Bad accident at the crest
I thought I saw 2 strands through her rap device, but I could easily be wrong. I just glanced at it in passing as things were being unclipped. I should have paid attention but was focused on other tasks. I did notice that the 2 guys in the victim's party examined it pretty closely when they were picking up the gear, so I suspect they have a clearer picture than I do.
In response to johny_canal's post about point of impact, from my vantage point it appeared she cleared the logs at the base, hitting the duff b/t the logs and the trees, and bounced headfirst into the tree where she stopped. The other guy who was first to her side--and who missed getting hit by just a couple of feet--saw the same thing
In response to johny_canal's post about point of impact, from my vantage point it appeared she cleared the logs at the base, hitting the duff b/t the logs and the trees, and bounced headfirst into the tree where she stopped. The other guy who was first to her side--and who missed getting hit by just a couple of feet--saw the same thing
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johny_canal
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Date correction
Correction to my earlier post: the date was Sunday, May 14, 2006. (Mothers' Day)
I was 7meters from where it happened.....I needed some time to digest all that before I post something here...I am not sure what exactly happened as well. I was getting ready to repel down from my climb and remember seeing her at the station. She appeared to be anchored at one point at least as far as I can remember but I am not 100% sure as the sun was in my face and I was concentrated on securing myself etc. She was asking her partner if she can pull a purple rope and he said yes. It appeared as they are organizing their gear to go down, I didn't think there was a problem. When I was on the ground and was folding the rope to move to another climb I saw her falling..... The rest is in the previous postings.
I am afraid she didn't make it. My son works part time for Safeway and he just came home on his brake and told me that a woman from the meat department has died after a climbing accident at Squamish yesterday and he was wondering if it’s the same person. Her name matches, Louise, as I remember people were calling her name to check if she was conscious. The age matches too, she was in her mid 50’s.
This is very, very sad and no need to say I am in shock…and I really hope this is not true.
My thoughts are with her family and friends.
I am afraid she didn't make it. My son works part time for Safeway and he just came home on his brake and told me that a woman from the meat department has died after a climbing accident at Squamish yesterday and he was wondering if it’s the same person. Her name matches, Louise, as I remember people were calling her name to check if she was conscious. The age matches too, she was in her mid 50’s.
This is very, very sad and no need to say I am in shock…and I really hope this is not true.
My thoughts are with her family and friends.
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Cara_Biner
- Casual Observer
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- Location: Langley
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Squamish rez
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- Joined: Tue May 16, 2006 4:17 pm
- Location: Squamish
FYI
An RCMP report states that the woman is 59-year old Lois Ann Nordstrom of Port Coquitlam. She passed away of injuries sustained in the fall at the scene.
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Cara_Biner
- Casual Observer
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- Joined: Mon May 30, 2005 7:54 am
- Location: Langley
Just a reminder to all of us to check and double check and check again. Also we are as responsible to our partners as we are to ourselves. Do a double check on your partner, make sure they haven't accidently forgotten a step. Cleaning and rappelling are the most dangerous part of climbing, as is over confidence. (I'm not saying this was the case with Lois). I for one will probably go out and get a helmut, they actually look kinda cute. Ya never know.
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Climbingjunky
- Junior Member
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- Location: Scurvy, British Columbia
I agree with you Cara as far as double checking everything. In a sport that sometimes allows our ego to go overboard, it's pretty easy to overlook things and be careless, not that this was the case. Like Gary said before, let's also look out for our fellow climbers in the crag. Perhaps just asking people if they are experienced with cleaning or rappelling or at the very least we can bring awareness of this incident to people so that they can be more catious when their climbing. Just goes to show how fragile and precious life is. It's times like these that make me realize how fortunate we are to be alive. My prayers go out to Lois and her family.Cara_Biner wrote:Just a reminder to all of us to check and double check and check again. Also we are as responsible to our partners as we are to ourselves. Do a double check on your partner, make sure they haven't accidently forgotten a step. Cleaning and rappelling are the most dangerous part of climbing, as is over confidence. (I'm not saying this was the case with Lois). I for one will probably go out and get a helmut, they actually look kinda cute. Ya never know.
I'm not going to relate to you guys what has been told to me becuase I heard it from someone who was told by someone else what happened. I would expect anyone concerned to go get the info from a source whom they think to be credible.
But it seems that the person was not standing on the ledge, they were trying to "bail" off of on single hanger after being lowered and discovering that their rope was not long enough. The fall resulted from an attempt to thread the rope through the hanger.
But it seems that the person was not standing on the ledge, they were trying to "bail" off of on single hanger after being lowered and discovering that their rope was not long enough. The fall resulted from an attempt to thread the rope through the hanger.
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Anders Ourom
- Senior Member
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Lois Nordstrom - Service
Lois Nordstrom died as a result of injuries from a fall from a route at the Crest at the Conroy Creek climbing area ('Chek') on Sunday May 14th. She was an avid and experienced climber and mountaineer.
Lois' family has asked that information about the service for her be forwarded. It will be on Tuesday, May 23rd, as follows.
