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Dapper Dan
climber
The OC
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jan 7, 2005 - 01:55pm PT
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if you didn't hit anything along the way couldn't you potentially fall 400 + feet? anyone ever hear of a fall this size. i wonder how much slack an attentive belayer could pull in that time......
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Lambone
Ice climber
Ashland, Or
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well....he's not here to speak, but Dano has.
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ricardo
Gym climber
San Francisco, CA
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i remember reading about a 100+ whipper that someone took in one of largo's books.. (it was also repeated in lynn hill's book) .. i forget if it was yabo or someone else who took it ..
they were running it out on el cap having had placed no gear (or close to it), and a miracle horm managed to snag the rope and avoid a most likely fatal fall
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can't say
Social climber
Pasadena CA
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ricardo, you're refering to Yabo's fall off of Mammoth Terraces when he and Mike Lechlinski were trying to do a fast ascent of the Shield. It was dark, he was in tennies and running it out for about 100 feet with no pro in-between him and the ledge. Out of nowhere he pitches, screams and plummets toward to deck. Somehow the rope snags in the crack or on something and stops Yabo within feet of ledging out. Mike flips the rope and it comes snaking down with no problem. Mo shines his headlamp up to see what caught Yabo's rope but couldn't see anything that would qualify. Just another Yabo miracle survival story.
An old wall buddy of mine was doing the PO a number years back and ripped one of the rivet ladders and went for 150'. After he topped out he quit climbing and lives quitely in Sonora today.
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yes
Trad climber
the inside
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You know,
I think someone records this data actually....
I remember reading an EXCELLENT first hand account article written in one of the mags.....
It was a so. cal climber? who knew a person, who knew someone in hollywood. They needed someone to take the whipper of all whippers for that one silly Stalone movie filmed in the dolomites...
Anywas, she/he? agreed and a few months later found herself in a Italy, strung over a canyon on a high tension wire, thousand feet up. Cameras rolling and she took a full lenth rope fall, over 100m.
Great artilce she writes about it. Can't place the name, sorry for lack of details.....
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Lambone
Ice climber
Ashland, Or
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heard a rummor that ammon took a purposfull 60 meter fall from the 2nd or 3rd pitch of south seas just for fun.
ammon?
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Trashman
Trad climber
SLC
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i believe the cliffhanger one was Gea Phipps(sp?)-Franklin
seems like a set up stunt fall might be a little easier/less scary than zippering a pitch
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WBraun
climber
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270 feet...don't ever recall one that far. But if you like to hear about these I'll give you one more.
The first call came in somebody is injured at the base of the Salathe wall. Rock fall or something. We get there and the leader had droped the haul bag on the belayers head. Lol!
We finish up that one and start driving back around the loop when the next call comes in "climber fall on Mescalito". Back we go. The guy's at the base when I get there seeing stars big time, blood drippin down his forehead....kinda looking goofy. I ask him if he's all right. Says he's ok I guess and that he's taken a 100 plus footer. We pack him up and cary him out. They flew him to Modesto for cat scans and the usual stuff they do for head injuries. They stiched him up good on that long nasty gash he got on his nuggin. He turned out fine with no problems other than a big bill.
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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70 0r 71 around easter break there was a hubub in camp four and we all trapsed over to the SAR site to check out a rope that someone took a 200+/- footer on. It was reduced from 11mm to about 9mm or so and felt square thru the sheath. Anybody remember the details on that one? Evidently it was an injury free fall.
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mudimba
climber
Baria
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Werner, are you talking about Captain Kirk? He told me he backcleaned most of a pitch on Mescalito and then pitched off right at the end. Guess he even had a locker hanging on the anchor, but hadn't clipped himself in yet.
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looking sketchy there...
Social climber
Latitute 33
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The most amazing fall I ever witnessed was the near ground fall by the infamous "Acapulco Bill" at Suicide Rock. He was off route, terribly run out, crying, and shaking like a leaf on Guillotine [a 5.8 route on the shorter North side of the rock].
