ratagonia said:
SRT is a little more fool-proof. (Having once watched a companion get only one of the ropes in the biner, using an ATC on a DRT set-up.) But you know that nothing can be made completely fool-proof because fools are so infernally clever …
As Einstein is said to have said: “The difference between Genius and Foolishness is that Genius has its limits.”
Tom Click to expand…
Brian in SLC
Well…I’m looking at page 125 of the 2015 ANAM.
Ascent or Descent category for accidents by cause:
US: 4132 accidents on Ascent from 1951 to 2014.
Canada: 603 accidents on Ascent from 1959 to 2014.
US: 1310 accidents on Descent from 1951 to 2014.
Canada: 390 accidents on Descent from 1959 to 2014.
Browsing through immediate cause there’s not many “descent” specific categories excepting “rappel failure/error” (435) versus the number one immediate cause of “fall or slip on rock” (4340) some of which were apparently while descending.
The ANAM data is compiled from a variety of sources. You might not report your non-sexy rappel accident, but, SAR, your partner, or anyone who observed it might. And, where climbers get hurt and self rescue, you might not see those accidents reported as well (ie, my two climbing accidents, both on the ascent, both resulting in 4 hour + surgeries, weren’t reported).
Its easy to parse data…but…at least we have some data to draw some general information from.
myfingersaresore
Thanks for taking the time. Made me look at ANAM, too. Paints an entirely different picture.
In the interests of reducing confusion, I shall remove my previous post – posthaste…
myfingersaresore
Post removed by author.