Scratch Pad Initiatives
The Scratch Pad is dedicated to helping those in the climbing community stay as safe as possible. We provide classes, training, and support for members of the community and Search and Rescue organizations across Utah.
Bringing awareness to SAR teams about ice climbing activities within their counties and providing ice climbing specific training and equipment to these SAR teams so they can be as prepared as possible in case of a rescue is something we are passionate about.
We are also passionate about bring awareness about the serious nature and dangers of ice climbing to the climbing community through events such as our Ice Season Opener Safety Event.
What we do and why we do it
Why we are passionate about safety and supporting Utah SAR teams
The Scratch Pad is very grateful to the men and women who volunteer on Search and Rescue teams through the state of Utah. However we understand that ice climbing is a specialized sport that requires specialized skills and equipment. It is hard for SAR teams to be prepared for every type of rescue they may encounter, and ice climbing is something that historically didn’t see a lot of people doing it which minimized the amount of accidents requiring a response from SAR.
However the sport is growing, and more and more people are venturing out to climb frozen waterfalls each year. Many new ice climbers come from the world of sport or gym climbing where the risks are quite different. This is increasing the likelihood of more accidents involving ice climbers.
With this in mind, The Scratch Pad team scheduled a training and mock rescue with Utah County Sheriffs Search and Rescue to provide specific training for the team on ice anchors, climbing efficiency, and other topics specific to ice climbing. This training had 2 parts, a classroom session in our old location in Orem, and a field training with a mock rescue at Stairway to Heaven in Provo Canyon. The Scratch Pad team consisted of Dustin Lyons, Richard Harrison, Billy Rudow, and Austin Schmitz. The training went extremely well, and Utah County SAR was joined by members from nearby Salt Lake County SAR
This training was on the calendar, however 2 weeks before this was to take place, Scratch Pad founder Dustin Lyons got a call that his friend Tim Thompson had taken a lead fall on the Finger of Fate in Provo Canyon and needed assistance. Dustin along with Matt Tuttle and others raced up to the scene.
They were soon joined by Utah County SAR who quickly and efficiently got Tim airlifted to safety. Luckily Tim’s injuries were not life threatening, and even though they were serious he has recovered and is back to climbing.
This incident gave validity to the training that took place a couple weeks later. Highlighting the need for SAR teams to be prepared and ready for potential ice climbing incidents, as well as highlighting the need to keep safety on the minds of the community.
Tragedy Strikes
Tragedy struck the Utah ice climbing community later that year on April 2nd when we lost our dear friend Meg O’Neill.
Meg had gone climbing with Sean McLane and Anne Nikolov to Raven Falls in the right fork of Indian Canyon Utah which is located in Duchesne County. Sean was leading the 40’ second pitch pillar when it collapsed, causing him to fall 40’ to the ground. Meg had been taking pictures while Anne belayed. As the pillar collapsed, Meg rushed to push Anne out of the way. This saved Anne’s life but unfortunately put Meg right in the path of the falling ice.
With no sign of Meg, and Sean lying injured with fractured vertebrae, it was up to Anne to get help. There is no cell service in the right fork, and the trio did not have satellite coms with them, so Anne rapped down the first pitch and drove to nearby Duchesne where she could call for help. She called 911 and started the process of getting professional help, and then she called Scratch Pad founder Dustin Lyons who was skiing at Deer Valley at the time with Jana Stout.
Dustin and Jana raced to the scene (about 2 hours away). Along the way, Dustin put the call out to the climbing community for anyone who could help, including Dustin’s friends Matt Tuttle, Nate Sackett, Sophia Opmanis, and Carter Stritch.
Dustin, Jana, and Tuttle arrived at the same time. There had been talk that due to the time it took to get there, that the rescue would likely be over. The group had been told on the way that SAR was already on site with 2 helicopters. But they went anyway, and it was a good thing they did as it turned out.