Bill was already famous for having taken and survived several other longish falls in Yosemite, Joshua Tree and Tahquitz [hence the moniker "Acapulco" -- being a famous cliff diver]. I was sitting next to the belayer, atop a flake, some 25 feet off the ground.
Oddly enough, as the drama unfolds, the Riverside Mountain Rescue arrives at the base (for a practice session), litter and all. One particulalry callous spectator yells up to Bill "You couldn't a better day to die in complete safety." After a few more terrifying minutes of whining and attempts to climb up or down, Bill pitches off.
On the way down, Bill pulls at least one piece of gear (which probably kept him from swinging into the flake and instantly splicing him). Bill lets out a blood curdling scream. After catching his breath (and realizing he was still falling) he screams a second time.
He flys by the belayer (and me) barely skimming the less than vertical face. After the rope stretches, he comes to a stop. With rope stretch, Bill is about 3 or 4 feet off the deck. In total, Bill falls about 125 feet.
A "rescue" is immediately mounted. In the blink of an eye, Bill is lowered a few feet, the rope cut off from the solid knot on Bill's swami belt, and he is quickly stabilized and placed into the waiting litter.
Within minutes he is headed down the hill to the parking area and a trip to the hospital.
As with Bill's prior cliff diving experiences, he is essentially unscathed and is actually back in Humber Park parking lot that evening, putting down some beers with the rest of us.
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WBraun
climber
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Yep, that was him.
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mtnyoung
Trad climber
Sonora, California
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Can't Say, your "old wall buddy" now lives near LA. I held that fall, and it wasn't 150', it was right at 110'. We were on the South Seas in October 1989. He desintegrated the dowel ladder and pulled some heads on the pitch above the dihedral just above where South Seas joins the PO. From a move or two below the belay, he ended up hanging in space 20' below me. And he did it on my brand new rope. It was all air, no-one hurt, but it sure scared the sh#t out of both of us. It sounded like someone shooting off a .22 caliber rifle on semiautomatic as fast as they could. Near as we could tell, his wife was in El Cap Meadow watching just before he fell. The next day I had to lead the dowel ladder above there. I had to tell myself that I was probably going to die and just accept that it was so before I could make myself start. Also, he didn't so much give up climbing because of this fall, but instead because of fatherhood and due to a then-new interest in (I detest the very word) kayaking.
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bulgingpuke
Trad climber
cayucos california
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An unexpected 200 foot whipper is something ive never had happen to me. But i have had a four wave hold down on the biggest surf of my life i imagine it is the same puke in your mouth feeling.
~TY~
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T2
climber
Cardiff by the sea
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Here's a pic taking 200'+ off the Rostrum. Check the rope falling from my waist. Would I do it again? Probably not, but it was one helluva Buzz.
Hey BP I hate those hold downs, seconds seem like hours.
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Lambone
Ice climber
Ashland, Or
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holy crap
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dirtineye
Trad climber
the south
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I know a guy who took a factor 2 on a 150 foot rope, that's right, 300 feet in NC. Hurt his ribs a little. YOu'd recognize the name if you know NC climbing, so I won't give it. Gotta protect the guilty.
Maybe I can get another friend to post the details.
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T2
climber
Cardiff by the sea
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That is an increadable story Jody. Taking a whipper like that with the equipment of the day. Does the story say anything more about what happend to either climber after the fall? I wonder what is was like for Kamps to hold a fall of that magnitude with a hip belay? Ropeburn maybe? WOW!
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Clayman
Trad climber
CA
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Hey T2, when was that jump up on the Rostrum? Was that one of the ones that Dano rigged back in the day? We were highlining up there and a guy we met in the needles tops out and he was telling us about a 500 footer Dano rigged up there. So the guy, Steve, who just tops out tells us how he got all tied into it and went to the edge but couldnt bring himself to jump so his buddy pushes him off when he wasnt expecting it. Pretty wild. Hows was it rigged?
