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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Location
    Colorado
    Posts
    234

    RMNP CO: Dreamweaver Couloir rockfall/avalanche fatality - 29 May 2022

    Here's the preliminary report from CAIC:
    https://avalanche.state.co.us/caic/a...=822&accfm=rep

    There was also a close call nearby on the north face of Longs Peak (aka the Cable Route) just a few days before:
    https://avalanche.state.co.us/caic/o...p?obs_id=71834

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    9,300ft
    Posts
    21,938
    I'm confused because it says: 2 caught, 1 injured, 1 killed
    Yet the narrative explains: 1 immediate/delayed male patient ANG->HEMS->MCR, 1 minor female ANG->TH refusal, 1 expectant male patient located by Recco.
    Quote Originally Posted by blurred
    skiing is hiking all day so that you can ski on shitty gear for 5 minutes.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Gaperville, CO
    Posts
    5,845
    3 total individuals.

    1 mild injury.
    1 major.
    1 killed.

    Does seem "Summary Description: 3 climbers caught, 1 seriously injured, 1 killed" and Numbers don't quite line up. Probably will be cleaned up with final report. Given this happened in the Park, I expect they're leading the investigation rather than CAIC and my understanding is that there are some complicating factors to getting it done quick.

    Super tragic. Unlucky. Rockfall is hard to forecast.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Location
    Colorado
    Posts
    234
    We still don't know how much of a factor rockfall might have actually been in this incident, but, regardless, rockfall on alpine routes like Dreamweaver (which I've climbed, along with countless other alpine routes) is more likely after significant precipitation and lack of good freezes -- both of which occurred for several days preceding the tragic incident. And, of course, those same conditions (new snowfall and lack of good freezes) also increase the likelihood of avalanches on steep routes like this.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Gaperville, CO
    Posts
    5,845
    Rockfall was a significant contributor to the events.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Posts
    19,206
    It was the factor. Objective hazards are always in play.
    Is it radix panax notoginseng? - splat
    This is like hanging yourself but the rope breaks. - DTM
    Dude Listen to mtm. He's a marriage counselor at burning man. - subtle plague

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