Thread: Mount Hood: Volunteers brave treacherous conditions to bring climber's body down

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/i...cherous_c.html

Eight search and rescue volunteers were on Mount Hood Thursday afternoon, painstakingly bringing down the body of a climber who had died in a fall earlier in the day.

Authorities have not yet identified the man, but say he was one of 15 solo climbers who had registered earlier at Timberline Lodge to scale the mountain overnight.

Several other climbers witnessed the fall and many of them called 9-1-1 shortly afterward to report that a climber had fallen around the 10,000 foot level in an area near Crater Rock, beneath Hogsback Ridge.

By about 12:15 p.m., volunteers from the AMR RAT Team and Portland Mountain Rescue were coming down from about the 8,900-foot level, just below the Palmer Snowfield, bringing the man's body in a litter. They were using anchors and a 300-foot robe on the steep face, which has an angle of about 35 degrees.

The plan, according to Sgt. Adam Phillips of the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office was for a snowcat to the meet the group at the top of the Palmer ski lift and then place the body on a snowcat to bring it the rest of the way down the mountain.

The Oregonian's list of fatalities on Mount Hood since 1883
The Clackamas County Medical Examiner arrived on the scene about 12:30 p.m. to await the arrival of the body

It is a busy day on the mountain, under clear blue skies. In all, more than 200 people have registered to climb today. More than 100, some in groups, were on the mountain when the incident took place.

Some volunteers are trying to contact other solo climbers on the mountain in order to figure out the identity of the man who fell. His name will be released by officials only after they notify next of kin.

hood_climbing_features.jpegView full sizeClackamas County Sheriff's OfficeSome of the climbing features of Mount Hood.
Bringing the body down is treacherous work, as the slopes are steep and icy and with the sun out, some of the ice is melting.

Officials said the man fell on the west side of crater rock near the base, landing in an area hidden from Timberline Lodge and the rest of the ski resort.

The man's age and hometown were not released, said Sgt. Phillips.

"There is a large debris field of his gear," Phillips said.

The other climbers who witnessed the fall and alerted authorities about 5:20 a.m., officials said.

By 8 a.m., search and rescue crews were on the mountain and other people were pouring in to help.

One climber from Rhododendron, who was in tears after seeing the body on his descent, said this was the first perfect climbing day in a long time: The snow is firm, visibility is excellent and temperatures are brisk. Conditions attracted dozens of climbers to the peak.

Zac Snow, a 27-year-old climber from Ashland, passed the area where the man fell about 7:30 a.m. He couldn't see the fallen climber but said, "Up where he was it gets pretty steep." It would have been another 90 minute climb to the summit on his second attempt but he was so shaken by the climber's fall that he turned around and descended.

Mt. Hood climber who fell 1,000 feet has been found dead The climber who fell 1,000 feet from the Hogsback area on Mt. Hood this morning has been found dead. No identification will be released until the body is recovered off the mountain.
"It kind of makes you adjust not why you go to the top but why you want to get to the top that day," Snow said.

The Hogsback area on the mountain's south side is a popular climbing route and is well known to the Portland Mountain Rescue volunteers who take part in rescue efforts.

Phillips said the area where the man's body was found at about 10,000 feet is perilous. Rescuers see a range of injuries, from climbers who walk away with bumps and bruises to fatalities.

"It's common for someone to slip and fall down," said Steve Rollins, a veteran rescue leader with Portland Mountain Rescue.

"Mount Hood is a serious climb, and it's often underestimated by experienced climbers and amateurs alike," said Mark Morford, who's on the board at Portland Mountain Rescue.

He said climbing the upper part of the mountain, where the man fell, required a high level of technical skill.

"Conditions can vary dramatically," Morford said. "You can have soft snow that's unstable and you can get into boiler plate ice that is slick and hard to get your crampons into. The most important thing is to make sure you have the skills to do it or are with someone who has those skills. "

Portland Mountain Rescue recommends that climbers go in a group of three or more so that there are at least two people to help in the event someone falls.

Climbers should not attempt Mount Hood on their own.