BP and T2-Big ocean beach in san fran, gets like tripple overhead beach break with nearly a half mile paddle through the indside. Its like being inside a washing machine. gotta love it though.
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Ammon
Big Wall climber
The Mountains
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One of the biggest whips I’ve taken while actually climbing was on Shortest Straw. I was on the “Sun & Steel” pitch nailing the expanding roof when the one I was on ripped. I nearly ripped every rivet hanger on the bolt ladder and ended up next to my belay. I was soloing with a Gri-gri and the added force knocked the wind right out of me. The Gri was so smashed against the rope that I was surprised that it didn’t cut it. I think it was around 90-100 feet.
The second biggest was another solo fall when putting up a route in Zion called Full Steam Ahead. I had a nest (I was new at the time) of pitons on my aiders when I fell and I was looking up while I was testing the piece. Those of you who know me can take one look at my grill and visualize where the pitons hit first.
Yep, I used to take intentional rides just for kicks but decided that it was probably not the best practice to be in. Bridges, cranes, gaps and building were all fair game. The last one I rigged was for Tom’s video Action Adept, I call it “The Alcove Drop”. It must have been over 200 feet and ended about 30 feet from hitting the slab below. If you’ve watched the video you see two different stunts. The first one is about half the size and the second one was so big that Tom lost me in the frame.
I climbed Mescalito with Captain Kirk the year after he whipped. Someone told him at the Deli that heads weren’t pro so he didn’t clip ANY of them on the second pitch. He told me that he had a beak buried into the top of a dead head while he was clipping the anchor. The beak blew and he went for the monster ride.
BTW- Those of you who are thinking about rope-jumping should get on some overhanging, hard aid. It’s just not worth the price that you will sooner or later, end up paying for.
Cheers, Ammon
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Ammon
Big Wall climber
The Mountains
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Here's the BIG one!!!
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Lambone
Ice climber
Ashland, Or
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"The Gri was so smashed against the rope that I was surprised that it didn’t cut it. I think it was around 90-100 feet."
wow, crazy man...
that's kinda scary about the Gri-Gri. a similar thing happened to my buddy, but on a short (20ft) factor 2 fall. The Gri-Gri cam totaly pinched the rope down to about 5mil. It took both of us full strength to release it.
kinda makes me wonder about using the gri-gri...
have fun man!
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jclimb
Trad climber
Durango, Co
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i was in puerto rico one time and these kids were taking 100 foot swings/jumps off of a bridge. they had the rope rigged to one side of the bridge and were diving off the other, taking huge swinging pendulum like falls. the cops even stopped to watch and didn't say a thing
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Rhodo-Router
Trad climber
Otto, NC
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The NC guy.. was that on Looking Glass? Left of the Nose somewhere, SuperCrack,Paris something, one of those?
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dirtineye
Trad climber
the south
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I'm not sure... initials are LC if that means anything to you... he's a friend of a friend. I've climbed with them a little, but I didn't know em when that fall happened.
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Pappy
Trad climber
Atlanta
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Dirt for Brains, was that Lee on "Free Man in Paris" aka "Dead Man in Pisgah" at the Glass?
All these pony-tailed West Coast hippy freaks think they have somehow cornered the market for stupid antics on granite.
Bullsh#t.
My buddy ML was finishing up one of those semi-secret NC climbs on a 500'+ cliff. Actually, Eric was supposed to finish it, but the line they had identified as the finish (semi-secret being that you don't really know where sh#t goes) didn't take much pro. So Eric bailed.
Well, ML is nothing if not focused. And it's getting dark. So he identifies that after he gets to a good ledge where he can place a big cam it will be another 50' or so to another horizontal. And he decides that that slot will take a #2 TCU.
So he fires up the face to the horizontal, and the #2 TCU is too big. And he just throws it over his shoulder, because, as he said, "This f*#king thing has no more relevance to my life."
Then he fell.
He was able to kick off the rock so that he only clipped the ledge below and fracture a few ribs. He wound up hanging below Eric, his belayer, "Who looked a little fried."
