Trip Report
Cheating death on the Half Dome Death Slabs: an epic tale of n00bery and bromance.
Thursday March 20, 2014 9:06pm
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This is from Summer of 2013 and is my first ever TR, so go easy on me.
We had just left the maintained section of the Half Dome approach trail and started our way up the first few sections of 5th class terrain, hand-over-handing old knotted climbing ropes, I yelled down to my buddy Jard, “This is it?! I’ve heard all this lore over the years about these dangerous slabs and the crappy fixed lines, but these ropes look fine and these slabs are EASY!” I could still see the ground 100ft below.
Once the ground disappeared and we made our way up mostly secure 3rd and 4th class terrain things began to get a bit more tricky (and wet). However the lure of the giant North West face of Half Dome loomed over our heads and kept our psych up and continue to inspire our confidence. With this new found confidence, I took the lead and charged my way up to the second section of fixed lines. At the base of the second set, we reached a fork in the road; intimidating, steep terrain to the left and intimidating steep terrain to the right. After some discussion and a brief view of another party ahead of us topping out the path to the right, we opted to go to the right.
I went first and started hand-over-handing the two redundant fixed climbing ropes, after bypassing about 50+ feet of 5.6 terrain it became impossible to continue to use the climbing ropes, as they disappeared over a steep cliff. Fortunately, there was an easy looking escape out left, another rope, some little ledges and vegetation. I grabbed the rope to the left and yelled down to Jard, “Hey duder! This looks like some sh#t hardware store rope, what the f*#k?!” He yelled back something about being careful. Fueled with excitement about our route, I charged my way up, hand-over-handing the sh#t rope, getting closer to the tie-off point. About 80+ feet out from my partner, I lunged my arm out to grab the tree trunk, my fingertips within inches of the trunk and…
**The f*#king rope snapped.**
I instantly fell backwards with the rope still in my hand, sliding down on my back, headfirst. A split second later, little juniper sapling appeared to my right side so I grabbed it and was able to face my body feet-first to the ground, however the force of the fall pulled my hand right off and I continued to barrel down the slab. I peered down and there was Jard’s frightened face below me and it was getting closer. I thought to myself, “Do I try to steer toward him to break my fall, or steer away from him so I don’t kill him… f*#k!”
I continued to fall uncontrollably, foolishly thinking to myself about how tore up my pack is going to be when I hit the ground, then before I could finish my thought...
…oh shit! There’s Jard!
...and it looks like he’s assumed a linebacker position and is prepared for my collision. Seconds later, BAM! He body checks me over onto a plush, little sloping ledge just feet before another big sloping section of slabs.
I stopped, holy sh#t, I stopped.
As the dust settled, I carefully stood up and dropped the piece of sh#t rope that, for some reason, I was still clenching in my fist. I shook out and explored my body for damage and was happy to find that with the exception of a bloody arm and a freshly torn pair of shorts, I was relatively unscathed from the fall, a little shaken up, but in one piece.
“Sh#t man, you just saved my ass!”
Jard was still google-eyed and once he saw that I was okay, I could tell from his face that he knew our dreams of Half Dome that day were crushed. Not wanting to ruin his psych, I said, “Hey man, maybe we should use those lines out to the left?!” He affirmed and on our way we went to conquer our first Half Dome in a day!
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Trip Report Views: 14,617 |
tallmark515
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About the Author tallmark515 is a trad climber from San Francisco, CA. |
Comments
overwatch
climber
Arizona
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Mar 20, 2014 - 09:19pm PT
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So it is literally a death slabs tr...cool?...glad your alive
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mcbaker
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Mar 20, 2014 - 09:35pm PT
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Marcooooooh. Mega tale. Nice writeup!! I think I missed the bromance.... Was that when Jard "body checked" you towards the end of your slide?
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Tork
climber
Yosemite
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Mar 20, 2014 - 09:47pm PT
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Good judgment is gained through experience, experience often due to poor judgment. I guess it sometimes takes several bad experiences?
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NutAgain!
Trad climber
https://nutagain.org
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Mar 20, 2014 - 10:10pm PT
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One of the best scary-story TRs in a while! Glad you survived to tell about it. And it's funny how the RNWFHDIAD is a footnote to the story :D
And this must be reserved for a classic route name:
"n00bery and bromance"
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limpingcrab
Gym climber
Minkler, CA
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Mar 21, 2014 - 12:37am PT
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My wife was just asking me why they're called the death slabs. I'll show her this.
TFPU!
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Mar 21, 2014 - 12:41am PT
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I want more details about the bromance! Very funny report, aside from you NOT getting seriously hurt.
In any case, you are jugging the fixed lines on the Salathe first! :)
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froodish
Social climber
Portland, Oregon
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Mar 21, 2014 - 12:41am PT
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however the force of the fall pulled my hand right off
Whew! Imagine my relief when I saw the pictures further down!
Nice TR!
