Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Whitney rescue, etc.

Inyo SAR had a busy day yesterday:

http://www.sierrawave.net/31719/inyo-sar-helps-two-hikers/

Anybody see the Whitney rescue taking place?

The Mountaineer's Traverse Free-Solo Cliff-Out is one of the more interesting routes AND rescues recently. I would like to know the details on how she was prepared to spend the night on the East Face. That could be very instructive. Apparently she was pretty high up: 3 or 4 pitches.

As usual, I request that our resident cartographers prepare a map, so that I can understand just exactly how one ends up on the East Face. (it would be helpful if we could see the intended route & the accidental route on the same map)

I couldn't get that link to work, but found this one:

http://inyosar.com/stuck-soloist-and-lost-hiker/

I think she got to the Tower Traverse, or maybe as far as the Washboard. (First picture here)

I also could not use the original posted link.

Steve, the first picture has a great view looking down to Iceberg Lake. If I'm not mistaken I can see Upper Boy Scout Lake and the "seeps". This view gives me more perspective about how close I was to iceberg Lake.

I'm with you on this. Seems unlikely she would have carried rope/harness/protection for the Mountaineers Route, yet she was prepared and able to spend the night on the East Face. She may have lost the route , but otherwise very capable. S&R should have let her to the top

Helping her to the summit would have been nice, I suppose, but SAR teams are there to save lives not help them summit. She had asked for help, and help is what she got.

I cannot imagine anyone intending to go up the Mountaineer's Route accidentally go up the East Face itself. While technically easy, there are huge amounts of exposure. Nothing on the MR looks or feels like this or require this much commitment:

http://patitucciphoto.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/10CLal0109.jpg
http://images.summitpost.org/original/173182.jpg

Judging by the pictures and the description, she stopped at the giant ledge before the Fresh Air Traverse. She should have known she was off route the minute she got to the Tower Traverse...but hindsight is 20/20 I guess.

Hats off to the SAR guys and gals.

In looking at Wagga's links, am I assuming correctly in that she *missed* the notch, swung to the left and choose to ascend the East Face?

Bee, I'm not trying to berate the poor lady, but you'd almost have to want to go up the East Face to head over there. If you want to do the MR, it's pretty obvious to continue heading up the chute. There really isn't even much of a notch where you head towards the EF. There are a few cairns up there leading towards the EF. My guess is she followed those without realizing they were meant for the technical climb. If it wasn't for the article stating otherwise, my other guess would have been she tried to free solo the route and realized she was in over her head.

Steve, we need a "tongue in cheek" emoticon.

I wonder if they cited her for failing to have an overnight permit for the North Fork (Imagine a "tongue in cheek" emoticon here)

That far away lake is "Girl Scout" lake, south of Clyde Meadow (the willows on the Mountaineers Route approach), and just west of Thor Peak.

Yes, you were very close. Here's the picture (click for full size).

Atari, you nailed exactly what I was thinking: maybe she intended to free-solo the EF, but but cliffed out or otherwise.

I could probably understand this explanation better than a navigation mistake.

Interesting bio on the rescued climber.

Sandra Corso

Why?

She's a serious climber with experience, skills, and training. Seems unlikely, with her background guiding and leading trips in the Sierra, that a "navigation error" led her off the MR to where she was found.

Looks like she was found in exactly the kind of terrain that she seeks out. "Remote" "aesthetic" climbs with rock? What does that best describe? MR? East buttress? East face? Realizing that it is all relative.

I thought it also explained why she was cool with hanging with no pro half way up the East Face overnight. Looks like an error in judgment in choosing the route, but decent preparation and except for the initial mistake, minimal imposition on SAR, considering.

It could have been so much worse.

A majority of the fatalities result from not knowing when to STOP, sit it out, and summon assistance. Someone seriously underskilled (me) wandering around on a (normlly) pitched route would have a high percentage of being a 'recovery' rather than an assitance. The other scenario is that having ZERO rope skills, I would have had to have been short-hauled off that rock.

After reading the bio that Salty posted, I have to agree that *navigation error* seems unplausable, BUT, what I am certain about is that SAR is quite happy that Sandra had enough experience/skills to allow the predicament to resolve very easily.

This seems puzzling.

I think there was a misunderstanding of what was going on. There may have been a language barrier?

It's hard to understand an experienced professional guide going onto the East Face without technical gear, or getting lost and missing the MR. Even if the first time on the mountain. (don't know)

??????

The Boy Scouts also seems odd. Thought he was behind, but he was in front, then took the wrong turn at the intersection...and kept going. May not have realized there WAS an intersection. Was found about a mile from their final destination. At least he was prepared.