The guide didn't do everything right. My first two climbs 50 years ago were turned back by the mountain guide, and I appreciated that. When I started climbing on my own, leading others up mountains, I never forgot that lesson. So many climbing disasters should be better labeled murder rather than a disaster, and that goes to guided up climbs up Everest, Hood, Shasta, Rainier, etc.
The video says the guide did nothing wrong but yet in the description below the video it says neither of the clients had helmets or the proper crampons. So when they got to the extra icy part the guide should have turned around. I learned this the hard way years ago when I was leading a group up a much smaller peak named Vesper in the PNW in the early spring. The weather turned bad and the route down was a solid sheet of ice. Going up there was some patches of ice but we were able to skirt them, now it was all ice. None of us had crampons as we had been told this was rated as a S2 so they were not necessary. Only one person fell but she did get a head injury along with some other injuries. She had to be air lifted out. Luckily she made a full recovery. I let myself be persuaded by her to celebrate her birthday on the summit. I still can see in my mind watching her sliding pass me out of control and hitting the rocks unable to self-arrest, not to mention the bloody snow surrounding her when she stopped. After that I always did my own research and listened to myself instead of others when it came to climbing decisions. I also aways lean toward the side of caution especially if those with me are less experienced.
Tbf, you _can_ climb ice without crampons but it's *a lot* of work cutting steps. Realistically though the best call was to turn around. Regardless, if you're not running protection roping up on ice isn't recommended unless there's crevasse hazard. On hard ice of any reasonable slope your ability to realistically self arrest is so bad that being roped up just means more people get pulled off the mountain with you.
The video says those people did have crampons, helmets, etc...the description, in the second part, is referring to a different man and woman who fell separately that weren't properly outfitted, there were several incidents that day on the mountain
The two clients being guided were in fact wearing crampons. The other two injured climbers who were not a part of the guided climb were not wearing crampons.
Mt. Shasta is in my backyard. I've cllimbed it a handful of times. There is an alternative route to the one described in this video which is easier: clear creek route. It opens later in the year and requires more driving to reach. However, there aren't the crowds and one does not have to deal with the Red Banks--the location of the accident in this video.
I saw death below me as I went up through treacherous Red Banks. We were clueless, under prepared, under equipped.. blessed with luck of the young and dumb.
I live right by Mt. Shasta, even experienced people get injured. I've climb Mt. Shasta, 4 times, and I've climb Mt. Lassen, 7 times. I've always took precautions when doing so.
I've been to the top of Shasta. It was late summer and we encountered no snow/ice, but there are a couple of segments that are pretty steep. Even in scree you want to be sure you don't slip and fall.
The clients got no helmet and crampons? That’s crazy! I did the same climb, zigzagging up the bowl before the final push for the summit (we did it as a group but not roped). The ice was hard in early morning and slippery in the afternoon. I can’t imaging not wearing my helmet and crampons, carrying my axe. The clients really got off lucky while the guide perished.
The clients were properly equipped by the guide service. There were multiple incidents that day, some of which involved unguided climbers that were not properly equipped. The article is describing these incidents as well as the guided group. The video is focusing on the clients with the guide that died.
@@lindsaynewell6319 And your point is? So it's all ok to let tourists and young inexperienced guides pay their way and keep the revenue going even if they are incompetent? That "guide" was so obviously not a real guide. You cliche gimmick climbers going around acting like everyday tourists belong on mountains, are basically the cause of all the cluttering and dangers. Selfishness on steroids. You are the same type that sign up to summit Everest as long as your "clients were properly equipped by the guide service" Haha.
I remember hearing about this 2 weeks before my trip to climb Mt Shasta in a day, and be my first 14er. As a mountaineer you accept that unexpected things can happen, mountains are unpredictable. There’s always a possibility of death, you just try to minimize that risk best as you can.
I climbed Lassen back in 2003, and it's not a bad climb once the snow is off the trail, but the following year, a kid died when part of the trail gave way under him. Tragic, but it is always a possibility. And Shasta is another 3200 feet higher than Lassen.
I've been in a similar situation, and know just how tempting it is to push on. It's a psychological battle, you want to keep going, and the voice in the back of your head is telling you that its fine (usually has the same ring as the client), and if nothing bad has happened so far the rest of the way should be ok. Thats when to do a risk assessment, cause chances are you've usually already started to think about it a while back, just not as seriously.
I am the first homeless man to free solo summit mount Shasta from sandflat campground on 9-16-22 the day before the snow hit many are called to the mountain but few are chosen to all my other fellow climbers don't forget the spiritual aspect of climbing and always ask the mountains blessing before your summit attempts
Oh no. I skied there in either 2008 or 2009, at this point I do not remember, and there was that crisp ice layer that you could slip on and also easily fall through into deep pits of snow. Our car got stuck in the snow overnight on the way, that was the last time I ever skied. It is very steep, be careful.
I hiked Mt. Shasta in tennis shoes but i rented crampons and ice ax. The place i rented from put on my crampons (used some foam padding between the crampons and the shoes and they did not tighten one of the crampons right so i had to hammer it back on every third step. My friend had climbed years before and took me up a way that ended in a huge chasm so we had to hike back down and go up Misery Hill. I was so tired of banging the crampon back into place that i followed the steps a taller person hacked into the path instead of the zig zag path others took. This was my first and only mt. i ever climbed. We got to within 100 ft of summit a spire that i did not climb. After getting to bottom of misery hill again i removed my crampons and skated down below to end of snow on my tennies! That was in 84
I think the story stands as a cautionary tale that everyone can learn from. It's definitely the teacher in me (Grade 7) and not the mountaineer as, "hoot no, I won't get climbing that bloody mountain, I've a family.".
