Renowned ice climber Guy Lacelle dies

[J.Dub]

LA Times article here. This guy soloed WI6 like most of us walk down the street.


First Bachar...now Lacelle...2009 is turning out to be a tough year for free soloists.

RIP.

 

[TCD]

Sad. Worthy of some discussion.

Lacelle was killed by a fall, caused by an avalanche triggered by a party above. This is a little different from Bachar, in that it falls more under "objective danger."

Also, regarding Lacelle's rep as a solo climber, the Times article does mention that he had a partner at the time. Article does not make clear whether Lacelle was roped or unroped at the time.

TCD

 

[Hobbitling]

It's also important to note that he wasn't climbing at the time he was killed. he was hiking in a steep gulley above a cliff. The avalanche itself was rather small, and it just swept him off his feet and over the edge. If not for the cliff, he probably would have been ok.
bummer.

http://bozemandailychronicle.com/articles/2009/12/11/news/000avy.txt

 

[Chugach001]

Guy was a brilliant climber. I remember being awed by his solo exploits 20 years ago.

His death is probably equivalent to a professional Indy driver being killed in a car wreck on his way to pick up groceries.

 

[DougPaul]

His death is probably equivalent to a professional Indy driver being killed in a car wreck on his way to pick up groceries.

From http://bozemandailychronicle.com/articles/2009/12/11/news/000avy.txt

"He was climbing up a small gully and a team above him triggered a small avalanche," Doug Chabot, director of the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center, said. "He wasn't swinging the tools when it happened, it was just an avalanche. A small pocket of snow pulled out and caught him. It hit him and took him off the cliff, down the ice."

Even though he may not have been executing a technical move at the time, he was in an exposed approach/linking/exit gully in a climbing area. As any climber knows, such spots can have many of the same risks as actually climbing. And clearly risk plus a bit of bad luck caught up to him that day.

Still tragic either way.

RIP.

Doug

 

[cbcbd]

Assessment on the accident:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1yaiLI5LXc


A lot of climber losses this year. Very sad. RIP Guy.