In a tale that underscores the risks associated with outdoor adventures, 24-year-old Mike Schaedel and his climbing partner found themselves lost in the wilderness, battling both physical and psychological challenges. What had begun as a normal climbing expedition quickly turned into a nightmare. They soon found themselves battling to stay alive after misjudging the risks of their ascent. Schaedel had 10 years of experience under his belt, but his partner was relatively new to the sport. As a team, they faced unexpected challenges in the rugged landscape.
The tragic event started when Schaedel, an experienced climb leader with a track record of successful climbs, chose a route he felt he could lead. As it turns out, at first, everything did go according to plan. The longer they waited, the more dangerous conditions became. They soon discovered they were not prepared at all for the challenges that lie ahead. Now, almost a year later, Schaedel looks back on his miscalculation and admits he’s embarrassed that he misjudged the scale of the ascent and the risks it posed.
The Climb Begins
Schaedel’s confidence was rooted in the fact that he had 50 years of climbing experience. He had climbed them all during the last decade. Having lost his climbing partners to the crux of the climb, this gave him the surety that this climb would be the easy one. He described the route as “perfect” for him and his partner Abrei. Their friends made them feel like it was “totally casual” and “no big deal.”
This overconfidence, as it turned out, would be a double-edged sword. As they travelled further into the wilds, unforeseen complications arose that would prove to be life-threatening. Schaedel recalled, “The next thing I know, I was back on earth,” referring to a sudden fall that marked a turning point in their expedition.
Though Schaedel had the experience, Abrei was newer to climbing. That difference in expertise likely played a key role in their precarious position. Too many weekend warriors usually try to cram lofty goals into short time frames, sometimes without consideration for changing weather or their own abilities. This mindset can have catastrophic outcomes, just ask Schaedel and Abrei.
The Struggle for Survival
Faced with rugged, unforgiving land in every direction, and as hopes of resupply faded, the severity of their predicament soon became apparent. In fact, nationwide, an estimated 100,000 search and rescue missions take place each year, pointing to the widespread dangers of these incidents. As our OCEAN report made clear, survival rates drop dramatically after the first 24 hours. By the time three days have elapsed in the wild, a person has only a 5%-10% chance of surviving.
Lonnie Arnold, a fellow climber who found himself in the same danger zone years earlier, called his experience “traumatizing.” He continued, “I don’t let myself go there mentally.” This one sentence reveals all the difficulty it is to process traumatic events. Arnold’s fight speaks to the mental weight that comes along with being in a survival situation.
While addressing these challenges, Schaedel learned critical lessons about surviving and thriving in the scale-up space. He admitted that little mistakes can add up, creating big issues. This occurrence was popularly called the “Swiss cheese effect,” when many small errors line up to cause catastrophe.
“We often see people make swift decisions because they feel like they need to remedy getting lost immediately, and that’s often not needed.” – Joe Blattner
In their fight, Schaedel and Abrei were up against existential dangers that forced an order of operations to put their lives first. Schaedel used both his experience and the knowledge of survival educators such as Purvis, a lifelong wilderness survival instructor. Beyond that, he prioritized meeting urgent needs first, no exceptions. A properly outfitted wilderness survival kit is a must for even the most casual outdoorsman. It should have water, non-perishable food, a first aid kit, flashlight and signaling devices.
Lessons Learned
Schaedel and Abrei fought to stay alive. After these experiences, and guided by their own challenges, they learned the value of making sure people don’t have to leave home in a crisis. Remaining in one place enables search and rescue teams to find a missing person with greater speed and efficiency. Purvis stressed the importance of keeping a cool head and saving one’s strength during these stressful situations.
When it really matters, being able to call for help is what counts. International emergency signals are three short whistles or flashes of light, repeated three times. These easy steps can help you get noticed and found by rescuers who might be searching for your wasted adventuress bodie.
Now, looking back on his experience, Schaedel admits he had “done a pretty good job of taking [his] life.” It was his indomitable will to endure that carried him above the depths of despair and dread.
“I’ll die with all my limbs attached.” – Lonnie Arnold
More than it’s doctrinaire ring, this statement captures the determination a lot of us experience when we’re directly confronted with mortally dangerous reality. Alongside his harrowing story of how he came back from the brink of death, Arnold focused on the importance of having a survivor’s mindset and grit.