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Tony
Trad climber
Berkeley, CA
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Aug 15, 2011 - 11:35pm PT
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My longest fall was short of 100', but could well have been fatal if not for landing in the best possible position - on my butt. I fell near the crux of Dominion at Sugaloaf, my last "real" piece (#4 Friend) pulled from the left wide crack variation. I barely grazed rock, flew past my belayer and landed on a ledge ~20' off the deck. I got away with breaking 4 transverse processes of L1-4. I only returned to the scene of the crime about 25 years later and assumed that I had made an exaggerated estimate of 60', but was chastened to see that might even have been a conservative estimate.
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Decko
Trad climber
Colorado
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Aug 15, 2011 - 11:36pm PT
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100 footer to the ground......Ice climbing in 1997.....
OOUCH the ground hurts.........
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dave goodwin
climber
carson city, nv
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Aug 15, 2011 - 11:38pm PT
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Did not know there was a club nor did I want to be a part of it, but that's the way it goes.
Took well over a 100 foot fall topping out on El Cap last summer. Had my jumars pop as I was pulling my foot up on to the summit rim. Thought I was short tied and ended up going all the way to the end of the rope that was anchored to the top.
Don't ever want to do that again. Most painful jug of my life was getting back to the summit.
My partner Gomez just made me a rug from the rope I fell on. Thanks Steve!!
take care
dave
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BillWright
Trad climber
Boulder, Colorado
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Aug 16, 2011 - 12:44pm PT
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In 1999 I took a 75-foot groundfall that broke my back, but last June 26, my partner, Tom Karpeichik, took a 100+ foot fall while simul-climbing with me in Eldo. He spent a couple of months in the hospital with severe head trauma, but his helmet saved his life and he's back doing everything he used to do (climbing, paragliding, riding his motorcycle, mt. biking, trail running, etc.). He's recovered 100%. Report of the latter is here:
http://web.me.com/billwright510/Mobile_Me_Site/Climbing_Blog/Entries/2010/6/26_Tragedy_on_Link-Up_Attempt.html
Bill
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G_Gnome
Trad climber
In the mountains... somewhere...
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Aug 16, 2011 - 12:56pm PT
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Haven't and don't want to. I have done plenty of routes with the potential but I have never gone more than about 30'.
And James, I don't think you qualify, you fell 60 and then 40, not 100.
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malachi
climber
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Aug 16, 2011 - 01:10pm PT
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No 100 footers, but some long groundfalls.
Went roughly 60 feet to the ground from the last move to the ledge on Latest Rage at Smith (grigri v1 fail). Belayer suffered 2nd degree burns on his hand but managed to slow me enough that there was no long-term damage for me.
And went roughly 60 feet to the ground from the top of the Division Wall at American Fork. I got off route and ended up skipping some bolts - finding myself between two sets of anchors. Fell traversing when a hold broke. The tree slowed me down a lot and my belayer managed to do a running diving save so I hit the ground right after he caught me. Slowed me down enough that all I suffered was a sprained ankle (probably from the tree actually).
And then of course went about 50 feet to the ground in Norway. Didn't get so lucky and broke both legs among other injuries.
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Highlife
Trad climber
California
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Aug 16, 2011 - 01:16pm PT
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Wasnt 100, but took a SOLID 60 footer on the Rostrum last friday resulting in some shatered Metatarsals and 6 hour self rescue...always place some gear guys, apparently it is possible to come out of a 5.9 handcrack.
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jfailing
Trad climber
Lone Pine
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Aug 16, 2011 - 01:24pm PT
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And James, I don't think you qualify, you fell 60 and then 40, not 100.
I'd be inclined to let James into the club... Didn't you essentially bounce off the lower ledge, James?
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G_Gnome
Trad climber
In the mountains... somewhere...
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Aug 16, 2011 - 01:40pm PT
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No, James landed and when he stood up (not a good idea after pitching 60 feet to a granite landing) he then pitched the next 40 to the ground. Quite remarkable that he is walking and talking, let alone climbing 5.12!
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Finn
Trad climber
Santa Rosa, CA
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Aug 16, 2011 - 01:42pm PT
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I think I qualify.
