the rock fall? I haven't heard about this.