zengrifter: British climber dies after Red Rock Canyon fall

[zengrifter]

Ananova: Monday 18th November 2002

British climber dies after Red Rock Canyon fall

A British rock climber has died after falling 90 feet while climbing at the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area west of Las Vegas.

Christian Badcock, 23, of Northumberland, England, was flown Sunday by rescue helicopter to University Medical Center in Las Vegas, where he died of extensive injuries, the Clark County coroner's said.

Badcock was an accomplished climber and had been touring the Western United States with climbing friends, said Philip Guerrero, federal Bureau of Land Management spokesman at Red Rock Canyon.

The group had spent two weeks climbing at Yosemite National Park in California before beginning a climbing stay in southern Nevada, Guerrero said.

The fall occurred while they were scaling a wall in the Calico Basin area.

e n d

[pat]

> Ananova: Monday 18th November 2002

> British climber dies after Red Rock Canyon
> fall

> A British rock climber has died after
> falling 90 feet while climbing at the Red
> Rock Canyon National Conservation Area west
> of Las Vegas.

> Christian Badcock, 23, of Northumberland,
> England, was flown Sunday by rescue
> helicopter to University Medical Center in
> Las Vegas, where he died of extensive
> injuries, the Clark County coroner's said.

> Badcock was an accomplished climber and had
> been touring the Western United States with
> climbing friends, said Philip Guerrero,
> federal Bureau of Land Management spokesman
> at Red Rock Canyon.

> The group had spent two weeks climbing at
> Yosemite National Park in California before
> beginning a climbing stay in southern
> Nevada, Guerrero said.

> The fall occurred while they were scaling a
> wall in the Calico Basin area.

> e n d
thats what you get when you climb mountains w/o a harness.when will people learn.

[Wildcard]

I never understood the "thrill" of rock climbing, simply put, one missed step, and you are toast. Harness or not, I just don't get it. Perhaps it's one of those "well, if they can do it, I can do it".

I recall touring Yosemite and the driver stopped at a sheer rock wall...perhaps El Capitan...there were 4 souls clinging to the rock about 2/3 of the way up. I wondered why in the hell would you do that kinda stuff? And didn't Tom Cruise perform his own "stunts" of rock climbing in one of his recent movies? The one where he is spread eagle with only one good grab or else.

If you want altitude, thrills and chills, learn to fly a plane, at least you have an excellent chance of returning to terra firma in one piece. I recall many, many wonderful moments flying in New Hampshire and Maine with the Fall colors skimming a mere few hundred feet beneath me...an indescribable experience! Have also done this in an open cockpit 1943 Stearman Biplane...nirvana!!

Flying along the coastline above the ocean watching waves crashing into the rocks...awesome.

Cutting back the engine about a thousand feet above my neighbor's house while their son was playing in the yard, opening the side window and hollering "hello Tommy" was pretty cool! He thought I was some kind neat guy to do that!

Rock climbing? Nah...go flying!!

[drumzl]

My wife told me once, "As clumsy as you are, you better not become a rock-climber - you had better stick to bowling."

Sometimes the wisdom of that woman pisses me off, but not this time. :-)

Regards,
drumz1