Pete Takeda: Journalist & Mountaineer

An Accident on the Diamond...

Aug 8, 06:29 PM | Climbing

A few days ago I took an upside down fall of perhaps 20 feet. I was climbing on the Diamond with Andy Donson. We were attempting to free an old aid line when I blew a piece and fell, striking a small ledge on the way down and slamming face first when the rope caught me.

I ended up going the the ER that night. The next morning I had some teeth pulled and now look forward to some major dental repairs. I am going back up to the Diamod in a few days.


I was fortunate. The last time I was involved in an accident on the Diamond was in 2005. My partner (Andy again) was medivaced out on a helicopter with a broken collarbone, some broken ribs, and a head injury after being struck by a rock, losing consciousness, and being miraculously caught on a small ledge before nearly sliding off the end of his rappel ropes. It would have been a good 800 foot fall had the ledge not arrested his fall. See the article HERE.










6 Comments (Add your own)

your girlfriend — Jul 20, 11:09 PM #

I.Q. is 60 now right?

Pete Takeda — Jul 24, 07:36 PM #

uhn…. yes….uh

zach — Aug 13, 09:01 PM #

This guy’s supposed to be an author?! This guys a f!#%g loser!!

Just kidding. Get better.

GnomeAug 14, 07:04 AM #

You & Ruby should hang out & share smiles, she’s missing a few teeth, doesn’t that stuff only happen to kids???

As for that Donson chap, he has at LEAST 9 lives…

Pete Takeda — Aug 14, 07:22 PM #

Hey Zach,

”...at least I’m housebroken…”

:) Pete

Michael Haag — Aug 19, 10:31 AM #

PETE! Nice dental work; just like just like a rock star! Hey – I was taking a disabled man (Wayne Willoughby, 54- had polio as a kid, now struggles w/PPS) up the Diamond and left a line fixed on Crack of Delight’s 1st pitch in case of emergency. He can’t do snow travel so I needed an escape to the talus in case of accident. Through the small incestuous climbing circle of Boulder I discovered you may have the orange rope? The rope really isn’t important to me; I just want you to know I was not intent on ‘littering’ the sparkling Diamond with fixed lines. However, I’ll trade you a free dinner at the Med for the rope! What sayest thou, Master Takeda?
Michael Haag – friends w/ Seth Murray/Jose Yavari 720.352.7695

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