Re: [lisamariewillbe] solo base, story
I'll take a shot at ansering that. I've probable done as many fucked up solo base jumps in as many fucked up places as any body out there, so this is the voice of been there done that.
Now i've heard a number of versions of this story all told slightly diffrently. The jest is basically the same but they imply slightly diffrent situations as to exactly how they were seperated but in the end it all results in the same thing, Leroy at the top alone.
They were some where they had never been before. Ok, no big deal. If this was a major problem then new objects would never get opened. Some body has to be the first to do something. Now just because it was an established site means nothing. They had no personal experance there and limeted knowlage of it. So opther then knowing that it has and can be jumped, both major questions, they were ecentally opening a new object. Again, nothing wrong with that. I've redescovered lots of sites that way over the years but you tend to, or should, approach things a little diffrently under those cercomstances.
They were off route. Ok... not sure exactly what that means not knowing the place my self. This whole incedent could be used as a very good argument both for and against descussing detales of a site like that openly. Now a route is exactly that. "A" route. It doesn't mean it's the only way. There can be lot's of ways, of routes. How many routes are there on McKinnley/Denalli? How many routes are there on Elcap? If this was truely a sin there would only be The Nose. It's generaly best to stay on "The Route" for many reasons not the least being that it works. You can generaly assume that if there was a better way it would have been found by now. On the other hand we are offten working under diffrent conditions then other people, starting from diffrent points and going to diffrent places. Like a lot of you I googled the place when all this was going on. I saw a small north/south range with a face overlooking a western wash. I also read a review of what seemed to be the normal hikeing route leading in from the eastern side. I got no clue where they were, where they got lost, or what their plan was. Now if it was me alone or with a small groop with a single car, I'd be looking for a way up from the west where I could leave my car there on the landing area side or the range. I would not want to have to cross those hills with even a sprained ankle to get back to the car. Not saying this was the situation but just tossing out a perfectly reasonable example of why they might be "off route". Now haveing said that I might approach it diffrently seeing it as a scouting mission and plan accordingly. But "off route" is not a damning statement.
They got sepperated. This is not a good thing. It can happen. It doesn't take much of a miss comunication to cause it. It sounds like Stich was tired and Leroy went scouting ahead. This sounds reasonable but in reallity it's kind of a bad sign. Exausting your self on the way up some thing is a very commen mistake. Lot's of people have made it includeing my self. It's easy to perswade your self that if you can just get to the top you'll be able to jump. You're almost home. It's always best to plan to walk down keeping in mind that there are at least a dozon reasons why you might not be able to jump. So the way I'm hearing that Leroy went scouting as stich rested and then called back to him and was seen on a ridge above. One day Stich may be able to shed more light on his view of their situation when they parted but keep in mind that he's been through a very rough time with all of this. He's undoubtedly sick of reliving one of the worst expereances of his life and is probbable not up to shairing. But even then it is his viewpoint and what I'm trying to talk about is Leroys. He went forward looking for a route. He thought he saw something that looked ok. He called back or went part way back and called for Stich to come on and then started along the trail he had found. Did he expect Stich to follow? Did he reallize how played out he was? Was what he said heard and understood clearly? He was seen above. Did he see Stich below? Did he think he was following behind? Did he think he beleave that Stich had turned back and was ok? I can not beleave that he realized that Stich was in trouble. This right here highlights the diffrences in perseption between two people who were in fact right their together. And this is why even Stich may not be able to tell you what was going through Leroys mind even though he spent most of Leroys last day right by his side.
Stich ran out of consumables and called for help. Smartest thing he ever did. If Stich was out of water odds are Leroy was too. I heard they were carying three leters a peace. It's easy for us to set back and play the arm chair quarter back with this. Thats not the point. You could say that they were a little light on water but I doubt they were planning on this ordeal. If you really carried enough of every thing for the worse case senario you'd be so burdened that you would cause it your self. it's a catch 22.
So now think of Leroy. Imagion it's you. You've reached the top. You're tired. You've found an exit point or what you think is an exit point. You could search more along the cliff but your tired its been a very long day. Perhaps from where your at this looks like the best spot and the rest of the face is hidden from you.
You wait. Stich should be comeing along behind you. You called back to him right? He'd been moving a little slower all day but he's bound to catch up. You start to get your gear out. All of this has taken much longer then you expected. You wait. Perhaps you drink the last of you water. Or do you think Stich has turned back and has been heading for the car as you climbed.
Perhaps you can see the road out to the west. It looks so close. It's a relatively flat down hill strole from the wash you'll be landing in rather then the brutal death march you just went through in the heat of the day as you were lost on the east side. You're almost home. There's water and even cold bear in the cooler waiting in the car. In fact is that the sun shineing off the car in the evening light? What time is it? And where is Stich? You're out of water and it's going to get cold up here. Stich must have turned back. There's no way you can go back the way you came but you can see the road from here. There's still light to jump and once you land it's an easy down hill walk to the car. Even if you were to bivy tonight, roll up in your canopy, it's going to be a long cold dry night on top of this mountian. Then what? it's a long walk down and your out of water. It's going to be hot tomarrow. When Stich gets down he's going to be woried about you. If you jump and walk down to the car you can drive around and be waiting for him by the time he comes out the east side. Or maybe he will bivy tonight. He's going to be dry in the morning. He'll need water. If you jump now you can drive around an hike back in with water and food for him. He wasn't looking so good. He's going to need your help and the supplies he needs are down there in that car.
It's called "Failing Upwards". Basically it's about running out of options. It's when the climb is so hard or the conditions are so bad that you have to continue upwards because retreat the way you have come is no longer an option. This is a sign you're in trouble. It's not an unsurviveable situation but it pushes you into decisions you might not normaly make. So he gears up and pushes the button saying that he's ok before he jumps.
I'm laying here in bed with a sore back. I can't sleep and I'm rambaling. I didn't mean for this to turn into a rival for war and peace. And every word of it is bullshit. It's all based on second and third hand conjector off of this board about a site that i've never seen and people I've never met. I'm just trying to give you perspective on what might have been going through his mind as he stood alone on top of a mountain. All I can say is that what looks unreasonable to you now may have seemed like his best and perhaps his only option at the time. Try to let go of the anger. He did not chouse this fate. He chose a life that led him to it but that's not the same thing. He chose a life of beauty and adventure that took him into some of the most spectacular landscapes on earth. You drove there. I know exactly what you saw along the way even from your car. If he had turned away from that beauty for fear of it's harshness. If he had turned his back on life for fear of the danger then he simply would not have been the man that you knew. Insert what ever sappy quote you like here. Candles that burn twice as bright, love of life near oppasit of love of long life, etc. There used so much that they seem trite but there really is truth in them. If he'd been any other way he wouldn't have been the person that he was
Lee
you pretty much sums evrything up,even as i only were 7 years olsd as you started jumping.. he he 