I don't know the guide but she clearly made a poor judgement call to take clients into terrain where they were unable as a group to self arrest and the party took that long slide. I say this because the other guide in this video says he didn't think she did anything wrong. She either misjudged the mountain conditions or she misjudged the abilities of her group. It happens. My condolences to all involved.
Part of climbing a snow covered mountain is expecting there to be snow and ice. It wasn't a bad storm, the day of the accident was clear. The whole reason for crampons is to deal with the obvious ice you're going to encounter. The reason for bringing an ice axe is to deal with the ice you're obviously going to encounter. If you waited for snow and ice to not be on the mountain nobody would ever get to do it. 1 of the 2 novice inexperienced people made a mistake due to their in experience and with them being tied together, jerked everyone else down the mountain. They chose to do the climb, with crampons and an ice axe obviously understanding they have to deal with ice. Accidents happen, especially doing this kind of activity, everyone with a brain understands that. The ironic part is it killed the most experienced person of the group. 1 could argue nobody should take people who have no idea what they're doing up these mountains to begin with but this is their job. It's how they support, feed, house themselves and their family. They sell their help getting up theses mountains to people, not a grantee that having them there means nothing will go wrong. It's obviously 1 of the more challenging and dangerous activities people can do. That's the whole point of doing it.
I agree with the original statement. You are likely to encounter snow and ice on a trip like this, but the Ranger said this was exceptional and had said that no one has ever slid 2000 feet down the mountain. The one guide in the video stated that the hired guide did nothing wrong. It sounds like there was a judgment error as to the type of ice and the danger. Very sad for all involved.
Wow that’s so arrogant and obnoxious of people to say to someone - it’s your job to get me to the top. It’s the individuals journey to see how they go at having a go, the guide is exactly that, someone to assist you on the journey, how far you get on that journey is up to you and the weather of course.
Quick answer: "It's my job to get you back down ... alive. Stick your right hand into the back of your belt. Now imagine your left hand is all you've got. There's a nice T-bone steak. How are you going to cut it? That's what you pay me for, and I'm going to make sure you get your money's worth."
@@davesmith5656 It’s my job to make sure I can cut it in various scenarios before embarking on it, anything can happen, that’s why we train before we do anything with high risk.
@@chryseluna1648 Agree the distinction between guide and trainer needs to be made. The clients should be gaining experience on a base of training. If the guided couldn't possibly look after the guide that's a red flag.
I climb Clear Creek safely during the summer months , at around 13k’ is the only area that can be tricky and scary but it only lasts about 500’ then back on hard safe ground. I avoid the snow patches. Summit 4 times 2014,2015,twice in 2016.
I remember being in highschool and seeing a pic of Mt Shasta in a book. Two days later drove there rented an ice axe and crampons. Climbed it with no experience with no problem. First climb ever. Fun experience. I was 17
I hired ice axes and crampons from our small fleet of ten sets. We never advertised them other than through clubs as we want them to be returned by the person hiring them or at least be able to sleep soundly if they weren't. I'm glad you returned them.
All mountains have hidden dangers. I climb high desert peaks, loose soil, snakes, rock falls, and surprise weather. All can have tragic results. I have been a rock climber for 39 years and have almost died twice. Always due to my own enthusiasm and bad judgment. You learn to read conditions properly, or you can die. No ifs ands or buts. Heart goes out to them, it's tough.
I never got the impression that Shasta was a particularly difficult or technical climb. I wouldn’t think to hire anyone to help me. I’ve been up a few mountains, but I always know when it is getting unsafe, and I turn back if necessary.
On a good day Shasta is a strenuous walk. On a bad day she can and does kill. Several deaths a year. My first accent of Shasta was in jean's and hiking boots. But I've been on the mountain when winds turned even the top mountaineers back. I've seen falls, seen climbers leave in a stretcher, seen climbers with Acute Mountain Sickness and myself have been hit be rockfall. Be careful out there.
Ice screws and rope might have been called for. Some guy on a video about 8000m peaks said, "You don't find bodies of fallen climbers, you find pieces". Probably a great place for downhill bobsled.
Ice screws don't work on Shasta, it's not a glaciated mountain, most of the snow melts every year and it's too soft for screws. The ice that day was a very thin layer on top of soft snow created by rain days before. Snow anchors would pull out with that much force. They were ropped together, but that probably made the problem worse. 3 people strung together with only one knowing how to use an ice axe just ensures everyone goes down. There were already reports of slips and falls on the Shasta climbing group and people were advised not to go. If the guide knew that or not we'll probably never know, but we always get recent climbing reports before leaving.
Year 2001 a climber from Ashland fell over 2000 ft off Shasta ice flow . Fortunately the Shasta rescue team were doing a training climb and were instrumental in locating the fallen climber. 2 helicopters were required in the rescue , as only HWY patrol could manage a pickup higher than 10,000 ft. It was a long involved rescue and although the climber survived over 24 hours ,he succumbed to injury which included blunt force trauma and hypothermia. Ice conditions and decreasing ability to access warning signs of altitude effects were contributing factors . It was a tragic event and involved many people to find ,recover and treat him .
So my question would be "If she (the guide) is so 'not at fault', how come they were novices apparently climbing on steep ice instead of snow". Though I am hardly an expert, having climbed both ice and snow, I certainly recognize the difference, and the potential for uncontrolled, un-arrest able slides on thick ice crust, as opposed to summer snow. It doesn't add up to me.
