octopus garden--fatal accident

[jefffski]

My sincere condolences to the family and friends of the young man who was fatally injured a couple of weeks ago while climbing root canal at octopus garden in the smoke bluffs in squamish bc.

From information i heard from a second hand source, the climber was leading the route and had passed the tree (the one that is growing out of the crack about one-third of the way up) when he fell. During his fall his leg caught the tree which inverted him. the back of his head hit the rock causing his injury.
he was not wearing a helmet.

rescuers arrived on the scene and did all they could to help him.

please forgive me if any of this information is inaccurate. Again my heart goes out to his loved ones.

[sportysuz]

I'm 'Sorry' to hear if that turned out to be a fatal accident.

Wearing a helmet 'may' have saved his life, I can't emphasise wearing a helmet enough. All your vital signs etc are controlled by the brain, it's the most major important part of the body you'd most want to protect. Even a knock to the head (not hard impact) can do some permanent damage. I've known of two friends that ended up with epileptic fits ongoing due to a bang to their heads; one from a windsurfing mast; the other from slipping in a swimming pool changing room and banging her head on a sink.

[Jeff Mottershead]

I'd like to hear how people feel about that tree. If there is a general consensus that it ought not to be there, I'll pull it out this October.

[jefffski]

I'd like to hear how people feel about that tree. If there is a general consensus that it ought not to be there, I'll pull it out this October.

i'm torn. as a respectful to the climber who died perhaps pulling it out might save another life. however it is part of that route and adds to its nature.

[Rockitman]

I don't think the tree should be pulled.
If that climber would have caught a foot on a ledge or flake would you have considered removing that?
The tree has been a part of the route for years and I don't see it as a hazard that is not an integral part of climbing.

[Mr.Sleazy]

I am torn about it too. I agree that the tree can be defined as a "normal" hazard of climbing, but believe that "normal" is different between routes like the ones at Octopus Garden, which are very popular with beginning leaders, and routes like North N Arete which are full of trees but are not climbed (or shouldn't be anyways) by beginning leaders.

Therefore, my vote would be to pull the tree.

[Charlie]

How many times has the route been climbed without a fatal accident due to the tree? Just because one climber fails to make it back to terra firma in one piece is not reason enough to pull the tree.

The lesson here should be to respect the hazards that climbing offers and try to minimize the consequences by climbing smart.

[rockies]

I agree 100%; climb smart, no need to pull a tree, if the tree hadn't been there and he'd still fallen it that tree wouldn't be an issue. If all climbers who have done that route fell due to that tree, then sure maybe it is an issue, but from all I gather it hasn't. Leave the tree.

[Jeff Mottershead]

Well, there clearly is nothing close to a consensus, so I won't be pulling the tree. I should point out, though, that the majority of climbs in Squamish exist because someone pulled trees out of them. In all likelyhood the one that remains on Root Canal is just there because it was big enough that removing it wasn't considered worth the effort by the FAist.

[pinner]

I realize this is quite a bit late to join this discussion, but incase anyone happens along here...
Just to clarify, isn't the route in question Pipe Dream and not Root Canal? (Both McLane's and Bourdon's guidebooks cite Pipe Dream as bearing the tree)

[Brendan]

I realize this is quite a bit late to join this discussion, but incase anyone happens along here...
Just to clarify, isn't the route in question Pipe Dream and not Root Canal? (Both McLane's and Bourdon's guidebooks cite Pipe Dream as bearing the tree)

holy scat... i thought there were more beginners falling off routes again...

[rockandsnowjunkie]

I concur with 'Charlie', leave the tree be.