Skip to content

Stay Frosty: The Rescue Matrix, with Pete Takeda and Jason Antin

General News
1 1 31 1
  • You’re in the thick of it. An accident just happened while you were out climbing, and now you have to decide: do I self-rescue, or do I call for outside help?
    In this episode of the podcast, we dive into that moment of decision, and provide a series of questions that you can use as a matrix to help you decide what to do next. Our guests, Accidents Editor Pete Takeda, and IFMGA/AMGA Guide and Search and Rescue volunteer, Jason Antin, weigh in.
    Pete reflects on accident reports from ANAC where individuals have self-rescued, called SAR, or had to do a little of both. We break down a few of these case studies to explore what circumstances caused the accident victims to make the decisions they did to initiate rescue.
    Then, Jason shares what happens behind the scenes when you call Search and Rescue for help, and how self-rescue techniques can supplement a SAR team’s mission and help SAR get to an injured party faster. Dive in to help prepare yourself, in case you ever find yourself in the thick of it.
    If you believe conversations like this matter, a donation to the AAC helps us continue sharing stories, insights, and education for the entire climbing community. Donate today!

    Use Jason Antin’s Guiding Services

    Explore the Archives: Accidents in North American Climbing

    Become A Member to Get Accidents in North American Climbing Annually


  • CodeByJeff - Now with AI!C CodeByJeff - Now with AI! shared this topic

Suggested topics


  • What's Perfect Balance Made Of?

    Videos climbing
    1
    0 Votes
    1 Posts
    60 Views
    EpicTVE
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiJp_SNktYw
  • Slacksnap Mobile

    Videos climbing hownot2
    1
    0 Votes
    1 Posts
    73 Views
    HowNOT2H
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FClsEwv7kk
  • The Prescription—Free Solo Fall

    General News climbing
    1
    0 Votes
    1 Posts
    66 Views
    American Alpine ClubA
    Besides being prime time in the high country, summer is a high-traffic season for alpine rock and long moderate climbs. This time of year, climbers of all levels venture unroped onto “easy” terrain. Every year, we also see a handful of free solo accidents. These are almost always fatal and usually take place on well-trafficked moderate routes. A disturbing pattern emerged last year when several fatalities occurred on adjacent formations in the same area. Recently, the Flatirons above Boulder, Colorado, saw three fatalities, two within two days in mid-December. On December 16, 2024 the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office received a report that 42-year-old Keith Hayes did not return home that evening. Around 9 p.m., friends of Keith found his body near the top of Second Flatiron after he presumably fell while unroped from Freezeway (5.7). Friends of Hayes report that there was no sign of snow or ice on the route and that there was no sign of broken rock contributing to the fall. The day after, December 17, a 27-year-old male was reported missing after not returning home in the evening from a Flatirons climb. The Boulder Emergency Squad found the body of the missing male the next day on the Standard East Face route (5.4) on the Third Flatiron; he was presumed to have fallen unroped. Rocky Mountain Rescue Group recovered the body after an eight-plus-hour operation. “Scrambling” blurs the line between third-class (easy unroped climbing) and fifth-class technical climbing. While the grade of the actual climbing is often anywhere between 5.0 and 5.6, the terrain is climbed unroped and is usually accompanied by consequential fall potential. A search of the Accidents archive reveals 33 accidents in the Flatirons described and analyzed by the editors (including 11 deaths) since the 1950s. Many of these were the result of unroped climbing. The editor of Accidents in North American Climbing, Pete Takeda, walks us through why free soloing or scrambling accidents are so prevalent in this area. Pete Takeda, Editor of Accidents in North American Climbing; Producers: Shane Johnson and Sierra McGivney; Videographer: Foster Denney; Editor: Sierra McGivney; Location: Flatirons, Boulder, Colorado. Freezeway is a steep, alternate finish to gain the summit of the Second Flatiron after completing one of several low-angle east face routes. Keith Hayes was very experienced and had climbed this route without a rope many times before his fall. The Standard East Face of the Third Flatiron is one of the most popular beginner climbs in the U.S. and is frequently climbed unroped. The accidents shocked the local community, and the timing and proximity of both fatalities gained national attention. These tragedies serve as a reminder of the inherent risks of free solo climbing. Experience and fitness do not guarantee survival, and familiarity can degrade attentiveness. (Source: Friends of Keith Hayes and Bill Kinter.) https://americanalpineclub.org/news/2025/8/12/the-prescription
  • Where does a v thread anchor break?

    Videos climbing hownot2
    1
    0 Votes
    1 Posts
    65 Views
    HowNOT2H
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBarsOZ4A8E
  • Five Iconic U.S.A. Trad Climbs 5.8 to 5.13

    General News climbing
    1
    0 Votes
    1 Posts
    84 Views
    GrippedG
    From splitter granite lines to classic sandstone cracks, here some must-try American cracks The post Five Iconic U.S.A. Trad Climbs 5.8 to 5.13 appeared first on Gripped Magazine. https://gripped.com/profiles/five-iconic-u-s-a-trad-climbs-5-8-to-5-13/
  • How to cut an Aramid core rope

    General News climbing alpinesavvy
    1
    0 Votes
    1 Posts
    105 Views
    AlpineSavvyA
    The normal way of cutting and melting a rope doesn't work too well with a rope with an aramid core, because it’s fireproof! Here's a simple and unconventional way to get a perfectly sealed cut on an aramid rope. https://www.alpinesavvy.com/blog//how-to-cut-a-kevlar-core-rope
  • 0 Votes
    2 Posts
    151 Views
    AlpineSavvyA
    You’re rappelling, and unexpectedly came to a damaged section of rope that you didn't notice from above. How would you get past it? Here’s one method. https://www.alpinesavvy.com/blog//how-do-you-rappel-past-a-damaged-section-of-rope
  • 0 Votes
    1 Posts
    101 Views
    GrippedG
    https://gripped.com/news/jorge-diaz-rullo-completes-his-hardest-boulder-ever/