We weren’t there so we can’t know what the conditions were like or how the guide assessed the risk. There may have been a thin layer of snow on top of the ice that made it look and feel safer than it was (I’m not saying there was, just that there could have been - I’ve read most of the reports about this accident and none have really been specific). I’ve climbed many mountains including Shasta in conditions when climbing up felt reasonably secure and safe but a fall would have been very serious. On my first climb of Shasta in 2000 (with the same guide service that Gillian Webster guided for), an experienced climber in an unroped pair fell ahead of our group on the route and suffered a head injury, which he died from 5 days later. Our guides were the first responders. Afterwards, our group continued climbing to 12,000 before running out of time and descending safely. That’s a counter-example where a guided group of novices negotiated a climb in conditions where an experienced mountaineer died. But it ingrained in me the risks of climbing which I continue to do today.
@@lindsaynewell6319 " We weren’t there so we can’t know ...". Well there were onlly 3 people there, and one of them is dead, so that means there are only two left who are qualified to comment on this ? In case you haven't been paying attention, it is de rigueur for our society to excuse women of doing anything faulty, even when the outcome strongly indicates fault of some kind or other. And since this particular incident resulted in a fatality, relate to me that your statement of, "I’ve read most of the reports about this accident and none have really been specific ...", isn't in that line of social drift. The rush is ALWAYS to excuse the women, at the expense of real factors involving faulty physical judgments environmental to tragedies of this type. In short, it turned out wrong, so therefore some aspect of wrong was done. And yes, we accept that there are risks for the dangerous environment in climbing, my occasional climbing partner was swept to his death off a face, by an avalanche. Rock fall is another such hazard, that is beyond reasonable anticipation, short of sitting at home on the couch, The conditions under one's feet are not included in that category unless it involves factors like that. So stop dancing around the issue like everyone else apparently did, a mistake in judgment was made, and there is only one person who should have had the presence to avoid it.
An Oregon mountaineer who I knew, Todd Anglecau, drove from Portland allllll the way down there (1993-ish?) and with other (more novice) climbers began ascending unroped on Shasta. One fell, the other tried to arrest him, both slid to their deaths. Todd was a cardiovascular MONSTER, but often others he climbed with were put in perilous positions. Had he been able to climb with others of his caliber he might have lived through it. He left a wife and a kid or two if I recall correctly.
In 2021 in Colorado I insisted our group turn around due to weather on Capitol Peak. My best friend continued despite our insistence. He fell to his death and he remains there to this day. It wasn’t until after his death that I learned he was rapidly losing his vision. He had hidden his sight loss from nearly everyone. I think often of Kelly when determining to turn around or bite down and move forward.
This is what gets me….people professionals to get them some where…..up a mountain, to a faraway location by plane, etc…..then these people don’t want to listen to the pro they hired when they’re told they can’t continue on due to dangerous conditions…you must turn around and go back and they get all pissy with you. If I hire a pro to get me some where…I’m going to listen to everything they say because that’s why I hired them….ti keep me safe. I have no idea what is wrong with people today but I’m so glad I’m coming near to the end of my life so I don’t have to deal with humans anymore. I’ve had it with humanity.
If one can't confidently climb a relatively easy peak on their own, navigate cloud cover, get lost and find their way back, spend a night up high, then they shouldn't even be on a mountain full stop. Its very sad that Jillian paid the toll.
It appears none of those criteria factored into this accident. This case seems to be a very traditional "one person slips and falls and takes all of the other roped climbers with them".
@@megamilyon6111It does factor in, because these tourists shouldn't even BE on a half serious mountain. Guide or no guide. And why were they not anchored in when its a notorious place for a fall? It doesn't take a genius to work out a slip from a tourist is more than likely. Its all rookie mistakes. Both tourist AND guide were out of their safe zone. And what for? Why do these young jetsetter "guides" take these sightseers on these reckless adventures risking everyone's life? A bucket list tick? A bit of cash to pay off a school fee? A social media plug? They endanger rescuers and everyone connected.
@@lindsaynewell6319 I see my reply was shadow banned. You are just as much part of the problem buddy. Go buy some more brand name trinkets to take on your cliche mountain treks. Dont forget to film it and post it on social media.
Great video! Novice climbers should be forwarded these kinds of videos and suggested classes to take before they go on these climbs. We only get one life. Take some precautions and be wise when making decisions, so you have the chance to climb again.
Even if novice climbers did view some of these climbing disasters videos it wouldn’t make a difference. Many people today don’t want anyone telling them what they can and cannot do….especially climbers and hikers. People never learn and these disasters will continue. I avoided getting into both climbing and hiking because they are extremely dangerous things to do in our national parks. My greatest concerns are being attacked by a wild animal or some crazy person out there…..and climbing is so dangerous I won’t even attempt it.
What a great job to have .. mountain ranger .. I kinda agree that taking people up into the hills is dangerous . One false move and they're gone .. And you're answering to their family . It was the same with kayaking ... I really only trust myself. It's important people get up hills . They don't have to be very dangerous hills though .
To become novis, and an elite climber, doesn't happen overnight! Many rope teaching classes, training, and putting in the hard work, is what makes a climber, a climber! Hiring a guide , to do everything, is not climbing! Results ending like this, can be avoided!
It's commonplace, crampons hit the ice and everything else keeps on going, snap, twist... but in mountaineering if you live to worry about that you're lucky.
