Sounds like perhaps the client was lowering and let the end of the rope go through the device.
http://bangordailynews.com/2013/07/18/news/hancock/acadia-officials-to-meet-with-owner-of-climbing-service-after-falls/?ref=relatedBox
sounds that we have the same problems as in Quebec when too much people are good climber in there crag and don't learn all the subtety of climbing. Papy, you talk about what happened and excuse the guide to had make the mistake. But as a leader, you know that it is always the guide mistake, whatever happen with your client. The ethic in the gold age was to take the responsibility on our shoulder when the party have a problem. Maybe it is what I am doing when I wrote in a forum.
In many post, I talked about avalanches and discuss with other guide that never when climbing in Huntington ravine in a snowstorm, they always climb in good weather or underestimated the danger on other situation. I climbed with someone who felt four times on easy ground and want to go climbing a grad four in ice whit thin layer of ice in a bad weather. In his speech after that, I was the one who bail because I estimated that it was too dangerous that he made a mistake after he felt on ice in a grade two or three.
What happen to have an accident? We need three think: a climber (s), someone making a mistake and a risky situation (note the mistake can be a good decision in some case). Actually, because the climber learned repetitive movement in boulder, the capacity for someone to see the danger and avoid it decrease. How many time I have the obligation to told my second that the term "off belay, belay off, belay off" is not just terms, but a communication. A communication of what? If you are honest with yourself, you will understand that many of you don't understand that it is a contraction of: I am off belay.... are you off belay (and keep the belay on tension)....yes I am off (and remove the device). Look around you and many climber remove the device when they heard "off belay", which can be very similar with a "branch on my way"... belay off...accident. And as you can see below...
it is teach by guide. An as I told about avalanche, other mistake by inexperienced guide happen also here in north Conway.
More miss understanding of the safety by learning too fast 5.11 lead to over ego and mistake. I think that it is what happen actually. and you have to do some thing because the population can't trust guide any more.
from a climbing site: Chain of Commands
Lead Climber: “Off belay.” Said when leader is secure and safe.
Belayer: “Belay off.” Takes leader off belay and gets ready to climb.
Lead Climber: “On belay.” This signals to second climber below that the leader is ready for him to climb.
Belayer now Climber: “Ready to climb.”
Lead Climber now Belayer: “Climb!”
