Last nite on MSNBC they had an hour special on this. One guest, a rescuer said the 2 axes found in the "not real cave location" were that of Kelly James. He said that in the "real cave" where his body was found he had no equipment with him. If this is the case then this means all 3 were healthy when they left the "real cave", some sort of accident happened with all 3, Kelly being the only one left, hurt and probably in some sort of shock after witnessing the probable loss of his friends somehow made it back to the "real cave" from the "not so real cave" leaving his axes behind.
And I would guess Kelly did not live past the following Tuesday or thereabouts. Remember it was said, and I think confirmed, that his cell phone was turned on Tues. although no call was forthcoming and it went off again. People wanted to believe that he was using it as a signal so his location could be reiterated after his original call, or they wanted to believe that he would have made a call but the battery must have died. I'm thinking he was in his last moments of conciousness before losing it forever. That it was his only way of reaching out for those he loved in those final moments.
Some very interesting ideas, everyone!
So those 2 axes belonged to James? My big question is, how could he traverse over from the small cave to the larger one without an axe? It seems improbable that he could just walk upright with no support, and with a dislocated shoulder.
This also negates one of the theories at the climbers' forum, where they suggest perhaps he dislocated his shoulder in a self-arrest, which would mean he had an axe in his hand of the arm that got injured. Right? Or is this still a possibility?
How does the possibly cut rope fit into all this?
So, maybe someone could offer up a slightly revised theory based on the new information about the axes? I'm feeling a little confused as my brain is full of things I need to do for Christmas.
Unfortunately, I don't think they'll find the two climbers until spring.
That would be my assessment. They all had an accident, with James witnessing the loss of his two friends. Hurt physically and mentally, on his call to his son, he didn't have the wits about him to make the hard task of informing them and came up with all he could at the moment, that one was in town and the other on a plane.
I figure he watched the other two fall while he was barely able to save himself. He ended up being hurt and alone, unable to make it down on his own.