I don't understand your complaint? These are all people who were directly involved in the incident, being interviewed by a very attentive anthropologist. This video wasn't made for you, it was made for other combing enthusiasts. They don't just see this as a useless tragedy, they see it as the learning experience it HAS to be.
@@BunnyQueen97 You are in defiant denial. Read what i wrote, it is clear. The way this is narrated is tabloids style, the tone is wrong and the accentuated words on the spectacular horrific side is obvious.
"The latter two climbers lacked helmets and crampons that are necessary for snowy and icy conditions, said Nick Meyers, lead climbing ranger on Mount Shasta for the U.S. Forest Service." This is left out of the video for some reason..
This is why I don't climb mountains, scuba, or spelunk. Life's hard enough, I've been beaten up enough. I don't need to tempt it to know how fragile life is. Jillian didn't do everything right you're contradicting yourself- you JUST SAID you turned your group around the same day bc DANGER. She ignored that and got greedy and she's dead you're not bc of that
Off the I-5 it takes less than 15 minutes to get to Everett memorial hwy, which is the road up the mountain. I would say 5 minutes. If you're going to argue the point. But why bother?
@@wilderheartland3920 well sure, and I80 is only 3 minutes from downtown San Francisco, and it leads to New York, but I don’t say that New York is only 3 minutes from SF.
Noone said "15 minutes and you'de at the TOP of the mountain". They just said you'd be ON the mountain, and that's being generous. Besides, it only takes less than 20 to get to to top parking lot at the Ski Bowl.
I live about an hour south of the mountain, been to bunny flat sled riding many times and hiked around alittle bit from the upper parking lot, never attempted to climb ant farther, I know my limits and fear.
Had a buddy, a fellow climber who was with the RMRG. He would tell me stories what it was like doing rescues, but insisted most of the time it was recovery missions. Never forget the time told me about doing a recovery and his team, he and one other guy stopped for lunch on a ledge just below where the victim was supposed to be. Said it was a recess so had plenty of room to stretch out. Anyway he's almost through his avocado, turkey, sprouts, peppers and mayo sandwich, you know with that really thick cut, dark wheat bread you could substitute as a floatation device... it was Boulder in the early 70s, everybody ate "health food". He said they heard a small plane pass over, close to the rock. He said he thought it had caused enough vibration or wind current to jar the body loose cuz right then I remember him telling me he heard a couple of clinks, a swooshing sound and then plop, right there in front of them on the ledge the guy's body landed. He said the guy's face looked just like aluminum foil after it's crumpled up in a tight ball.
an odd video....there is nothing inherently difficult about Avalanche Gulch. Billions of newbies do it with no issues. The problem was the weird icy conditions. The REAL moral of the story should be "if the conditions are bad, either turn around or don't go to begin with."
Shasta is by far NOT the most impressive mountain in CA LOTS OF OTHER STUFF on the east side Sierra blows it away Just the Mathes crest alone much less all the stuff from lee vining to bishop
He should have said “most impressive looking” - nowhere else in CA dominates the skyline like Shasta does from 100 miles away but yes there are far harder, more impressive mountains.
Mountaineers: These people who watch TH-cam videos about climbing and wanna get away from their computer come up here for an adventure Then just reject them? Only accept the qualified people. It's that simple. Of course it's a business 😅 These mountaineers are also a part of the problem.
The first thing I do is get the harnesses out and say put these on as a way to establish the credibility of clients quickly. I'm not surprised when the 'elite climber' puts it on backwards then we have a training conversation. Absolutely agree, don't accept everyone.
The guide didn't do everything right. My first two climbs 50 years ago were turned back by the mountain guide, and I appreciated that. When I started climbing on my own, leading others up mountains, I never forgot that lesson. So many climbing disasters should be better labeled murder rather than a disaster, and that goes to guided up climbs up Everest, Hood, Shasta, Rainier, etc.
Dial back the drama. Murder requires intent to kill. An accident is at best negligent homicide.
The video says the guide did nothing wrong but yet in the description below the video it says neither of the clients had helmets or the proper crampons. So when they got to the extra icy part the guide should have turned around.
I learned this the hard way years ago when I was leading a group up a much smaller peak named Vesper in the PNW in the early spring. The weather turned bad and the route down was a solid sheet of ice. Going up there was some patches of ice but we were able to skirt them, now it was all ice. None of us had crampons as we had been told this was rated as a S2 so they were not necessary. Only one person fell but she did get a head injury along with some other injuries. She had to be air lifted out. Luckily she made a full recovery. I let myself be persuaded by her to celebrate her birthday on the summit. I still can see in my mind watching her sliding pass me out of control and hitting the rocks unable to self-arrest, not to mention the bloody snow surrounding her when she stopped. After that I always did my own research and listened to myself instead of others when it came to climbing decisions. I also aways lean toward the side of caution especially if those with me are less experienced.
Tbf, you _can_ climb ice without crampons but it's *a lot* of work cutting steps. Realistically though the best call was to turn around. Regardless, if you're not running protection roping up on ice isn't recommended unless there's crevasse hazard. On hard ice of any reasonable slope your ability to realistically self arrest is so bad that being roped up just means more people get pulled off the mountain with you.
The video says those people did have crampons, helmets, etc...the description, in the second part, is referring to a different man and woman who fell separately that weren't properly outfitted, there were several incidents that day on the mountain
The two clients being guided were in fact wearing crampons. The other two injured climbers who were not a part of the guided climb were not wearing crampons.