When they arrived, the Duchesne County SAR team had not located Sean yet, and it was clear they were not as prepared for an ice rescue as they could be. Duchesne County Sheriff’s Office, SAR, and Fire Dept are great people and very good at what they do, they had just never encountered ice climbing. In fact they were not even aware that their County had any ice climbing.
Tuttle and Dustin were the first to reach Sean, and they rigged hand lines for the SAR team and other rescuers to safely get to the scene. They were joined shortly by Nate, Sofia, and Carter as well as members of the SAR team who brought more supplies. The team carried Sean to a location where he could be airlifted to safety.
After Sean had been flown out, the team turned their attention to finding Meg. There was no sign of her, unfortunately, and the team worked through the night. Joined by others such as Dan Christopherson and Jim Clarke from the climbing community, as well as SAR from Utah County, Meg was located the following day, unfortunately, she did not survive.
Meg was a very active and influential member of the climbing community. Meg was also a key supporter of The Scratch Pad and often volunteered for comps and other events. She dedicated her life to teaching and helping others through her work as a teacher and with refugee women. She loved ice climbing and people. Her actions on that tragic day saved the lives of both Anne and Sean. She is greatly missed.
Using the lessons
This incident was very eye opening in a variety of ways. It highlighted the need for SAR teams and other rescue professionals to be aware of ice climbs in their Counties. Not only to be aware of what climbs are there, but also specifics on terrain, equipment, approaches, ice anchors, and other factors that come into play during an ice rescue.
It also highlighted safety considerations regarding pillars and other hazards associated with ice climbing. Meg was one of the most cautious climbers around, and Sean is extremely experienced. This type of accident can happen to anyone. With more and more people coming into the sport there is a need to help new climbers understand the specific dangers of ice climbing and how to avoid them.
There are a lot of strong climbers coming into ice climbing from the gym or sport climbing backgrounds, and while they are very strong, there is a lot more that goes into ice climbing safety than rock climbing. Learning the medium of ice and how it behaves is important to staying safe. Ice doesn’t care how strong you are.
Ice Season Opener Safety Presentation and Panel Discussion
As we went into the 23-24 ice season in Utah, The Scratch Pad wanted to help the community stay safe and ramp up support to SAR teams around Utah. This led to 2 specific initiatives.
The Ice Season Opener Safety Event was an idea hatched by Scratch Pad team member Kasia Elliott-Maksymowicz and was hosted at Momentum Climbing Gym In Millcreek. This event was a safety presentation and panel discussion with panelists including Dustin Lyons, Doug Heinrich, Will Gadd, Jackson Yip, and Jeff Rose. This event brought more awareness to the safety considerations of ice climbing including analysis on pillars and what makes them collapse. The event also served as a fundraiser for SAR support, which leads into the next initiative.
Having been at the rescue/recovery for Sean and Meg, Scratch Pad team member Jana Stout created the initiative to bring more awareness, training, and support for SAR teams across Utah. We held classroom and/or live trainings for Uintah, Duchesne, Sanpete, Kane, and Washington counties. These trainings provided much needed awareness of what climbs are in each county, as well as what gear SAR teams need, how to effectively use that gear, and how to ice climb more efficiently.
With funds raised from the Ice Opener as well as donations from sponsors and the community, we were able to provide SAR teams with ice climbing specific equipment, including ropes, ice screws, v-thread tools, and more. We are very grateful for the support of the community and those that sponsored these initiatives.
We are very pleased with the reception we received from these Counties and are so grateful for their support and willingness to help us when we need them. Thank you all truly.
We are looking forward to continuing and expanding on this support next season as well as year-round.
If you are able to, please donate to this cause. Donations will be used for additional training and equipment for SAR teams around Utah specific to ice climbing and ice climbing rescues.
If you would like to volunteer time for these initiatives, please reach out to us.
If you or someone you know is on a SAR team in Utah or surrounding states and you would like to learn more about what ice climbs are in yoru county and ice climbing specific gear and training, please contact us.