Fall shakes friends

May 22, 2007

By MATT TUNSETH

Frontiersman

WASILLA - On Sunday afternoon, six friends from Anchorage drove up to Hatcher Pass for a day of rock climbing in the early summer sun. By nightfall, two would be returning to the city via emergency helicopter - leaving the other four to reflect upon how a leisurely trip into the backcountry nearly turned to tragedy.

It all began at around 4 p.m., when friends Ty Downing, 23, John Semon, 24, Ryan Semon, 19, Pat Maxwell, 26, Nikki Blumenshine, 21 and Catlin Johnson, 17, arrived at Archangel Valley in Hatcher Pass, a popular rock climbing destination because of its steep cliffs and sheer rock walls.

Experienced rock climbers, the group brought ropes and safety gear along, but intended mainly to scout around the area and mostly do some hiking.

&#8220We all got to base climb a little bit, that was all,” Ryan Semon said from the Archangel turnout Sunday night. &#8220We were just horsing around.”

Conditions in the area weren't conducive to heavy climbing, however, and so the group was content to scamper around on the many large boulders in the area.

As the afternoon wore on, the group split up, and Blumenshine and Maxwell headed back toward the truck. The Semon brothers, along with Johnson and Downing, stayed behind to continue exploring the valley.

At a spot known locally as the &#8220Zulu Wall,” Downing decided to get a little more adventurous. Climbing without a rope, he started up the steep cliff. The others held back.

&#8220It started to get pretty vertical and steep,” John Semon said.

Electing not to follow, the rest of the group waited while Downing continued over a ridge. In an instant, the tranquil calm of the valley was broken by Downing's screams.

&#8220All I heard was, ‘Oh, shit,' and here comes Ty's body over the side,” John said.

Ryan Semon said the scene was horrific.

&#8220He slipped about 20 feet, bounced off a rock and landed on his back,” he remembered. &#8220Just like a rag doll.”

Downing tumbled directly toward them, and John Semon was able to reach out and grab his friend's sweat shirt. After sliding further down the hillside, the two finally came to rest. Downing wasn't responding.

&#8220My brother just told him to squeeze his hand,” Ryan said.

Downing was bleeding and covered in dirt. He couldn't talk. Fearing the worst, Ryan immediately decided to go for help.

But with no cell coverage in the valley, that meant he'd have to back track to the main road, nearly two miles from their position. He started running.

But getting back to the road was no easy picnic. The area the group was climbing in was surrounded by deep snow and large boulders. It took Ryan 45 minutes to get to where his phone would work. At 9:20 p.m., he finally managed to contact rescue personnel.

Nine rescue personnel from Palmer Fire and Rescue and Mat-Su Borough Emergency Services sped toward Hatcher Pass. Also dispatched was a LifeGuard helicopter. Within 10 minutes, emergency workers were on the scene.

At the parking lot, Ryan, Pat and Nikki could do nothing but wait in an ambulance.

&#8220I didn't know if he was paralyzed or what,” Ryan said.

Back at the accident site, John and Catlin were tending to Ty. Although he was unconscious at first, John said Ty began to slowly come to.

&#8220He said he was thirsty, so I ran to a creek and got him some water,” John said.

When medics arrived, Ty was conscious and alert - in other words, lucky to be alive. He was taken to Providence Hospital with injuries to his face and leg, but otherwise OK. He was treated for his injuries and released Monday morning.

Because of the remoteness of the location, it took rescuers more than an hour to reach the injured climber, with medics hiking nearly a mile through deep snow and over large boulders.

There was enough room in the narrow valley to set the chopper down. With the help of medics on the ground, the helicopter crew was able to stabilize Ty on a back board and load him on the chopper. With temperatures then dropping to near-freezing - and with the entire party wearing nothing but light clothing - medics loaded Catlin on the helicopter as well.

As midnight approached, the four remaining climbers finally made it back to the parking lot. Surrounded by emergency personnel, they seemed overwhelmed by the experience.

&#8220You never think it will happen to you or someone you're with,” Pat Maxwell said.

John Semon said that before Ty was lifted out, he explained what happened up on the rocks.

&#8220He said he had two good handholds and footholds,” John said.

But when Ty reached for a new handhold, he couldn't find one. He tried to retreat to his previous position, he couldn't find his old grip. Just like that, Ty was tumbling down the mountain.

Following the ordeal, the four remaining friends piled back into the pickup truck they drove up the mountain in - shaken, but happy that the afternoon didn't turn out as bad as it could have.

&#8220It was probably the scariest moment of my life,” Ryan Semon said.

Contact Matt Tunseth at 352-2265 or matt.tunseth@frontiersman.com