2000 ft of vert? That is Fing horrendous. You hear of people falling 100s of feet but not 2 frickin thousand. Good Lord that is not good
Mt. Shasta is in my backyard. I've cllimbed it a handful of times. There is an alternative route to the one described in this video which is easier: clear creek route. It opens later in the year and requires more driving to reach. However, there aren't the crowds and one does not have to deal with the Red Banks--the location of the accident in this video.
RIP Jillian...
Kizzy
I saw death below me as I went up through treacherous Red Banks. We were clueless, under prepared, under equipped.. blessed with luck of the young and dumb.
I live right by Mt. Shasta, even experienced people get injured. I've climb Mt. Shasta, 4 times, and I've climb Mt. Lassen, 7 times. I've always took precautions when doing so.
@Hyde Dewar No, I have not.
I've been to the top of Shasta. It was late summer and we encountered no snow/ice, but there are a couple of segments that are pretty steep. Even in scree you want to be sure you don't slip and fall.
Mt. Shasta was my first summit. Such a beautiful place.
The clients got no helmet and crampons? That’s crazy! I did the same climb, zigzagging up the bowl before the final push for the summit (we did it as a group but not roped). The ice was hard in early morning and slippery in the afternoon. I can’t imaging not wearing my helmet and crampons, carrying my axe. The clients really got off lucky while the guide perished.
The clients were properly equipped by the guide service. There were multiple incidents that day, some of which involved unguided climbers that were not properly equipped. The article is describing these incidents as well as the guided group. The video is focusing on the clients with the guide that died.
@@lindsaynewell6319 And your point is?
So it's all ok to let tourists and young inexperienced guides pay their way and keep the revenue going even if they are incompetent? That "guide" was so obviously not a real guide.
You cliche gimmick climbers going around acting like everyday tourists belong on mountains, are basically the cause of all the cluttering and dangers. Selfishness on steroids. You are the same type that sign up to summit Everest as long as your "clients were properly equipped by the guide service" Haha.
I remember hearing about this 2 weeks before my trip to climb Mt Shasta in a day, and be my first 14er. As a mountaineer you accept that unexpected things can happen, mountains are unpredictable. There’s always a possibility of death, you just try to minimize that risk best as you can.
I climbed Lassen back in 2003, and it's not a bad climb once the snow is off the trail, but the following year, a kid died when part of the trail gave way under him. Tragic, but it is always a possibility. And Shasta is another 3200 feet higher than Lassen.
TF is 14er
I've been in a similar situation, and know just how tempting it is to push on. It's a psychological battle, you want to keep going, and the voice in the back of your head is telling you that its fine (usually has the same ring as the client), and if nothing bad has happened so far the rest of the way should be ok. Thats when to do a risk assessment, cause chances are you've usually already started to think about it a while back, just not as seriously.
I am the first homeless man to free solo summit mount Shasta from sandflat campground on 9-16-22 the day before the snow hit many are called to the mountain but few are chosen to all my other fellow climbers don't forget the spiritual aspect of climbing and always ask the mountains blessing before your summit attempts
Nope
Many persons who were technically homeless climbers have done this solo long before you
Oh no. I skied there in either 2008 or 2009, at this point I do not remember, and there was that crisp ice layer that you could slip on and also easily fall through into deep pits of snow. Our car got stuck in the snow overnight on the way, that was the last time I ever skied. It is very steep, be careful.
I hiked Mt. Shasta in tennis shoes but i rented crampons and ice ax. The place i rented from put on my crampons (used some foam padding between the crampons and the shoes and they did not tighten one of the crampons right so i had to hammer it back on every third step. My friend had climbed years before and took me up a way that ended in a huge chasm so we had to hike back down and go up Misery Hill. I was so tired of banging the crampon back into place that i followed the steps a taller person hacked into the path instead of the zig zag path others took. This was my first and only mt. i ever climbed. We got to within 100 ft of summit a spire that i did not climb. After getting to bottom of misery hill again i removed my crampons and skated down below to end of snow on my tennies! That was in 84
There was still snow and glaciers almost down to the parking lot @ 10k' back then even in summertime.
Ohhh the 80s😉
I think the story stands as a cautionary tale that everyone can learn from. It's definitely the teacher in me (Grade 7) and not the mountaineer as, "hoot no, I won't get climbing that bloody mountain, I've a family.".
I don't know the guide but she clearly made a poor judgement call to take clients into terrain where they were unable as a group to self arrest and the party took that long slide. I say this because the other guide in this video says he didn't think she did anything wrong. She either misjudged the mountain conditions or she misjudged the abilities of her group. It happens. My condolences to all involved.
Part of climbing a snow covered mountain is expecting there to be snow and ice. It wasn't a bad storm, the day of the accident was clear. The whole reason for crampons is to deal with the obvious ice you're going to encounter. The reason for bringing an ice axe is to deal with the ice you're obviously going to encounter. If you waited for snow and ice to not be on the mountain nobody would ever get to do it. 1 of the 2 novice inexperienced people made a mistake due to their in experience and with them being tied together, jerked everyone else down the mountain. They chose to do the climb, with crampons and an ice axe obviously understanding they have to deal with ice. Accidents happen, especially doing this kind of activity, everyone with a brain understands that. The ironic part is it killed the most experienced person of the group. 1 could argue nobody should take people who have no idea what they're doing up these mountains to begin with but this is their job. It's how they support, feed, house themselves and their family. They sell their help getting up theses mountains to people, not a grantee that having them there means nothing will go wrong. It's obviously 1 of the more challenging and dangerous activities people can do. That's the whole point of doing it.
that's why I stay on land. 😂
If it's not the couple's fault, then why do they wish to remain anonymous?
