Caught in a lightning storm atop San Gorgonio summit

September 5th, 2013 around 2:45pm
8000 Meter Challenge 2013. Just minutes from making the second of three summits as originally planned, a lightning storm drops in right above our heads. Complete with freezing rain, hail, and rapidly dropping temperature at 11,000 ft. Fighting off summit fever, it's time to get off the mountain.
* did not have waterproof case with my GoPro *

[@davidkost418]

Smart hide all 4 guys under biggest tree so you can all die at once ??? Trees are lightening rods!

[@WaffleBrother]

Why on Earth are you guys hiding under a tree ? ! Thunderstorm + Tree = Lightning Rod.

[@BassLaunch]

@John Sickler, if lightning hits the tree the charge will surge through the ground electrocuting all of them.

[@AdventuringwithTrevor]

DJ Droppin rubber shoe bottoms

[@silvergem4649]

@@AdventuringwithTrevor do u know how much charge a single bolt carries?

[@Theadventurehiker]

Good call! So close though :( I have called the climb off on two trips this year, it's a bummer but being a responsible climber keeps people alive. cheers~

[@muonneutrino]

So this is exactly what happened to me while I climbed opposite massive of Mont Blanc, but I was alone. Being alone on the mountain top in a thunderstorm with snowing/hail/rain was so fucking scare! I run like a deer down while the lightening was hitting ground in 100-200m around me. The forecast was good, but the clouds gathered so fast I didn't mention. Don't know what I was doing wrong, but I really hope for better understanding of these situations. Because I will hike and climb for the rest of my life.

[@touyatodoroki338]

That sounds scary

[@MultiStorm15]

Walking under those isolated pine trees gave me the chills and I wasn't even there lol That lightning was extremely close I noticed several lighting strike marks on the tree behind you guys while waiting

[@LuigiCotocea]

Especially one in background at 10:00 which is debarked!

[@danpayan9468]

Lesson learned dont wear cotton synthetic will keep from getting hypothermia 🙏⚡☔

[@peacefulliving6432]

Glad you made it down safely. Lightning that close while on a mountain is scary as heck. Mountain storms can creep up on you real fast. It can happen to anyone.

[@trailhouse4607]

I was happy to be in my car at that point on my way to San Jacinto. I knew it was bad up there because even the 10 Freeway was getting flooded between there and Palm Springs in places and i know the wash as the base of San G. got pretty gnarly for everyone that was still on San G. This was the year we had to cancel the last mountain because the trail got so washed out you could not see anything at night. Only 11 people finished that year because they finished before dark.

[@LuigiCotocea]

The tree in the background at 10:00 is clearly that it was struck by lightning!

[@leecoffman2594]

HELLO !!!! GET THE HELL OFF OF THE PEAK AND GET DOWN !!!!!!

[@netabolt6546]

awesome video. it seems like an exiting experience. but for next time if you do this, dont hide under trees. lightningstorms is dangerous and the thing you need to do in a lightningstorm is making you small and try avoid hig objects. good thing you went down instead of going up because it wa good to go down but still, trees are dangerous in lightningstorms. Anyway's, a good video and awesome lightningbolts and great thunder but again, dont hide under trees. 11:26 for example.. realy dangerous..

[@marshallbs]

Neta Bolt To be honest, I don't think anywhere is a safe place. Worst place is near a ridge or summit, but lightning can hit almost anywhere.

[@billtomson5791]

That crackling sound is called the San Juan effect, I believe. The static electricity is causing it.

[@4672-m9f]

not smart to be there

[@dstempke]

I've heard that you can feel the static electricity just before getting hit by lightning. That's gotta be the scariest feeling knowing you're 1 second from being struck. I don't think i've ever been in a lightning storm where the flash and thunder were under 5 seconds, so never within a mile. Even at that level, it's really scary. I can't imagine how much your hearts must have been racing when you can see and hear the bolt and thunder at the same time. Crazy.

[@LuigiCotocea]

I felt in my home near the window, like on the courtains!

[@DeathValleyDazed]

Another safety practice I did not see in the comments below is to spread way, separate from each other in case of a strike others can help rescue or provide aid. Glad you all made it out ok. The 21-minute video is quite long and could have been edited down to a few minutes of the main action. I zipped through the slow parts. Thanks for sharing.

[@Dune0312]

Thanks for the video guys!! I want to do that too!

[@phanders6236]

I hate thunderstorms I was stuck in the same situation once hiking with lightning close by, hate it lol.

[@larissainaction]

don't hide under the tree

[@blackeroni]

I never go hiking if I see a thunderhead cloud in the area.

[@ElectricSkyUK]

3:13 jeeesus christ you guys should have been laying as flat as possible on the ground at that point.

[@adventurepeace2149]

I used to think this, but this makes it considerably more likely you will die if a strike lands nearby.

[@TheMaecki]

You just kneeling on the backpack to isolate you.

[@tahirrazzaq9494]

ravenstormcouk no. In this situation it’s best they move or get into a kneeling position with your head between your knees and on your tiptoes. You wanna minimize how much of your body is in contact with the ground. Besides these guys should have bailed long before they did. Never mess with a storm With moving, you’re also minimizing how much of your body is touching the ground in case a bolt hits near you.

[@winterdesert1]

Looks like a blast but I would have done just what you did. I guess you're supposed to find a gully or low spot away from trees, but there probably wasn't one.

[@scottdearmond4804]

metal walking stick ? plenty of large boulders at the top to hide behind .

[@stevemazz3121]

Do you think the tree in the background with no bark on one side maybe from a lighting strike?

[@TVinmyEye]

thats fkn crazy! i got caught in a little snow storm on Mount baldy once but nothing like this

[@chancellorpalpatineakathes6130]

this is one of the reasons I do summer hikes at night to summit by morning and be down by the time the clouds start forming up.

[@stevemazz3121]

Get away from the tree, get low under a tarp or poncho and wait for the storm to pass....

[@mariaotero5601]

How extremely dangerous 😈!!

[@sonyagriffith5076]

Hope walking sticks not metal ,,,!!!!

[@24913299]

if you look at tree at 8:41 you may notice that it has been struck by lightning. id be taking a faster route down myself ..great vid..

[@LuigiCotocea]

Look at the tree at 10:00 it's clear got struck by lightning!

[@sonyagriffith5076]

Awesome visep

[@sonyagriffith5076]

Awesome video

[@sonyagriffith5076]

Lol love this video!! Scary but funny

[@MPWEST83]

So bitchin! Thanks for posting!

[@doconnell1713]

This is why I haven’t done hikes that take longer than a day

[@trailhouse4607]

This is just the 2nd of 3 peaks they are doing in one day. Baldy, San Gorgonio (which is the one they are on) and San Jacinto. This is the longest and these thunder storms can build up in less than an hour so fay hike or not it's always a possibility.

[@kevinwalsh1619]

There's a lot about this video that seems peculiar. I've been on Humphrey's Peak when a thunderstorm began. My party didn't go into panic mode, like these people. We put on our rain gear and descended at a comfortable pace, making pleasant conversation. I raised the morale of my companions by pointing out how few trees showed signs of lightning damage and how much more likely we were to die in a car wreck on the way back to Phoenix than we were to die by lightning on the mountain. I enjoyed the soothing sound of the rain on my poncho and the squish of the mud under my boots.

[@321boatsandhoes]

Do you want a medal or something? This has got to be the most humblebrag thing I've heard in a while.

[@bekindrewind1145]

That's called disassociating and children can do it too.

[@karlplaysdrums]

this video is proof that lightning is harmless!!

[@Sr89hot]

We got caught up late once. Never again.