Comments on: EXUM Guide Dies While Soloing

By: Mike Gardner

Mike Gardner — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 02:28:37 +0000

The Clients were in a safe hut with other guides and were never in any danger

By: Andy

Andy — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:51:11 +0000

Jeff,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

I must say I found it alarming (usual or not) to hear that guides sometimes climb personal objectives while on-the-job, but I have gained a broader perspective on the issue after talking to a few local guides. I’ll post more on the subject, but for now, I’m hoping to hear back from EXUM to see what they have to say.

By: Robert Kieffer

Robert Kieffer — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:21:33 +0000

I only did a quick scan of the article but I didn’t get the same impression as you. The article only says that guides commonly climb solo or in pairs when clients have settled in. I don’t see anything about them leaving clients alone.

That was certainly not the case here – there appear to have been 2 or more guides left behind with the group – and I can’t imagine a professional guiding outfit leaving clients alone, let alone having that be a standard practice in the industry. I look forward to seeing what you dig up about this.

By: JF

JF — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 02:40:26 +0000

First, George was one of the most amazing people you could ever hope to encounter. His approach to climbing and life in general was thoroughly reality based. It’s impossible to overstate the loss of this amazing individual.

But to your point, George set out on an easy route he had climb numerous times. In my mind, this is not that different from from jumping on your bike for a short cruise though town without a helmet. This was his realm, He did not abandon his clients at the above suggests, but went of for the climbing version of a walk. It seems likely that strong, erratic winds may have played a role in this accident; clients were not ever in danger or at risk.