# Insane climber, 400' in 4.25min no ropes



## Ekka (Jul 31, 2006)

Check this guy out, 3.7mb WMV

http://www.palmtreeservices.com.au/video/insaneclimber.wmv

400' in 4.25min 

Apparently he's dead now, I wonder why :monkey:


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## 046 (Jul 31, 2006)

WOW... I got goose bumps watching those insane moves!

is the person actually dead?


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## 046 (Jul 31, 2006)

just found the link to how Dan Osmon died..

http://outside.away.com/magazine/0499/9904terminal.html


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## Ekka (Jul 31, 2006)

Ironically he died when he was tied in.

But what do you reckon the forces on the rope would have been?


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## rmihalek (Jul 31, 2006)

I'm confused by what it is they are/were "jumping" from. It sounds like they set up a traverse between two anchor points and then go out onto the traverse, then let go and free fall.


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## rbtree (Jul 31, 2006)

Ekka said:


> Ironically he died when he was tied in.
> 
> But what do you reckon the forces on the rope would have been?



With full dynamic lead rock climbing line, it's designed to never subject the climber to higher than a certain Kn force, regardless of the fall length. Without some searching, I don't recall that force, but it's around 2000 lb....I think. Most dynamic line stretches up to 70% at break. But it isn't meant to be used to bungie jump 1000 feet on! Here's an excerpt from the Outside article:

"Three weeks later, the rig was still hanging between the tower and Fifi Buttress, as was a long section of the broken jump line. Park authorities were involved in an investigation that was taking longer than Osman's friends thought it should, and in December a group of them retrieved the upper sections of the jump line and sent it to Black Diamond Equipment for analysis. The results, which they have since submitted to the Park Service, postulate a theory that seems to indicate not system failure but human error: In short, Osman had failed to realize that changing his jump angle would ultimately place an unbearable load on one of the knots that connected the ropes of his jump line. The rangers, who are still working on their report, have not yet confirmed the cause of the accident."


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## Dan R Porter (Aug 2, 2006)

I am also a rock climber and have done some heavy research on this subject. Understand that DannO has made MANY jumps on dyno Line, (Dynamic Rope, all DYNO ropes have different stretch %), So he was very scientific about his jumps, So this wasnt some shaggy set-up. His rig for this particular jump, his highest yet, had a variable overlooked that is OFTEN overlooked in all climbing, wether on the rocks or in the leaves...The stretch of the ropes (YEs his rig was not just 1 rope) stretch so drammatically and so quickly, that the ropes being twisted MELTED each other. at a thousand feet his ropes stretched hundreds of feet, so it was like two peices of sand paper rubbing together. With static ropes (Thats what rockers call our lines,) this is still possible if ran through a sling, or anything that provides friction, even a "Friction device" or a prussik can melt a rope. Be careful out there.


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## SRT-Tech (Aug 3, 2006)

Dan R Porter said:


> I am also a rock climber and have done some heavy research on this subject. Understand that DannO has made MANY jumps on dyno Line, (Dynamic Rope, all DYNO ropes have different stretch %), So he was very scientific about his jumps, So this wasnt some shaggy set-up. *His rig for this particular jump, his highest yet, had a variable overlooked that is OFTEN overlooked in all climbing, wether on the rocks or in the leaves...The stretch of the ropes (YEs his rig was not just 1 rope) stretch so drammatically and so quickly, that the ropes being twisted MELTED each other*. at a thousand feet his ropes stretched hundreds of feet, so it was like two peices of sand paper rubbing together. With static ropes (Thats what rockers call our lines,) this is still possible if ran through a sling, or anything that provides friction, even a "Friction device" or a prussik can melt a rope. Be careful out there.



even on low rock climbing pitches, i have seen firsthand (2 deaths) what happens to climbing (or any synthetic rope for that matter) ropes that are subjected to high speed friction. Globs of melted rope, the size of golfballs and oranges, coated on the rappelling rack or other rappel device, and splattered on the ground beneath the climbing pitch. The friction (heat) buildup can be so high that the rope melts and the climber will actually rappel faster and faster uncontrolled, down to their death, due to the hot melted rope lubricating the rappell device. same as mentioned above, a rope running thru a sling or against another rope can heat up hotter than boiling water when placed under sudden load (tree trunk suddenly dropping...fyi) and then snap. 

