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Vegasclimber
Trad climber
Las Vegas, NV.
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 5, 2014 - 10:21pm PT
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Marian, thanks for taking the time to post up and let us know what happened. I hope that Simon heals quickly! Sending lots of good vibez your way from Las Vegas.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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great news,
I have a relatively recent (March) experience of a falling partner hitting the ledge off the belay, I can very well imagine what you were going through.
Wear your helmets, people!
my best to Simon and Marian
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wayne w
Trad climber
the nw
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Thanks so much for the update on Simon, Marion. He was lucky to have been in such good hands. Wishing Simon a quick and complete recovery!
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Blakey
Trad climber
Sierra Vista
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Hi Marian,
From a fellow Brit, I hope Simon is doing OK, and that you aren't too shook up by it - very nasty.
If I recall properly I used to have an HB carbon fibre helmet, light and good for impact from above, less so from the side. I think they sat quite high on the head and out at the side, and given the right circumstances I could imagine the edge of a rock, or the ledge managing to hit the side of his bonce. As it probably would with any helmet.
The what if's in these circumstances are usually so complex that rarely can you ever reach a conclusion......
Looks like you did a good job up there, this stuff could happen to any of us.......Don't well on it too much.
Regards,
Steve
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Roxy
Trad climber
CA Central Coast
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YIKES!! gnarly coverage in Tom's report!
cheers to YOSAR indeed!!
healing energy sent....
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DMBARN
Trad climber
Modesto
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He was lucky to have been in such good hands
Wayne w
The what if's in these circumstances are usually so complex that rarely can you ever reach a conclusion......
Looks like you did a good job up there, this stuff could happen to any of us.......Don't dwell on it too much. Blakey
I’m one of the charge nurses in the ICU where Simon is being cared for. Speaking to Marion on Sunday it became clear that Simon was indeed in good hands. She told me that one of the first things she did was get him upright, as he had come to rest upside down after the fall. As many of you know, an injured brain does not do well under extra pressure, and being upside down was doing just that. So, getting his head above the rest of his body I am convinced was one of the factors that will play a positive role in his recovery. I also tried to reassure her that since the factors that occur during one of these events is rapid, simultaneous and unpredictable, that neither she nor Simon could have predicted/prevented it. Like many of our experiences, it was a straight forward accent up the pitch that turned out poorly. There are countless stories on this forum recounting such an events or worse.
Simon was in good hands on that ledge at camp 4 and he’s in good hands now with Marion at his side still.
Regards,
Douglas
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Seamstress
Trad climber
Yacolt, WA
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Speedy recovery.
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Vegasclimber
Trad climber
Las Vegas, NV.
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 6, 2014 - 10:30am PT
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Appreciate the update, Douglas. Please pass on all of our best wishes for a speedy recovery!
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Best wishes to Simon for a quick and complete recovery.
Marian, nice job taking care of him and keeping it together. . .
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AE
climber
Boulder, CO
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Helmet questions bring up new ones. After officially becoming old, I just bought a new one, but am thinking that they're perhaps ten or more years behind kids' football helmets even. That industry especially has rating standards based on concussion protection and the like, whereas we feel fortunate to merely survive any sort of head impact in climbing accidents.
I threw out the Camp model I'd gotten about 12 years ago, after playing with how flimsy the side protection, and the weak velcro inner attachments seemed, when just given the old hit-with-the-heel-of-the-hand test.
New ones even seem widely variable, from apparently ok straight-drop-protection only, to a small few that at least address side impacts, and the strength of attachment to the head.
Drop impact is fine, but really analogous only to contruction-type work helmets; once you start to address falling scenarios, even modern bicycling helmets might offer better protection than older style climbing buckets.
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Fossil climber
Trad climber
Atlin, B. C.
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Damn - I am so impressed with you guys and proud of what YOSAR has become.
And Tom - superb coverage! And Simon - get OK quick and get back up there.
Wayne Merry
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ß Î Ø T Ç H
Boulder climber
extraordinaire
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Respect, and all that, but what's those route(s) there in the pic/ pick?
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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what's those route(s) there in the pic/ pick? False Shield corner, just left of the rescuer.
It's just a little bit above the Shield Roof.
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Dave Turnbull
Trad climber
Manchester, UK
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Big big thanks to the Yosemite rescue services from all of us across in the UK, you're doing a fantastic job out there and its very much appreciated.
Dave Turnbull
CEO
British Mountaineering Council
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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Soloing I was hit with ice above the ear and below the helmet wearing a BD half dome and cut to the bone. I promptly sold that POS and switched to petzl for marginaly better side protection. I feel that many climbing helmets are long on style and short on protection.
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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hey there say, MazJ... for you and simon, marian:
so glad to know he is gettting well...
we may not know you, or even, your friends, but we all understand the same
issues that climbers all deal with and that ANY family deal with, when someone is injurred... we hope, pray, and want the best care for our fellow man... life is precious...
god bless to you...
keep on 'hanging in there' and also, know that you did the best you
could... 'shining star' wife, there... :)
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JLP
Social climber
The internet
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I feel that many climbing helmets are long on style and short on protection. They're designed to pass the ~ "blunt object from above" UIAA test - to a fault, IMO.
Seems to me, from reading these accident reports, that a majority of "saves" as well as "failures" from these helmets are basically from protecting or failing to protect lead falls - NOT falling objects from above.
The Half Dome epitomizes this flaw. It's the helmet most likely to protect from an object falling dead center from above - least likely to protect an impact from ANY other direction. I'm sure it did better than most other helmets in passing the UIAA test. I don't use mine anymore, either.
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Splater
climber
Grey Matter
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I recall the UIAA test only goes to 45 degrees from vertical.
So helmets often now focus on light weight by scrimping on the side protection.
A friend of mine shifted to an all purpose kayak/skateboard helmet years ago for the better side protection.
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phylp
Trad climber
Millbrae, CA
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I have been wearing a kayaking helmet for years. It just fits my head better than any of the climbing helmets.
Best wishes for a speedy recovery. Accidents happen so fast. Kudos to everyone involved in the rescue.
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