Alpine Big Wall Climber Seth Shaw Killed
Serac Fall Also Injures Companion
Tuesday, May 30, 2000

Climber Seth Shaw was killed May 25 when a 50-foot ice wall collapsed on him on 8,400-foot Mount Johnson in Alaska's Ruth Gorge. Due to instability in the area, National Park Service rangers have not been able to attempt a recovery of Shaw.

Shaw, 38, and fellow climber Tim Wagner, 34, both of Salt Lake City, Utah, were on an attempt to climb a serac, located near the 4,500-foot level of the East Buttress on the mountain. At approximately 8pm on May 25, while Wagner was testing the ice with an ice axe at the base of the serac and Shaw was taking photographs, the ice wall collapsed, burying Shaw and injuring Wagner.

Wagner's legs were pinned by ice boulders created by the crumbling wall, but was able to extricate himself from the debris. Wagner said Shaw could not be seen or heard under the avalanche debris.

Wagner, who had broken his left leg, skied up the Ruth Glacier, eventually meeting other climbers near Mt. Dickey. One of those climbers skied to the Mountain House to get help while three others skied to the accident scene. They later radioed a nearby air taxi for assistance.

The National Park Service was notified at 11:10am on May 26 by Talkeetna Air Taxi, which flew the injured Wagner to Talkeetna for medical assistance. Wagner was treated at Sunshine Medical Center and released later that day.

Shaw was one of America's most experienced alpine big wall climbers and worked for many years for the Utah Avalanche Forecast Center. His notable climbs included an unassisted (no air support, ski in, ski out) big wall ascent of Alaska's Middle Triple Peak with Conrad Anker and the first of ascent of Inshallah (Grade VII 5.12 A1) on Pakistan's Shipton Spire in 1998 with Kennan Harvey and Steph Davis. In 1992, Shaw and Doug Heinrich strung together the Space Shot, Monkeyfinger, and Touchstone big wall routes in Utah's Zion National Park in only 18 hours.