His back still hurts.
No good thing results from falling. Just don't.
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Loom
climber
the bathroom
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I remember the Rostrum jump. Was it '97? That was crazy fun. It was a really good scene for a couple days too. A bunch of people were going up there, leaping off and hauling or getting hauled up. The first jumper on the last day--before we dismantled it--was Janice, and she was nervously sucking on an OE while Kevin strapped her in. She was shaking as she said, "Kevin I'm scared." He said, "that's alright; you're supposed to be scared; it wouldn't mean as much if you weren't." She looked across at Reeds, and when they said "go" she took 3 steps and leaped. When she got back up she had a smile from ear to ear; she said it was better than sex.
When it was my turn I hesitated--then in a split-second a picture ran through my head of me making false starts again and again until I gave up and took the harness off--but then I just yelled, "Fvck it!" to get every thought out of my head and I took three steps and leaped; what a rush! I was smiling all day.
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yo
climber
NOT Fresno
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I think it was '97. The scene was huge, it was like more people were jumping than climbing the Rostrum. Miles or somebody said, "Hey, you done the Rostrum yet?" And I'm like, "No, I'm not in freeing shape." And he's all, "No, dude. Not that."
Kevin had video of all sorts of people jumping or getting chucked off. Actually it may have been Miles who stutter-stepped and had second thoughts and they shoved him off screaming. It was somebody.
For the record, I was too yeller.
Oh, and big whips: overheard some rat talking about Gerberding going 250 or 300 low down on the Ranch. When it was over his partner let out like two or three big yards of slack and lowered him to the ground. You never know with these stories.
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dirtineye
Trad climber
the south
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Problem Pappy,
I don't know what route it was on, you were sitting right there when we were talking about it though at Reel. RRK knows. Ask him.
And you are in the dog house. Today is a PERFECT day, and I am stuck bouldering because you are too much of a WIMP for words.
I'm not driving to chattavegas to climb with the one armed man. He probably wouldn't show up anyway.
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T2
climber
Cardiff by the sea
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Yes Clayman, This jump was comliments of Dano's ingenuity.
Yes it was 97' Loom you were obviously there. Kevin Thaw had convinced me to wait a day with my plans to blast on the PO wall to make this jump. I do remember Jance firring down that OE as she was the first to go that day. There were about 10 people that got to jump before the thing got taken down. You would get 1 jump, and then paid for it by hauling 9 others back up the cliff. It left a smile on my face too, a day I will never forget. What's your name Loom, do I know you?
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WBraun
climber
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T2
Me & Merry were watching you guys from the Reeds turnout that day. Wow! I believe it was the prelude, warmup to the future on Leaning Tower.
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T2
climber
Cardiff by the sea
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Werner,
How did that look from across the valley?
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Loom
climber
the bathroom
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T2,
My name is Scott. Coiler and my students call me Mr. Lennox. I'm sure my students call me lots of other things too though. Several years ago a guy called "The Spewer" tried to make the nickname "One-eye" stick to me, but fortunately it didn't. Long ago, when I was a high school student my friends called me "Loom"; I'm not sure why. Anyway, T2 who are you? Do I know you?
I took some photos of Russ and Miles and others jumping. Miles blew it. Instead of arching his back and putting his arms up at first, he tried to track right from the start. He ended up doing an unintentional flip and then the rope went between his legs; he was fortunate he got it out of there (yikes!).
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T2
climber
Cardiff by the sea
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Sorry Loom I can't put a face to the name. One thing for sure is we did share a freaking fun day together. Put a couple of the pics you have up, so we can see them. I had a couple of Russ that were way better than the one I posted earlier. I gave them to him a couple of years ago, wish I still had them. Here is Karen Roseme getting rigged to jump and trying to figure out if this is such a good idea or not. Kevin Thaw on the right and Berni from the mountain shop on the left.
T2
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Loom
climber
the bathroom
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Jan 12, 2005 - 12:42am PT
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I knew I had these lying around somewhere.
