Helicopter Rescues Injured Climber Above Squamish
And be careful with rockfall as you climb above others coming up below you
Climbers on The Chief this past weekend got a first-hand look at a helicopter rescue as Squamish Search and Rescue went into action on Sunday.
“Our team was tasked out to help retrieve some stranded climbers on The Chief earlier this morning,” they announced on social media. “The pair were heading up a route called Ultimate Everything when one took a fall and suffered a lower leg injury. After spending a night perched on a ledge, they were extracted by long line at first light and handed over to an awaiting ambulance.”
And Just north of Squamish, Liu HaoTian reported that he was struck by rockfall on the popular Star Chek: “I was setting up the anchor before the last pitch on Star Chek today and someone knocked a large fist sized rock from above. Luckily it missed my head/rope but still cut my shorts and left a giant bloody bruise on my thigh. So please, when you top out, be just a little careful, avoid the part on the left that has a bunch of large loose rocks, and don’t try to kill people below you.”
Learn How To Rescue: Be prepared for the worst when rock climbing as anything can happen: a hold could break, gear could pull, weather could come in, you could climb into another team having an epic. Rescue techniques can go a long way, such as hauling, lowering, tandem-rappel and how to escape the belay are skills everyone should have. Ask your partner if they could save your life if you fell and were knocked out. Rescue techniques are as important as carrying a beacon and shovel into avalanche terrain. Bring a radio, cell phone (know if there’s coverage on your route before going), SPOT or inReach.
