California, San Bernardino Range, Mt. San Gorgonio. On 23 ...
California, San Bernardino R ange, M t. San Gorgonio. On 23 D ecem ber, M ichael D augherty (26), C harles H eifer (21), and Joseph H ara (50) w ere descending the route of ascent and the accident occurred about 500 feet below the summit on the N orth side. A t the time of the accident the party was cram ponning down a hard snow slope of no greater than 35° which connected the summ it ridge with a wooded ridge separating two som ew hat steeper (about 40°) couloirs. T his was the only place on the climb (about 100 yards) that had any exposure. T he rest of the climb either was on lower angle or heavily w ooded. T he party was descending unroped using cram pons and ice axes. A bout 100 feet above the upper end of the w ooded ridge, the party was proceeding in file when the last m em ber of the party (H ara) fell. This oc curred about 3:00 p.m. T he first two m em bers of the party turned and saw H ara sliding dow nw ard on his back, feet first, with his ice axe firmly grasped in both hands and held above him. T hey both shouted to him to roll over in order to execute a self arrest. H ara appeared to make no attem pt to do this and slid down into the broad couloir on the E ast side of the ridge, gaining speed and disappearing from sight. D augherty and H eifer descended the w ooded ridge and found H ara, severely injured (probably from hitting rock and trees on the way down), in a small tree protruding from the snow tow ard the bottom o f the couloir, approxim ately 500 feet below w here he fell. T hey cut a platform in the snow and rem oved H ara from the tree, placing him on the platform. H eifer then proceeded to the roadhead and sum m oned aid while D augherty ad m inistered first aid. H ara died at approxim ately 4:00 p.m. Source: M ichael D augherty, C harles H eifer, and D avid H arrah 17
A nalysis: (H arrah) It is possible that this accident could have been p re vented if the party had been roped. On the other hand, the route lay along relatively gentle terrain, with optim al conditions for cram pon walking; the conditions were such that a slip and fall did not seem at all likely. H ara had had some instruction in the use o f the ice axe, and he had done well on the ascent. Exactly why he slipped, and why he could not regain control, will probably never be known. T he m ost plausible explanation seems to be that he was more deeply affected by fatigue than he or his com panions realized.
A nalysis: (H arrah) It is possible that this accident could have been p re vented if the party had been roped. On the other hand, the route lay along relatively gentle terrain, with optim al conditions for cram pon walking; the conditions were such that a slip and fall did not seem at all likely. H ara had had some instruction in the use o f the ice axe, and he had done well on the ascent. Exactly why he slipped, and why he could not regain control, will probably never be known. T he m ost plausible explanation seems to be that he was more deeply affected by fatigue than he or his com panions realized.