Rostrum Jump: first one is Miles, second is Russ, third is me (by Wally).
Credit where credit is due: Thanks Jody, I used your tips from the other thread.
Loom
edit: They're baaack. I accidentally deleted these off the intermediary site.
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T2
climber
Cardiff by the sea
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Jan 12, 2005 - 12:55am PT
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NICE Loom those are great!! The one of Miles is freaking awesome. Those shots say it all. What a day.
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OW
Trad climber
Dawson, GA
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Jan 15, 2005 - 08:23am PT
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I think I could find it on trango.com, but wasn't Malcolm's fall in AK around 200' ???
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coldclimb
climber
Wasilla, Alaska
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Jan 16, 2005 - 09:46pm PT
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Loom, where'd your pics go? Trying to show them to friends, but they seem to be down. Awesome stuff! Wish I could have been there!
Edit: Sweet. Back now. Thanks Loom!
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up2top
Big Wall climber
Phoenix, AZ
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Jan 17, 2005 - 12:59am PT
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Loom, your reference to "the spewer" -- any chance that guys name was Steve? I can't remember his last name, but I was a co-worker of his for a while right after he moved to Phoenix and shortly after I'd started climbing. Crazy bastard with all sorts of stories about living in the Valley for six years. We only went climbing a few times together, but dude was always drinking and always had a tale to tell. One day out climbing and reveling I remember him telling me he'd earned the nickname "the spewer."
As crazy and sauced as he always was, he and his anecdotes were my original inspiration to climb El Cap. It's a long shot -- just curious if it may be the same guy.
Ed
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Loom
climber
the bathroom
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Jan 17, 2005 - 01:07am PT
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Ed,
Yeah, Steve The Spewer. Worked in hotel management. Once, years ago when he was pretty rummied at the deli I bet him $20 that I could lick my eyeball. I would've won too, but there was a nurse at the table who figured it out and gave me away.
Scott
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up2top
Big Wall climber
Phoenix, AZ
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Jan 17, 2005 - 01:23am PT
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Small world. We both worked at a software company that provided property management systems for the hotel/hospitality industry. No doubt it's the same guy.
I'd love to hear some stories about that dude if anyone has some dirt or funnies to dish out. I remember he said he worked on SAR for a while. Werner -- you know the guy?
Ed
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the Fet
Knackered climber
A bivy sack in the secret campground
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Bump for a killer thread.
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Hardman Knott
Gym climber
Muir Woods National Monument, Mill Valley, Ca
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A most well-desreved bump, to be sure!
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JuanDeFuca
Big Wall climber
Stoney Point
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Guillotine?
I remember a real terror climb with the shittiest pro to the right of that route.
But I cranked the 10c no problem.
A took a 40 foot fall on Freeblast
Juan
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Duece posted this on another thread about Scott Burke
"Just thought of a funny Burke story.
Back in 1985, a guy came to the Valley with a film project and wanted a climber to take a 150 foot whipper for the camera. Schultz, Walt, Burke, and I were the ones at the time crazy enough to do such a stunt for some cash, so we all competed for the role.
We went out to the Perris Ferry bridge outside of Yosemite to train, and began with full length rope swings. Besides Charly Fowler's 100'whip on the Diving Board in Boulder, there were few people who had intentionally taken such falls on ropes previously.
Next we began with loop jumps. For a time I had the record for the biggest loop jump (shortest distance from anchor to jump spot, about 20 feet, which resulted in about a 165 foot free fall on the 180' rope), but I hurt my back in the process (that's when we discovered chest harnesses were a necessity).
I was slumped over with my back killling me on the side of the bridge when Burke decides to go for one more swing jump. He leaps, then agonizing screams pierced the air. His aiders hanging from the back of his harness had gotten hung up on a bolt on the bridge. Suspended upside down several feet below the bridge, he screamed, "Deucy, Deucy, Cut me loose!!" The Swiss Miss and a friend of her's were there with us, but they didn't have the strength to lift the aider off the bolt by themselves. I staggered over with my bad back (which, by the way, still comes back to haunt me occasionally to this day), and helped lift the aider off.