From the top out of Commitment on Five Open Books. The wide straight up finish - I was doing it gumby layback style and my feet slipped. It was early in the season, Link suggested that the face could have been sandy. I picked, pulled the first piece (poorly placed small cam), the second piece either wasn't clipped or came unclipped due to gate flutter (it was on an extended sling), and the piece that caught me was a number 4 DMM Walnut well below that having run out the easy 5.6 section in the middle and confidently pulled the 'crux' directly off the second pitch anchors.
I fell from the top of the third pitch ALL THE WAY back to my belayer at the top of the second pitch.
Am I in? What's my prize?
For the record - self resucued w/ a compound right ulna and shattered radius. I did get the pleasure of a heli ride doped up on morphine from El Cap Meadows!
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yellowdog
Sport climber
Living in St. Louis but the Blue Ridge is home
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Aug 16, 2011 - 01:46pm PT
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Dirka
I knew a couple of people who did the same thing, jumping off bridges with only climbing gear near the NC/TN line while I-26 was still under construction between Johsonson City and Asheville. I've also heard of people rigging the same kind of set up to "bungee" off the cranes perched at the top of tall buildings. Personally, I once took a 150ft whipper on top-rope.... ;)
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Sergio Colombo
Mountain climber
Red Rock
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Aug 16, 2011 - 01:54pm PT
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Coming off LeConte, I traversed the center couloir in approach shoes. Went down like a rocket. I only had the time to think "what a dumb ass I am" and "my day has come". Still dunno how and why, but I stopped almost 300 ft below the point where I fell. Just thinking about that day still freakes me out.
Live and tell.
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whyme
Boulder climber
San Francisco
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Aug 16, 2011 - 01:55pm PT
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I qualify, with a 115 ft unroped fall, head straight first!
Basically, done with climbing for the day with a long hike out... slipped on loose gravel on the top of a cliff face, and went head over heels. Clean fall into space, landed on a couch-sized and -shaped boulder below.
I remember slipping, blacked out for most of the fall (which I think saved me from the brunt of it), and regained consciousness enough to feel the impact of the my head against a boulder (my body joined my head on the boulder very quickly after!). Nasty metallic taste in my mouth soon afterwards as I pushed myself off the boulder.
Luckily (and to amazement to this day), came out of it with a few skin breaks/scratches. No broken bones or concussion (one of the my climbing partners was a ER doc). Walked out of the canyon to the car, minus a cat-life!
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Anastasia
climber
hanging from an ice pick and missing my mama.
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Aug 16, 2011 - 01:56pm PT
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I did a 70 footer and thank god it was John belaying... I trusted him enough to not have a heart attack in the process. It still hurt like hell... Swinging against the wall is never good, broke my ribs, etc. AFS
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caughtinside
Social climber
Davis, CA
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Aug 16, 2011 - 02:13pm PT
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so many of these stories smell of exaggeration, incompetence or outright BS.
Entertainment! Keep 'em coming.
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Toth
Sport climber
Redford MI
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Aug 16, 2011 - 02:42pm PT
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I haven't fallen 100 feet but I went for a 90 foot slide and hit the deck on some really runout slab when my foot slipped and my only piece of gear blew out the rock.
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the Fet
climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
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Aug 16, 2011 - 02:50pm PT
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About 50 feet climbing. About 700 feet bungee.
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Abissi
Trad climber
MI
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Aug 16, 2011 - 03:46pm PT
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Was doing a new climb in Pennsylvania back in 1976. I was 95 feet off the ground when I took a 90 foot face first fall on a sketchy "Titon" Lived through it but it was a pants loader.
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Aug 16, 2011 - 03:53pm PT
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I miss being in this club by, oh, 20 to 25 feet.
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Kindredlion
Big Wall climber
4hrs too far from YNP
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Aug 16, 2011 - 03:59pm PT
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James, since your the chairman of the club..
does a 'jump' count the same as a 'fall'?
i don't think so..
rope jumping Dan O style? .. that's not falling..
bungy and skydiving.. also jumping..
counting all of those out - i feel so light having only whipped 50-60ft.. Shield Roof - ripped out the pitch from anchor to lip..
is that wood block with a baby angle hammered into it still there? (just over the lip of the shield roof)
Now if "Jumping" is ON - then I think we have a much less exclusive club..
Discuss..
Take Air!
Adam
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