I agree with the original statement. You are likely to encounter snow and ice on a trip like this, but the Ranger said this was exceptional and had said that no one has ever slid 2000 feet down the mountain. The one guide in the video stated that the hired guide did nothing wrong. It sounds like there was a judgment error as to the type of ice and the danger. Very sad for all involved.
Wow that’s so arrogant and obnoxious of people to say to someone - it’s your job to get me to the top.
It’s the individuals journey to see how they go at having a go, the guide is exactly that, someone to assist you on the journey, how far you get on that journey is up to you and the weather of course.
Quick answer: "It's my job to get you back down ... alive. Stick your right hand into the back of your belt. Now imagine your left hand is all you've got. There's a nice T-bone steak. How are you going to cut it? That's what you pay me for, and I'm going to make sure you get your money's worth."
@@davesmith5656
It’s my job to make sure I can cut it in various scenarios before embarking on it, anything can happen, that’s why we train before we do anything with high risk.
@@chryseluna1648 Agree the distinction between guide and trainer needs to be made. The clients should be gaining experience on a base of training. If the guided couldn't possibly look after the guide that's a red flag.
The guide's job is only to guide. To show the way.
I climb Clear Creek safely during the summer months , at around 13k’ is the only area that can be tricky and scary but it only lasts about 500’ then back on hard safe ground. I avoid the snow patches. Summit 4 times 2014,2015,twice in 2016.
I remember being in highschool and seeing a pic of Mt Shasta in a book. Two days later drove there rented an ice axe and crampons. Climbed it with no experience with no problem. First climb ever. Fun experience. I was 17
Lol.
I hired ice axes and crampons from our small fleet of ten sets. We never advertised them other than through clubs as we want them to be returned by the person hiring them or at least be able to sleep soundly if they weren't. I'm glad you returned them.
Sometimes we are given a hall pass and sometimes not.
All mountains have hidden dangers.
I climb high desert peaks, loose soil, snakes, rock falls, and surprise weather. All can have tragic results.
I have been a rock climber for 39 years and have almost died twice.
Always due to my own enthusiasm and bad judgment. You learn to read conditions properly, or you can die. No ifs ands or buts.
Heart goes out to them, it's tough.
I never got the impression that Shasta was a particularly difficult or technical climb. I wouldn’t think to hire anyone to help me. I’ve been up a few mountains, but I always know when it is getting unsafe, and I turn back if necessary.
No shame in turning back 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
On a good day Shasta is a strenuous walk. On a bad day she can and does kill. Several deaths a year.
My first accent of Shasta was in jean's and hiking boots. But I've been on the mountain when winds turned even the top mountaineers back. I've seen falls, seen climbers leave in a stretcher, seen climbers with Acute Mountain Sickness and myself have been hit be rockfall. Be careful out there.
After the snow clears, it is not a difficult climb.
Thanks David for upload ♥️🍿✌️
Ice screws and rope might have been called for. Some guy on a video about 8000m peaks said, "You don't find bodies of fallen climbers, you find pieces". Probably a great place for downhill bobsled.
Ice screws don't work on Shasta, it's not a glaciated mountain, most of the snow melts every year and it's too soft for screws. The ice that day was a very thin layer on top of soft snow created by rain days before. Snow anchors would pull out with that much force. They were ropped together, but that probably made the problem worse. 3 people strung together with only one knowing how to use an ice axe just ensures everyone goes down. There were already reports of slips and falls on the Shasta climbing group and people were advised not to go. If the guide knew that or not we'll probably never know, but we always get recent climbing reports before leaving.
Year 2001 a climber from Ashland fell over 2000 ft off Shasta ice flow . Fortunately the Shasta rescue team were doing a training climb and were instrumental in locating the fallen climber. 2 helicopters were required in the rescue , as only HWY patrol could manage a pickup higher than 10,000 ft. It was a long involved rescue and although the climber survived over 24 hours ,he succumbed to injury which included blunt force trauma and hypothermia. Ice conditions and decreasing ability to access warning signs of altitude effects were contributing factors . It was a tragic event and involved many people to find ,recover and treat him .
What’s the point of tying everyone together if all it does is drag three people down instead of 1?
Makes it easier to find all the bodies.
Great story that everyone can learn from!
Your videos are ALWAYS really good!!! 👍🏻
All three were in over their heads. They got the wrong guide, whose experience and capabilities were overstated. They're lucky to be alive.
So my question would be "If she (the guide) is so 'not at fault', how come they were novices apparently climbing on steep ice instead of snow". Though I am hardly an expert, having climbed both ice and snow, I certainly recognize the difference, and the potential for uncontrolled, un-arrest able slides on thick ice crust, as opposed to summer snow. It doesn't add up to me.
We weren’t there so we can’t know what the conditions were like or how the guide assessed the risk. There may have been a thin layer of snow on top of the ice that made it look and feel safer than it was (I’m not saying there was, just that there could have been - I’ve read most of the reports about this accident and none have really been specific). I’ve climbed many mountains including Shasta in conditions when climbing up felt reasonably secure and safe but a fall would have been very serious. On my first climb of Shasta in 2000 (with the same guide service that Gillian Webster guided for), an experienced climber in an unroped pair fell ahead of our group on the route and suffered a head injury, which he died from 5 days later. Our guides were the first responders. Afterwards, our group continued climbing to 12,000 before running out of time and descending safely. That’s a counter-example where a guided group of novices negotiated a climb in conditions where an experienced mountaineer died. But it ingrained in me the risks of climbing which I continue to do today.