Viewing from 10:30 - 11:30 AM, Woodlawn Mission Funeral Home, 7386 Horne Street, Mission, B.C.
Service at 1:00 PM at the Seventh Day Adventist Church, 33522 7th Avenue, Mission, B.C. Reception to follow. Please rsvp Margaret Hanson at Margaret_R_Hanson@yahoo.ca if you plan to attend, so that necessary arrangements can be made.
Lois considered the climbing community to be her "family of choice", and all those who knew her or wish to attend are welcome.
If any further information becomes available, I'll post it here.
Anders Ourom
Lois' family has asked that information about the service for her be forwarded. It will be on Tuesday, May 23rd, as follows.
Viewing from 10:30 - 11:30 AM, Woodlawn Mission Funeral Home, 7386 Horne Street, Mission, B.C.
Service at 1:00 PM at the Seventh Day Adventist Church, 33522 7th Avenue, Mission, B.C. Reception to follow. Please rsvp Margaret Hanson at Margaret_R_Hanson@yahoo.ca if you plan to attend, so that necessary arrangements can be made.
Lois considered the climbing community to be her "family of choice", and all those who knew her or wish to attend are welcome.
If any further information becomes available, I'll post it here.
Anders Ourom
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LeoFromVenus
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- Location: BBY
[b]Lois Nordstrom - Funerals and Service[/b]
Lois Nordstrom - Funerals and Service
Lois Nordstrom of Coquitlam died as a result of injuries from a fall from a
route at the Crest at Conroy Creek on May 14th. She was an avid and experienced climber and mountaineer, and a member of the Access Society. Our sympathies to Lois' family and friends. There will be a memorial for Lois on Tuesday May23rd, 2006:
Viewing: 10:30 - 11:30 AM, Woodlawn Mission Funeral Home, 7386 Horne Street, Mission, B.C.
Service: 1:00 PM, Seventh Day Adventist Church, 33522 7th Avenue, Mission, B.C. Reception to follow - please rsvp Margaret Hanson at
Margaret_R_Hanson(at)yahoo.ca if you plan to attend, so arrangements can be made. Lois considered the climbing community to be her 'family of choice', and all those who knew her or wish to attend are welcome.
Text extracted from CLIMBERS' ACCESS SOCIETY OF B.C.
Lois Nordstrom of Coquitlam died as a result of injuries from a fall from a
route at the Crest at Conroy Creek on May 14th. She was an avid and experienced climber and mountaineer, and a member of the Access Society. Our sympathies to Lois' family and friends. There will be a memorial for Lois on Tuesday May23rd, 2006:
Viewing: 10:30 - 11:30 AM, Woodlawn Mission Funeral Home, 7386 Horne Street, Mission, B.C.
Service: 1:00 PM, Seventh Day Adventist Church, 33522 7th Avenue, Mission, B.C. Reception to follow - please rsvp Margaret Hanson at
Margaret_R_Hanson(at)yahoo.ca if you plan to attend, so arrangements can be made. Lois considered the climbing community to be her 'family of choice', and all those who knew her or wish to attend are welcome.
Text extracted from CLIMBERS' ACCESS SOCIETY OF B.C.
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LittleRedHen
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It’s been some time now, since the accident, or maybe my perspective is off. I’ve had some time to think about things and perhaps write something constructive and clear.
Many have wondered what happened that day. Those of us climbing with Lois were/are bewildered and in shock. I hope this post answers the questions well enough.
And so. I was climbing with Lois that day. We were a party of four. The four of us regrouped at the top of Master of My Domain and decided to rappel to the ledge at the base of the second pitch so we could climb some of the other climbs that began there. Lois set up a rappel with the 50m rope she and I were using; the ends of the rope were tied together. Luke and his partner then set up the other rope for rappel on a different set of anchors. Lois was first to begin to rappel. She began her descent and a short time later called up that the rope didn’t reach the ledge. She indicated that she could reach a bolt and clip her lifeline to it.
We tried to discuss options but with the echoing nature of the area, communication was difficult. The three of us at the top decided to set up the 60m rope on the same anchor (so we pulled it from the other anchor). Because the rope got caught on something and was not in reach of Lois, Luke set out to rappel down to her. It took some time to pull the 60 from the other anchors, set up on the MoMD anchors, and set up for rappel. During this time, Lois thought of a different solution to the situation: pull the 50m rope and continue her rappel to the ledge from the bolt (the bolt was new, in good rock, and well-set). Because of the difficulty in communication, the three of us on top did not fully comprehend Lois’s solution and so were very distraught afterwards (why couldn’t she wait for the other rope? what did she intend to do?). Now that I’ve had time to think about it, I can see where she was coming from.
What happened next is conjecture and is based on accounts from those of us there (I had help on this reconstruction and analysis).
I believe Lois had anchored herself with her lifeline (consisting of: belay-loop locking carabiner -- short sling -- bolt/anchor locking carabiner) to a bolt somewhere about the ledge. I believe she threaded the rope through the bolt-side locking carabiner and set up her rappel. I believe she intended to un-weight her lifeline and either unclip her lifeline from her harness or unclip the sling from the bolt-end carabiner; however, it would seem that she unclipped her lifeline from the bolt instead, thereby removing her rope’s anchor.
