Winter is coming and our attentions are shifting to sunny destinations like Southern Arizona. This month we have an unfortunate mishap that occurred last winter on one of the region’s premier backcountry crags.
Table Dome is one of the more readily accessible formations in Mendoza Canyon. Still, the approach is long and rugged. Photo: Jerry Cagle
Fall on Rock | Broken Hold
Arizona, Mendoza Canyon, Table Dome
On February 24, 2023, Steve Sagin (58) and Jerry Cagle (70) were climbing Wily Javelina (6 pitches, 5.9, PG-13) on Table Dome in the remote Mendoza Canyon, southwest of Tucson. On pitch five, Sagin broke a hold and took a long leader fall.
Cagle recounted the following in a report to ANAC:
“We began planning for this climb with a check of the predicted weather for the day: pleasantly warm around midday with an occasional light breeze. Our spouses were informed of our plans.
Steve Sagin leading pitch one of Wily Javelina. Cagle notes, “The first bolt is 30 to 40 feet off the ground.” He adds, “The climbing in the canyon is on granite; the quality varies from corn-flake crust to bombproof.” Photo: Jerry Cagle.
“Wily Javelina is a coveted route and considered a bit of a testpiece. Though it’s frequently climbed using just the bolts, the distances between are considerable, but can be supplemented with gear—albeit possibly dubious—so we also carried a light rack. We each carried a cell phone, and I carried a Garmin inReach Mini. We had jackets, space blankets, food, water, and headlamps.
“Reaching the start of the approach hike entails driving for 9.5 miles on an unmaintained dirt road after leaving the highway. The approach wends through two miles of rugged trails. The areas adjacent to the paths present an impenetrable barrier of cat-claw acacias and thorny mesquite trees.
“It was around 10 a.m. when we started climbing. Steve led pitch one, then we swung leads. Though I had always shied away from this route due to its reputation of serious runouts and sections of poor-quality rock, neither of us was excessively nervous about the risk. But throughout the course of the climb, we repeated the mantra that ‘falling was not an option.’ It is my considered opinion that this route is the textbook definition of an ‘R’ rated route and not PG-13 (as graded on Mountain Project).
“We continued climbing carefully without incident. As Steve led pitch five, he passed the middle mark on the ropes (60m x 7.9mm twin/half). He was well past the second bolt on the chickenhead-studded upper section, at the start of the easier climbing, when a large hold fractured, sending considerable debris past my helmet. He fell, striking a large ledge 30 or 40 feet below him with the full force of his weight. The rope came taut as he started to slide off the ledge. It was immediately obvious that he was seriously injured.
“We determined that lowering him to my position at the anchor was our best option. We had enough rope to lower him to the stance with about ten feet to spare.
“Steve was bleeding in several places but not excessively. His broken ankle was likely the most serious injury, and we determined it was not a compound [open] fracture. We knew we couldn’t extricate ourselves from the canyon due to the difficult terrain, so I pulled out the inReach, only to discover that the batteries were dead. We next dialed 911 on my cell phone. The battery was low, having recorded our approach using the Gaia GPS application. To our surprise, a voice came on the other end asking, ‘What's your emergency?’ We explained our situation and indicated that we intended to rappel the route but would require assistance to evacuate.
The rough approach to Table Dome factored into the call for a helicopter rescue. Cagle wrote, “The topography is generally rugged and invariably involves various some degree of bushwhacking.” Photo: Jerry Cagle
“We were starting the last rappel when we heard a helicopter approaching. It came into sight before we reached the ground. A Pima County Sheriff’s Department officer was lowered, and he hooked Steve up to the rescue cable. They flew him to an ambulance which took him to a hospital in Tucson. I was left to return on my own accord and was able to get back to the truck without incident.
“X-rays taken at the hospital showed that Steve's tibia was shattered into eight pieces. The fibula was, thankfully, not involved. This could have just as easily resulted in a fatality had he landed differently.”
ANALYSIS
The duo was very experienced, having over 60 years of climbing between them. Sagin had climbed extensively in Mendoza Canyon, and this was his sixth time on Wily Javelina. Despite this, several factors contributed to the accident.
“But for luck, several other failures could have easily compounded the difficulty of our situation:
My failure to make certain that the battery on the inReach was charged.
My cell phone battery wasn't fully charged when we left that morning. I had intended to charge it on the ride but didn’t have a compatible cable.
On the approach, I didn’t pay sufficient attention to our surroundings and let Steve lead the way while I chatted and followed blindly along. On the return I depended heavily on the GPS track I had recorded on my phone. Had the phone failed for any reason, I am pretty sure I would've gotten lost and had to bivouac.
“As a result of this incident, I now strive, when climbing or hiking, to cultivate a mindset that assumes that there WILL be an accident and to be fully prepared, both in skills and resources.” (Source: Jerry Cagle.)