@@lindsaynewell6319 " We weren’t there so we can’t know ...". Well there were onlly 3 people there, and one of them is dead, so that means there are only two left who are qualified to comment on this ? In case you haven't been paying attention, it is de rigueur for our society to excuse women of doing anything faulty, even when the outcome strongly indicates fault of some kind or other. And since this particular incident resulted in a fatality, relate to me that your statement of, "I’ve read most of the reports about this accident and none have really been specific ...", isn't in that line of social drift. The rush is ALWAYS to excuse the women, at the expense of real factors involving faulty physical judgments environmental to tragedies of this type. In short, it turned out wrong, so therefore some aspect of wrong was done. And yes, we accept that there are risks for the dangerous environment in climbing, my occasional climbing partner was swept to his death off a face, by an avalanche. Rock fall is another such hazard, that is beyond reasonable anticipation, short of sitting at home on the couch, The conditions under one's feet are not included in that category unless it involves factors like that. So stop dancing around the issue like everyone else apparently did, a mistake in judgment was made, and there is only one person who should have had the presence to avoid it.
Gravity is Constant. Sometimes you Stand, Sometimes you Fall.
An Oregon mountaineer who I knew, Todd Anglecau, drove from Portland allllll the way down there (1993-ish?) and with other (more novice) climbers began ascending unroped on Shasta. One fell, the other tried to arrest him, both slid to their deaths. Todd was a cardiovascular MONSTER, but often others he climbed with were put in perilous positions. Had he been able to climb with others of his caliber he might have lived through it. He left a wife and a kid or two if I recall correctly.
To sum it all..... Know your limits and do not go past the point of no return!
Thank you David, a trajedy I had not heard about.
In 2021 in Colorado I insisted our group turn around due to weather on Capitol Peak. My best friend continued despite our insistence. He fell to his death and he remains there to this day.
It wasn’t until after his death that I learned he was rapidly losing his vision. He had hidden his sight loss from nearly everyone.
I think often of Kelly when determining to turn around or bite down and move forward.
Shasta was always my favorite place to water ski!
That sounds like the lake, an hour South of the Mountain.
Born n raised in Montana, I’m good to go. Incredibly sad story though and I hope Jullian’s family is doing alright.
I can't get use to nose rings.
This is what gets me….people professionals to get them some where…..up a mountain, to a faraway location by plane, etc…..then these people don’t want to listen to the pro they hired when they’re told they can’t continue on due to dangerous conditions…you must turn around and go back and they get all pissy with you. If I hire a pro to get me some where…I’m going to listen to everything they say because that’s why I hired them….ti keep me safe. I have no idea what is wrong with people today but I’m so glad I’m coming near to the end of my life so I don’t have to deal with humans anymore. I’ve had it with humanity.
You're smart. Do you think its a "summit fever" situation?
If one can't confidently climb a relatively easy peak on their own, navigate cloud cover, get lost and find their way back, spend a night up high, then they shouldn't even be on a mountain full stop.
Its very sad that Jillian paid the toll.
It appears none of those criteria factored into this accident. This case seems to be a very traditional "one person slips and falls and takes all of the other roped climbers with them".
@@megamilyon6111It does factor in, because these tourists shouldn't even BE on a half serious mountain. Guide or no guide.
And why were they not anchored in when its a notorious place for a fall? It doesn't take a genius to work out a slip from a tourist is more than likely. Its all rookie mistakes. Both tourist AND guide were out of their safe zone.
And what for? Why do these young jetsetter "guides" take these sightseers on these reckless adventures risking everyone's life? A bucket list tick? A bit of cash to pay off a school fee? A social media plug?
They endanger rescuers and everyone connected.
And the way you learn how to do that is …?
@@lindsaynewell6319 I see my reply was shadow banned.
You are just as much part of the problem buddy. Go buy some more brand name trinkets to take on your cliche mountain treks. Dont forget to film it and post it on social media.
It's a hike not a climb. Anyone that can't get there on their own shouldn't be there
She should not allowed them to attempt the climb with no crampons or helmuts.
They had crampons and helmets. Try to pay attention. It was other climbers, who did not have a guide, that did not have the proper equipment.
Great video! Novice climbers should be forwarded these kinds of videos and suggested classes to take before they go on these climbs. We only get one life. Take some precautions and be wise when making decisions, so you have the chance to climb again.
Even if novice climbers did view some of these climbing disasters videos it wouldn’t make a difference. Many people today don’t want anyone telling them what they can and cannot do….especially climbers and hikers. People never learn and these disasters will continue. I avoided getting into both climbing and hiking because they are extremely dangerous things to do in our national parks. My greatest concerns are being attacked by a wild animal or some crazy person out there…..and climbing is so dangerous I won’t even attempt it.
If your survival matters, don't rely on anyone else.
4:46 "...And then he heart stopped."
... shows victim in a rictus of some sort.
Great edit -
What a great job to have .. mountain ranger ..
I kinda agree that taking people up into the hills is dangerous . One false move and they're gone ..
And you're answering to their family . It was the same with kayaking ... I really only trust myself.
It's important people get up hills . They don't have to be very dangerous hills though .
To become novis, and an elite climber, doesn't happen overnight! Many rope teaching classes, training, and putting in the hard work, is what makes a climber, a climber! Hiring a guide , to do everything, is not climbing! Results ending like this, can be avoided!
Ankles point the wrong way more often than you'd think.