Meanwhile, a passing by driver heard the screaming and stopped on the middle of the bridge just as we were about to send him.
We asked Burke what he wanted us to do, and he screamed, "Cut me loose, cut me loose!!", so we did.
The passerby couldn't see his swing, and proceeded to look at us with wide eyes, and asked, "Is he dead?"
We told him we were just having fun and he was on a rope, whereupon the driver suddenly got really angry and told us he was heading back to town to call the cops, and then left.
I called down to Burke, "Scotty, the cops are going to be here in about 18 minutes, can you get back up?"
"I broke my ribs" (he hadn't) came the ailing reply.
We fixed a haul system, but then he realized he could jumar and began coming up slowly. Meanwhile, we packed the car and prepared for a fast getaway. With no moments to spare, as soon as he got up, we got him in the car, manically disassembled the anchor, tossed everything in a big mess into the car, and were still driving on the bridge when the cop car with flashing lights came ripping around the corner.
We looked as non-chalant as we could, and made the getaway!
Ps. Schultz got the movie job by underbidding us all!
pss. I didn't do anymore intentional rope falls until I blitzed a bunch with Dan Osman in 1998, cumulating in a 400 footer from the Navajo bridge over the Grand Canyon near Lee's Ferry."
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Mazzystr
Gym climber
Homeless...
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dirtineye,
who and where
;)
/Chris C
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Nefarius
Big Wall climber
somewhere without avatars.........
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I've done 60m rope drops in the past. Didn't even come close to comparing to an 80' footer I took while solo aiding earlier this years. My bollocks are still a little shriveled. =O
That Rostrum jump looks badass!!!
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Scared Silly
Trad climber
UT
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Years ago my partner took a 150' footer. Sliding and airbore down the North of side of the Grand. I caught the fall with my hands and by jumping off the other side of the ledge we were on. When all was collected we racked our nuts and climbed on. It was in the rags.
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Trusty Rusty
Social climber
Tahoe area
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Holy Skid Monkey,
Well I've soiled more boxers on Gym Routes than most you bastard people!
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Dogger1
climber
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Buddy of mine took a 100++ footer on a NC aid route. He was cleaning a STEEP pitch leap frogging aiders and self belaying with a Gri Gri. A mere three feet from the belay and the last piece blows. Took the ride to the end of the rope! His daisies and aiders kept the Gri Gri from opening and arresting the fall.
Fortunately the slack had been pulled out before being tied off. He did though have some gnarly deep burns on his hands from attempting to stop the plummet "Batman style."
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Prod
Big Wall climber
A place w/o Avitars apparently
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Well that wasted a bit of time this morning. Thank you!
Prod.
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Lynne Leichtfuss
Social climber
valley center, ca
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When I logged onto this thread I had a pretty smart a$$ dumb retort ready to post.
But after reading the complete thread wow, Testostrone wins...and I hope it always does. Yo Guys that love life, live it..... but control amap. Peace and Joy always to your days.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Dec 14, 2009 - 01:25am PT
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recent discussion got me thinking about that South Seas fall.
some crazy photos from Loom
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enjoimx
Big Wall climber
SLO Cal
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Dec 14, 2009 - 02:07am PT
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T2 post your Rostrum pics again!!! We cant see them!!
Somewhere is a video of Leo Houlding and Jose P. Jumping off their portaledges for a 200' fall on El Cap. Its nuts.
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Dec 14, 2009 - 10:10am PT
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I can't tell if this has already been mentioned on this thread but young Jim Stanton took a 200-240+ ft fall on the Braille Book (Higher Cathedral Rock) about 1970. He was an overly joyful intermediate leader who pulled all his protection in a fall, reaching nearly to the ground. He wasn't too badly hurt and was soon climbing for a few more years. A good friend of most of us too. Great guy. It might have been he was trying to use nuts on his lead (hell it's been 39 years) and back then nuts were largely clumsy and iffy. But he was also a new climber.