She fell approximately 35m.
We will never know for certain, what happened. We didn’t fully inspect the gear to rule out equipment failure (sorry, wasn’t thinking clearly), so while it is possible, it is unlikely.
I would like to thank everyone who was there. By the time I made it down to the ground, it was clear that Lois was in good hands. Thank you.
And to the fellow who was there that day and came to the service, sorry I didn’t speak with you. We were introduced but I was a bit out of it that day and wish I had thanked you then, in person.
Lois touched many lives. Several of her friends and family wish to place a small (8” oval) memorial plaque in her honour. So we ask the climbing community for input. For some of us, we hope to find some comfort, some solace from this but it’s understandable that others would find it distributing. We would like to have a general consensus on this. Where would be appropriate for to be placed? Bottom of the first pitch? Bottom of the second pitch? At the anchor chains? At the very top (near the single safety bolt beside the tree) so it’s accessible/visible to non-climbers? Your input is welcome.
I was encouraged to share some of my insights regarding the accident, so here they are. My lifeline is single-purpose only. It is not just any sling that I could use for a different purpose; it is girth-hitched to my harness (tie-in points), instead of attached with a locking carabiner. My lifeline’s single carabiner is different from my other carabiners so that I will recognize it as being special and not confuse it with other carabiners on an anchor. I will not use this carabiner to thread the rope through for rappel so that I will not unclip it out of habit when beginning my rappel.
Take care and stay safe.
- Winifred
Many have wondered what happened that day. Those of us climbing with Lois were/are bewildered and in shock. I hope this post answers the questions well enough.
And so. I was climbing with Lois that day. We were a party of four. The four of us regrouped at the top of Master of My Domain and decided to rappel to the ledge at the base of the second pitch so we could climb some of the other climbs that began there. Lois set up a rappel with the 50m rope she and I were using; the ends of the rope were tied together. Luke and his partner then set up the other rope for rappel on a different set of anchors. Lois was first to begin to rappel. She began her descent and a short time later called up that the rope didn’t reach the ledge. She indicated that she could reach a bolt and clip her lifeline to it.
We tried to discuss options but with the echoing nature of the area, communication was difficult. The three of us at the top decided to set up the 60m rope on the same anchor (so we pulled it from the other anchor). Because the rope got caught on something and was not in reach of Lois, Luke set out to rappel down to her. It took some time to pull the 60 from the other anchors, set up on the MoMD anchors, and set up for rappel. During this time, Lois thought of a different solution to the situation: pull the 50m rope and continue her rappel to the ledge from the bolt (the bolt was new, in good rock, and well-set). Because of the difficulty in communication, the three of us on top did not fully comprehend Lois’s solution and so were very distraught afterwards (why couldn’t she wait for the other rope? what did she intend to do?). Now that I’ve had time to think about it, I can see where she was coming from.
What happened next is conjecture and is based on accounts from those of us there (I had help on this reconstruction and analysis).
I believe Lois had anchored herself with her lifeline (consisting of: belay-loop locking carabiner -- short sling -- bolt/anchor locking carabiner) to a bolt somewhere about the ledge. I believe she threaded the rope through the bolt-side locking carabiner and set up her rappel. I believe she intended to un-weight her lifeline and either unclip her lifeline from her harness or unclip the sling from the bolt-end carabiner; however, it would seem that she unclipped her lifeline from the bolt instead, thereby removing her rope’s anchor.
She fell approximately 35m.
We will never know for certain, what happened. We didn’t fully inspect the gear to rule out equipment failure (sorry, wasn’t thinking clearly), so while it is possible, it is unlikely.
I would like to thank everyone who was there. By the time I made it down to the ground, it was clear that Lois was in good hands. Thank you.
And to the fellow who was there that day and came to the service, sorry I didn’t speak with you. We were introduced but I was a bit out of it that day and wish I had thanked you then, in person.
Lois touched many lives. Several of her friends and family wish to place a small (8” oval) memorial plaque in her honour. So we ask the climbing community for input. For some of us, we hope to find some comfort, some solace from this but it’s understandable that others would find it distributing. We would like to have a general consensus on this. Where would be appropriate for to be placed? Bottom of the first pitch? Bottom of the second pitch? At the anchor chains? At the very top (near the single safety bolt beside the tree) so it’s accessible/visible to non-climbers? Your input is welcome.
I was encouraged to share some of my insights regarding the accident, so here they are. My lifeline is single-purpose only. It is not just any sling that I could use for a different purpose; it is girth-hitched to my harness (tie-in points), instead of attached with a locking carabiner. My lifeline’s single carabiner is different from my other carabiners so that I will recognize it as being special and not confuse it with other carabiners on an anchor. I will not use this carabiner to thread the rope through for rappel so that I will not unclip it out of habit when beginning my rappel.
Take care and stay safe.
- Winifred
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