tis common practice amongst long drop rappellers to "cool" the rappel device with misted water while rappelling, to stave off _"friction (heat) induced lubricity causing death"_ (a term lifted from a coroners report here in BC, in regards to a rope related falling death) and to immediately remove the rappel device when on the ground to prevent the heat buildup from melting the rope (pull excess rope thru device while removing rapple device).

try rappelling 150' down smoothly and when on the bottom touch your rappel device - hot hot hot hot....more so with rappel/rescue racks, the large aluminum bars tend to retain heat build, they can get so hot it will brand your flesh. I use stainless steel bars in my rappel rack , they tend to run cooler. i also rappel slower adn smoother....

just to give you an idea of how heat stress can damage a rope: 
take some synthetic rope, tie a piece around a tree limb and run another piece thru the first rope. grasp both ends of the second rope and saw back and forth. the second the rope breaks, touch where it broke you'll see glazed and melted rope, and it will be hot. 

or 

(this simulates the sudden loading of a rope (ie limb falling or tensioning a zipline with a truck)
tie a piece of rope to a solid anchor. tie the other end to your truck. have a helper reverse the truck quickly untilthe rope snaps. (be careful) immediately pick up the rope and feel where it broke. For about a foot in each direction the rope will be thinner, glazed and right near the break, the rope fiber ends will be black and hard, like when you take a match to nylon rope.

this can be applied to your arborist ropes as well, NOT just climbing, industrial, marine or rescue ropes. 

(disclaimer: i am in no way responsible for your descision to try any of these tests. You are responsible for your own safety.) (just saying) 

good post original poster


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## darkstar (Aug 3, 2006)

*?*

Dans tag line [the line he used to pull up the end of the rope he would tie in ] was crossed by his jump line, because he jumped from a different point. 
Some friend's of his went to retrieve his body and said he was laying there arms crossed , with no apparent damage from the huge impact. They said he had a smile on his face.


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## BlueRidgeMark (Aug 3, 2006)

Good post, SRT.



From the same article:



> I thought Osman's deliberate leaps into the void were reckless, nuts, a no-net circus act ultimately bound for catastrophe. My opinion was seconded by this magazine, which in January 1996 published a short but highly critical piece about Osman titled *"Really Quite Stupid."*




Yep.


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## darkstar (Aug 3, 2006)

*Dano*

He wasent insane or crazy. He just was slap full of life , testing the worlds limits. Living as free as possible. Doing really fun crazy stuff ,albeit, dangerous stuff and [[ getting paid for it ]]. Like a stunt man .
Its hard to really live free if you are not willing to take[ some ] risk. Dan took alot of risk in some people eyes to many. But he really lived alot.
It was amazing the punishment he could take . Look up some of his bmx crashes.
He was an athlete and an artist combining them both.

He never was the same after they closed cave rock and tore it up.


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## Mike Barcaskey (Aug 4, 2006)

just goes to show how mediocre the rest of us are


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## rmihalek (Aug 4, 2006)

I was reading a book written by Reinhold Messner about his solo ascents of all the world's 8000+ meter peaks (Done without supplemental oxygen.) He said that people would comment to him that he must have a "death wish" to continue doing these expeditions having had so many close calls. He replied that his feeling is just the opposite: he has a tremendous will to continue living and it's his strong desire not to die that has allowed him to do these incredible feats. Maybe Dan Osman felt that same way?


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## BlueRidgeMark (Aug 4, 2006)

darkstar said:


> He never was the same after they closed cave rock and tore it up.




Hmmm. I wonder if his daughter was ever the same after her Daddy died?



Guess that doesn't count, though. "Living free" is all that matters.


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## Mike Barcaskey (Aug 4, 2006)

very irresponsible where his daughter was concerned.
I'd say it started with not marrying her mother.


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## Major Woody (Aug 8, 2006)

*Bad ass*

I have never seen anything like it. The no handed faith jumps were especialy thrilling. No offense but how many times has he climbed that using rops. Killer tactics. Major woody salutes you!:blob5:


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## TackleTree (Aug 12, 2006)

i am sure he understood the risks of what he was doing. I think calling him stupid is someone who has different views on life. If we all thought and acted the same then this would be a boring place.


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## Major Woody (Aug 15, 2006)

yea well did you read the following article. about how he died. Failure to practice proper safety precautions no matter how you cut it is stupid


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