Really doesn't take that much- i had my toes pointed about 90deg from where they should be, and i wasn't doing anything particularly epic.
It's commonplace, crampons hit the ice and everything else keeps on going, snap, twist... but in mountaineering if you live to worry about that you're lucky.
"just because you can, does not mean you should'
Looks like you can't buy everything,. including sound judgment.
The way this is narrated is tabloids style, the tone is wrong and the accentuated words on the spectacular horrific side is obvious.
I don't understand your complaint? These are all people who were directly involved in the incident, being interviewed by a very attentive anthropologist. This video wasn't made for you, it was made for other combing enthusiasts. They don't just see this as a useless tragedy, they see it as the learning experience it HAS to be.
@@BunnyQueen97 You are in defiant denial. Read what i wrote, it is clear. The way this is narrated is tabloids style, the tone is wrong and the accentuated words on the spectacular horrific side is obvious.
Were they simul-climbing or did they have adequate ice protection (which would have slowed down their upwards movement but reduced the risk of dying)?
"The latter two climbers lacked helmets and crampons that are necessary for snowy and icy conditions, said Nick Meyers, lead climbing ranger on Mount Shasta for the U.S. Forest Service."
This is left out of the video for some reason..
Because they weren’t the subject of this video - this was focused on one couple and their guide - but those two are referenced at 5:35
"Should have used Uber Helicopter"
- Jason Lance
Nobody braggs about "climbing" Mt. Shasta 🙄
I rode my mountain bike up it in August 1996
Nose ring says it all.
This is why I don't climb mountains, scuba, or spelunk. Life's hard enough, I've been beaten up enough. I don't need to tempt it to know how fragile life is. Jillian didn't do everything right you're contradicting yourself- you JUST SAID you turned your group around the same day bc DANGER. She ignored that and got greedy and she's dead you're not bc of that
Since I made it through this video I'm ready to conquer Everest
Why do people keep saying Shasta is “15 minutes off I5”? It isn’t.
Off the I-5 it takes less than 15 minutes to get to Everett memorial hwy, which is the road up the mountain. I would say 5 minutes. If you're going to argue the point. But why bother?
@@wilderheartland3920 well sure, and I80 is only 3 minutes from downtown San Francisco, and it leads to New York, but I don’t say that New York is only 3 minutes from SF.
Noone said "15 minutes and you'de at the TOP of the mountain". They just said you'd be ON the mountain, and that's being generous. Besides, it only takes less than 20 to get to to top parking lot at the Ski Bowl.
He’s approximately 33% wrong in the intro to a video which is fundamentally about the fatal consequences of incredibly small margins of error🤦🏼♂️
BS. She did not do everything right.
I live about an hour south of the mountain, been to bunny flat sled riding many times and hiked around alittle bit from the upper parking lot, never attempted to climb ant farther, I know my limits and fear.
Had a buddy, a fellow climber who was with the RMRG. He would tell me stories what it was like doing rescues, but insisted most of the time it was recovery missions. Never forget the time told me about doing a recovery and his team, he and one other guy stopped for lunch on a ledge just below where the victim was supposed to be. Said it was a recess so had plenty of room to stretch out. Anyway he's almost through his avocado, turkey, sprouts, peppers and mayo sandwich, you know with that really thick cut, dark wheat bread you could substitute as a floatation device... it was Boulder in the early 70s, everybody ate "health food". He said they heard a small plane pass over, close to the rock. He said he thought it had caused enough vibration or wind current to jar the body loose cuz right then I remember him telling me he heard a couple of clinks, a swooshing sound and then plop, right there in front of them on the ledge the guy's body landed. He said the guy's face looked just like aluminum foil after it's crumpled up in a tight ball.
Oh don’t you dare underestimate us! 5:29 😮😂
Why the vocal dry voice?!?! So annoying!"
an odd video....there is nothing inherently difficult about Avalanche Gulch. Billions of newbies do it with no issues.
The problem was the weird icy conditions. The REAL moral of the story should be "if the conditions are bad, either turn around or don't go to begin with."
31 agosto 22 logré la cima 👍🏻
People just use your brain and stop thinking about feat, they didn't assess the mountain condition and they are gone it is that easy to understand
I can't help but to Notice the date... 06/06/2022= 666
That was vague as f
Shasta is by far NOT the most impressive mountain in CA
LOTS OF OTHER STUFF on the east side Sierra blows it away
Just the Mathes crest alone much less all the stuff from lee vining to bishop
He should have said “most impressive looking” - nowhere else in CA dominates the skyline like Shasta does from 100 miles away but yes there are far harder, more impressive mountains.
Why is this the la times video
a woman guide? no wonder it was a disaster 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Bro ive been there
Damn
Darwin awards banquet
👍👍🇮🇪🇮🇪❤️🍀
Mountaineers: These people who watch TH-cam videos about climbing and wanna get away from their computer come up here for an adventure
Then just reject them? Only accept the qualified people. It's that simple. Of course it's a business 😅 These mountaineers are also a part of the problem.
The first thing I do is get the harnesses out and say put these on as a way to establish the credibility of clients quickly. I'm not surprised when the 'elite climber' puts it on backwards then we have a training conversation. Absolutely agree, don't accept everyone.
MSM.
what was the point of this video? some los angeles liberal talking about something he knows nothing about!! 🤣🤣
yes a trump repug would say an intelllient person knows nothing.
He's telling a story, not instructing mountaineering 🙄
Actually he is a videographer for National Geographic and has climbed and filmed so many major climbing expeditions including Everest many times.