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Fuzzywuzzy
climber
suspendedhappynation
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Dec 17, 2009 - 12:54am PT
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Peter - Do you remember Andy Cox?
I remember the rumor about a huge fall on the Muir?
Anybody know?
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reddirt
climber
da subarwu
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Dec 17, 2009 - 01:05am PT
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this isn't exactly a whipper nor is it rock climbing but...
In 2006 a skier cartwheeled 2600ft down the Orient Express on Denali. He got away w/ scratched corneas a a few shiners.
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Dec 17, 2009 - 01:12am PT
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Fuzzer, Yes, god in heaven, I have never forgotten Andy Cox. I really liked him! Wasn't he an East coast climber?
I think you are right about a monster fall on the Muir. He was a good friend of George Meyers back then. George would remember. Also Pettigrew would I think. Neither of these guys post very much here though...
Andy left us in a weird way. He just disappeared in Kings Canyon.... I don't believe we ever found any evidence or trace. I think he and someone you and I both know (??) were on their way to do Tehipite Dome or something like that. There was a bunch of searching and so forth but just nothing came of these efforts. He vanished!! Apparently he had a really huge-ass pack on. Andy was about a 210++ pounder then and could muscle giant loads. A theoretical scenario was he got out of balance along the river.
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lucander
Trad climber
New England
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Dec 17, 2009 - 07:27am PT
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400 feet, sheesh - on the East Coast that's enough to hit the ground and leave a 200 foot crater in the soil at most destination crags. I know that the scale of west coast climbing is larger, but is there an equation? Perhaps my 46 footer on Tough Shift at the Gunks would be 378.96 feet out west?
DL
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oldtopangalizard
Social climber
ca
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Dec 17, 2009 - 10:42am PT
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I was at Suicide in the late 70,s, maybe 80 or 81 during a Guillotine ripper. I was around the corner near the Flower when it happened, so when I showed up the guy was standing on the ground. He appeared OK, but he had on no shirt and his entire back was by far the biggest strawberry I had ever seen. Could it be the same story, this guy had no head injuries and was clearly laughing it off.
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gonzo chemist
climber
the Twilight Zone of someone else's intentions
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Dec 17, 2009 - 05:32pm PT
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These tales of Guillotine at Suicide Rock reminded me of an interesting experience earlier this summer, that I had completely forgotten about. I was climbing with a friend I hadn't seen in a few months. He hadn't climbed in at least a couple months, but said he was game to climb anything I felt like. I suggested we warm up on Guillotine because its got a nice mix of mild laybacking and a bit of chimneying, all very well protected. Then we'd move onto some harder objectives.
Well he starts up the climb just fine but not plugging much gear. I think he placed maybe one piece or two by the time he got up to the point of the chimney. He decides that instead of go INTO the chimney (as I always have), he's going to layback up the outside edge of the massive flake. Well he sets off up the edge without even placing a piece piece at the base of the chimney. And once you're committed, there's no place to plug in gear. So I start getting real nervous, cuz he's looking at a BAD fall if he slips. The route is called Guillotine for a reason. So he's about half way up this section, and he pretty much STOPS moving. I can hear the breathing picking up and his feet start skating a bit, slipping here and there a little. He resumes inching upward, but the cursing starts in. I can hear it well down where I am. 'Sh#t, f*#k, what the hell am I doing up here?!, damnit! shit!'
MY hands are seriously sweating at this point. If he blows it from there, it'll be a massive, chopper fall....really ugly. I yell up some encouragement, 'c'mon, man! smooth and steady! stay relaxed!' Inching his way upwards, he finally gains a jug above the point where the chimney flake pinches down, plugs a piece and guns for the anchors. No epic that day. It was a mind-blowing lead though, with serious consequences for failure.