Portland Mountain Rescue recommends that climbers are well-equipped when tackling Mount Hood, ensuring they have ropes and anchors so that each climber is attached to a rope that is attached to an anchor stuck in rock or ice. Belay devices are recommended, ensuring that the rope around a climber stays taut. If someone falls, they don't fall far.

Other gear that climbers should bring include:

- navigation tools- skin and eye protection

- extra clothes

- extra food and water

- source of light

- first aid kit

- signaling devices

- shelter - stove and fuel, weatherproof matches or lighter

Clackamas County Sheriff's Office is in charge of the rescue operation, assisted by the AMR Reach and Treat team, Portland Mountain Rescue and Mountain Wave Communications.

Three other people have died this year on Mount Hood, including one other climber:

In March, snowboarder James Malcarne, 37, died of a head injury at Skibowl. Then in February, climber Jared Townsley, 32, died in the White River Canyon. In January, snowboarder Taylur DeWolf, 17, was killed at Skibowl when hit a tree.

-- Kimberly A.C. Wilson

The Clackamas County Sheriff's Office has identified the climber who fell 1,000 feet to his death on Mount Hood Thursday.

Mark Cartier, 56, of Portland fell around the 10,000 foot level.

Cartier was
on a standard climbing route
when he fell,
according to the Clackamas
County Sheriff’s Office. The
man landed on the west side
of an area known as the Hog´
sback, near Crater Rock.


Cartier was described as a highly experienced mountain and rock climber.

Mount Hood deaths
The Oregonian's list of fatalities on Mount Hood since 1883
A family statement read by Sgt. Adam Phillips said Cartier "exemplified the description of preparedness and calculated risk" and considered Mount Hood "his special playground."

"He climbed the mountain as he had hundreds of times before," his wife, Deb Weekley, said in the statement. "The only thing different this time was that he didn't call me saying he had made it down.

Cartier was one of 15 climbers who had registered at Timberline Lodge to solo climb overnight.

Several other climbers witnessed the fall and many of them called 9-1-1 around 5:20 a.m. to report that a climber had fallen.

By 8 a.m., search and rescue crews were on the mountain and other people were pouring in to help. Eight search and rescue volunteers worked Thursday afternoon to painstakingly retrieve the man's body by snowcat.

Mark_Cartier_photo.jpgView full sizClackamas County Sheriff's OfficeMark Cartier, 56, of Portland
Family members were brought to view the body and meet with the volunteers who helped with the recovery.

Cartier was a close friend of many members in Portland Mountain Rescue, said Rocky Henderson, who had crossed paths with the man many times before and was with the group that helped extricate his body.

"He had just returned from a climb in Alaska," Henderson said. "He had done a lot of different climbs. An accident happened."

Although inexperienced climbers are advised not to climb solo, Henderson said Cartier had the skills and conditioning to do it.

"It's a personal choice," Henderson said. "Solo climbing is dangerous, but the attraction is that I'm responsible for my life and I make that conscious choice. It takes more effort."

Henderson said Cartier could have been hit by ice or stumbled and fallen. It's just not clear.

Clackamas County Sheriff's Office was in charge of the rescue operation, assisted by the AMR Reach and Treat team, Portland Mountain Rescue and Mountain Wave Communications.

Mt. Hood climber who fell 1,000 feet has been found dead The climber who fell 1,000 feet from the Hogsback area on Mt. Hood this morning has been found dead. No identification will be released until the body is recovered off the mountain.
The Hogsback area on the mountain's south side is a popular climbing route and is well known to the Portland Mountain Rescue volunteers who take part in rescue efforts.

Three other people have died this year on Mount Hood, including one other climber.

In March, snowboarder James Malcarne, 37, died of a head injury at Skibowl. Then in February, climber Jared Townsley, 32, died in the White River Canyon. In January, snowboarder Taylur DeWolf, 17, was killed at Skibowl when he hit a tree.

Rest in peace, cartier. +++ vibes to his family and friends.

The community lost a good guy...this news breaks my heart.



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