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john hansen
climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 18, 2013 - 02:20am PT
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A bump for good stories. One of my first threads.
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Edge
Trad climber
New Durham, NH
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Jul 18, 2013 - 02:39am PT
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Fourth of July, 1983. It was swelteringly humid, but I got it in my head to get on Jack the Ripper on Cathedral Ledge. Jim Surrette had told me that if you run through the crux then you wouldn't pump out placing gear, and then you could throw in a cam when the crack widened to hands; it sounded reasonable at the time.
I cruised the crux sequence, but by the time I got to the wobbly hands I was sweating like a pig at a luau, and began greasing out. I had time to throw in a cam but chose the wrong size, and only two cams engaged. My hands slid out and I watched the two lobes of the rigid Friend expand and then POP, I was off on a 25 footer. I caught a sloping ledge as the rope pulled taught, and my Achilles hyperextended, shattering my ankle.
I lowered off and then went to cool it off in the Saco River before driving the hour and a half home. Some 4 hours later the pain became a bit much and the ankle was turning some fierce shades of grape, so I drove to the emergency room where they gave me an inflatable cast and crutches. The cast lasted 2 days, and on the third day I threw the crutches in the bushes on the walk from my dorm to class and hobbled around for months. The funny thing about the injury was that it hurt like hell to walk, but I could still face climb if I placed my foot just right and didn't bounce.
Seven weeks post injury I went to the Valley and had my best trip ever, although the approaches and descents still sucked until the next Spring.
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Mark Hudon
Trad climber
Hood River, OR
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Jul 18, 2013 - 10:24am PT
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This is an awesome thread!
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HighTraverse
Trad climber
Bay Area
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Jul 18, 2013 - 12:55pm PT
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Ahh the memories.....or are they nightmares?
I took the Big One after getting off route (traverse LEFT, dummy!) on Pywiack Dike route. My PAs (you younguns have NO idea how good your rubber is now) succummed to the pull of gravity and I slid, bounced and thrashed, about 60' counting rope stretch, nearly down to the third pitch belay stance!
I had leg loops tied in my swami. Helped keep me upright and reduced the load on my waist. Only had road rash, no real injuries.
I got really pissed at my two partners when neither of them would then lead the pitch! And one of them had led it a couple of times before. I went back a couple of years later in EB's and cruised it.
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BASE104
Social climber
An Oil Field
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Jul 18, 2013 - 03:27pm PT
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As long as you don't take a shower, you can leave your swami on day and night. One year Deucey's grew into his flesh.
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ydpl8s
Trad climber
Santa Monica, California
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Jul 18, 2013 - 03:51pm PT
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And it can double as a cumberbund if you have any places that require formal attire.
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the kid
Trad climber
fayetteville, wv
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Jul 18, 2013 - 04:12pm PT
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50'. almost decked on my first lead fall.
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DanaB
climber
CT
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Jul 18, 2013 - 06:59pm PT
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About 30 feet.
When I hit the rock, the knot seemed to act like a fist, got two broken ribs.
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Paco
Trad climber
Montana
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Jul 18, 2013 - 07:44pm PT
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I read a pretty gnarly recollection of a monster fall (I believe while traversing) at Tasmania's Ben Lomond. The guy slowly became aware that the jerks and swings he made in midair were timed perfectly with the ear-shattering screams of his belayer above.
I do not believe that the belayer (named Robert Frew) ever climbed again.
I'll have to dig the story out a guide book we've got... until then don't quote me on the particulars.
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jgill
Boulder climber
Colorado
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Jul 18, 2013 - 10:19pm PT
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I talked with Kamps after Chouinard's swan dive off the Sore Thumb way back then. He said he was belaying and the rope went through several pieces and he didn't even feel the impact, but saw Yvon flying past in swan dive position. It all turned out OK, of course.
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rottingjohnny
Sport climber
mammoth lakes ca
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Jul 18, 2013 - 10:53pm PT
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I watched Matt Cox lead this nice looking lie-back on Tahquitz while i was climbing a route to the north called Finger Grip...5.7...? The route Matt was on looked 5.7 ish so i went back a week later and tried to lead it which turned out to be El Camino Real..I took a short whipper of maybe 10 feet on my 2 inch swami as my foot slipped while resting..I never thanked my friend Carl for catching me so thanks Carl...Later i tagged a road sign that said El Camino Real by adding 5.10 after it...RJ
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john hansen
climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 4, 2014 - 05:19am PT
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Bump
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steveA
Trad climber
Wolfeboro, NH
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Took a 30-40 footer, in 1966, in the Gunks.
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Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
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Is it the 4" webbing we used to wrap around our waist? And tied with a bowline?
Too many falls to recount, but Butterfingers, 1976, gawd did that hurt.
EDIT
Then I learned to use leg loops.
Then Joe Brown harness came in, then the Robbins' harness and then…
Now I have a gyro-inflated semi-cobalt, with uranium backing…
EDIT
Eiger north face -1938 by Anderl Heckmair, Ludwig Vörg, Heinrich Harrer and Fritz Kasparek - a couple of crampons and woolen clothes (and excuse me ladies) balls (cajones).
Swami belt? People like those did not worry about swami belts.
Like many of you I started out on gold line, boy could that stretch.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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30 feet.....no problem.
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steveA
Trad climber
Wolfeboro, NH
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Right Jim, but I will always be thankful that I was wearing a Whillans harness when I took the 100 footer on the Prow.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Saw you take that one duuddee!
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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I thought BITD of swami belts the leader wasn't supposed to fall.
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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So did I Steve.
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steveA
Trad climber
Wolfeboro, NH
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What the hell---how many people were standing around that spotting scope BITD? John Dill was watching me thru a scope, when I took the plunge, but it seems there were quite a few others watching as well.
The reason I took such a whipper is that I had tied off many of the stacked pins with nylon shoe string cord. They all snapped, leaving the pins in the rock--a good thing. It was dumb using the light cord in hindsight, but I was trying to reduce leverage on the pins. Lucky Royal R. 1/4 bolt held at the end!
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