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10b4me
Social climber
Lida Junction
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Mar 21, 2014 - 12:42am PT
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Thanks.
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, CA
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Mar 21, 2014 - 12:46am PT
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Good judgment is gained through experience, experience often due to poor judgment. I guess it sometimes takes several bad experiences?
Sometimes you just get lucky, but you'd be a fool to not learn from your errors or miss-steps.
This is why you have to be on yer game, check yer systems. Sh#t happens.
Be ready for anything. Everything.
Nice TR!
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tallmark515
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Author's Reply
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Mar 21, 2014 - 12:55am PT
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however the force of the fall pulled my hand right off
Whew! Imagine my relief when I saw the pictures further down!
Lol!
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steveA
Trad climber
Wolfeboro, NH
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Mar 21, 2014 - 05:55am PT
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I was up there last June with my son, and those fixed ropes were pretty manky.
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Blakey
Trad climber
Sierra Vista
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Mar 21, 2014 - 06:07am PT
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EEk!
Whymper said 'Look well to each step'..... Still good advice.
As someone else has suggested, the lesson to be learned wasn't found on the route. Thanks for sharing.
Regards,
Steve
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patrick compton
Trad climber
van
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Mar 21, 2014 - 07:59am PT
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good story.
bro's dont let bro's .... climb slabs.
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Mar 21, 2014 - 08:18am PT
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No love for sending?
Good job!
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jonnyrig
climber
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Mar 21, 2014 - 11:08am PT
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That's a pretty good tale to tell.
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le_bruce
climber
Oakland, CA
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Mar 21, 2014 - 02:00pm PT
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Daaaaaaaamn. Snapping rope, two words that should never go together.
Going by the look of the sunlight when you were hitting Big Sandy, you guys must have made good time. Top out in daylight? We're all ears (eyes I guess) if you want to give more details on the climb itself, your strategy, all of that. Look at how many views the detail-intensive Big Backpack Strategy TR has! We love that shit!
Thanks for the TR!
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j-tree
Big Wall climber
Typewriters and Ledges
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Mar 21, 2014 - 07:02pm PT
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Love it!
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Ezra Ellis
Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
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Mar 22, 2014 - 03:09pm PT
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Nice!!!
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melski
Trad climber
bytheriver
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Mar 27, 2014 - 08:37pm PT
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we were doing the slabs in the 70;s,, and they were called the same thing,,bottom line ,do;nt trust other peoples sh#t,,something we all gotta remember,,thanks,,
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labrat
Trad climber
Erik O. Auburn, CA
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Mar 27, 2014 - 09:14pm PT
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"I'll match your TR with my own account:"
Remarkably similar stories!
Thanks for sharing.
Erik
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HighTraverse
Trad climber
Bay Area
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Mar 27, 2014 - 10:43pm PT
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Two things in climbing really freak me out.
The first is realizing I'm WAY off route.
The other is having to rely on some ancient off-route mank. Old hardware store rope? AAAACK
You managed to escape a two-fer.
Well done with carrying on!
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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Mar 27, 2014 - 11:02pm PT
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excellent!
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Mar 28, 2014 - 01:01am PT
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Wow! Thanks for a most engrossing TR! Not too often I see someone with more uncertainty over the approach than over the send. Well done!
John
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ionlyski
Trad climber
Polebridge, Montana
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Mar 31, 2014 - 03:04pm PT
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I'm not sure i completely get this. I'm assuming you are not technical rock climbers as I can't see doing that route, relying on fixed ropes through easy terrain if you were, so how do know for example that you were on 5.6 terrain?
Sincere not condescending.
Arne
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Alpamayo
Trad climber
Davis, CA
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Mar 31, 2014 - 03:16pm PT
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I'm not sure i completely get this. I'm assuming you are not technical rock climbers as I can't see doing that route, relying on fixed ropes through easy terrain if you were, so how do know for example that you were on 5.6 terrain?
Sincere not condescending.
Arne
Huh? Have you been up the death slabs? It's pretty common to use fixed lines up this easy terrain to get to the base of HD, especially if carrying a load. Not technical climbers?....dId you not see the pictures of them up on the RNWFHD?
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aspendougy
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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If your're still in hiking boots and have a huge load, you're not exactly going to stroll up 5.6 to get to the real climb. Maybe kind, generous soul will replace the fixed lines, and they'll last another 30 years..............
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littlehammer
Mountain climber
Land of frozen crags
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I always heard stay to the left but never
climb into the bush.
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Highlife
Trad climber
California
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The title of this story is hilarious!
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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hey there say, tallmark515... wow, very nice trip report and great photos...
what a shot, all those multi gray-layers in the wall... so crisp and clear... great rock pic...
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Dr.Sprock
Boulder climber
I'm James Brown, Bi-atch!
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no big, just another day at the office,
(holy f*#kin sh#t batman!)
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The Regular Northwest Face. Photo: Mark Kroese
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