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bhilden
Trad climber
Mountain View, CA
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Dec 17, 2009 - 05:58pm PT
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Back before SLCD's, I fell the entire length of the last pitch of the Enigma (5.10a undercling/lieback). I was about two moves from the top when I fell. The force of the fall pulled all the pro below the undercling and that combined with a very stretchy MSR rope (anybody else ever climb on one of these) sent me for at least 60'. I ended up about 2 feet above the ground, but, stormed back up and finished the lead.
Bruce
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cleo
Social climber
Berkeley, CA
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Dec 17, 2009 - 06:02pm PT
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Holy sheet.
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Quasimodo
Trad climber
CA
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Dec 17, 2009 - 08:13pm PT
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Jody,
Bob Kamps told me about two huge falls he held with a hip belay. The first one was the story you shared and another happened not long afterward. I can't remember the other account but it was over 100 foot fall on a hip belay. Bob said he quit climbing for a short time after the second fall. Bob thought he was "bad luck" and should quit climbing. Fortunately, for all of us, he returned to climbing in a big way and shared his passion with so many.
Those old school boys are the real deal... I shudder at the climbs that Bob put up in Cortina Pivettas.
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lars johansen
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Dec 17, 2009 - 11:20pm PT
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Nothing like 400', but I think Clance fell out of his steps on an early ascent of ZM and went for well over 100'. I believe he might have been hammered. No damage incurred and he went back and sent it.
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Hard Rock
Trad climber
Montana
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Dec 18, 2009 - 09:30am PT
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We don't want to forget CliffHanger (SS greatest role). I think the total fall was 400 feet. I forgot the woman's name but I believed she asked David B. to get the shot in the first take.
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Fogarty
climber
BITD
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Dec 21, 2009 - 08:42pm PT
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From Prev Topic (What was your longest winger)
260+ Feet on pitch 14 Tangerine Trip in 1984 With Tracy Dorton, This was a earlier ascent of this now trade route. This pitch starts very simple I back cleaned to The first rivet, I forgot The 1/4 inch nuts at my tent, I thought no big deal, I remember flying up this pitch the 1/4 rivets some faced down, again no dig deal I then saw above me the only rivet on that pitch with a old short tie on it I thought wow A-1. As I went to reach to clip it all I remember is falling out in space and all my short ties just floating with me in space not popping off or slowing me down! I remember just screaming as I flew by Tracy belaying me in his curry Ledge laying down then I recall a big jolt then dropping a little more I was upside down and 30 feet from The wall I remember Tracy yelling are you ok as I flipped over and balanced in space I looked up to see Tracy flipped out of his ledge and Both of us in space,Tracy was out of rope, I some how gained The courage to jug back up to The anchors. I remember wile I was jugging all The gear at my waist. When I got to The top I remember thanking my bro, he then said that he would lead the pitch I remember my response, This is my Horse and I'm getting back on this mother f*#ker!
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deuce4
climber
Hobart, Australia
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Dec 21, 2009 - 09:10pm PT
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yep, off the Navajo Bridge. Took Dano there, wasn't really planning to jump myself, but ended up going for it after he set it up and made the first jump. We had his tent fly drag chute--the one we modified at my shop--which actually almost killed me because the wind had changed direction and pulled me over to the right where there was a big ledge system. Miraculously, the wind violently changed at the last minute and pulled me back toward center. Missed the ledge. But the adrenaline rush wiped me out, my muscles were useless. It took me about an hour to jug up the first rope. When I arrived at the mid point at the knot (it was two 200 footers tied together), Dano had lowered a rope with a piece of cloth tape on the 'biner, upon which he had written, "clip in dude!". He had to help haul me up the rest of the way, and belay me as I struggled over from the anchor back up to the bridge surface.
I remember as I just missed the ledge, I heard loud clanging bells, similar to a hundred church towers all ringing at once. Then suddenly, as my swing ended, the sudden silence of the canyon with only the trickling water sounds of the river now just below my feet.
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MH2
climber
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Apr 21, 2010 - 11:44pm PT
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I was following lars johansen's posts back a ways after his high value image in the 2 trolls thread and found:
I can't tell if this has already been mentioned on this thread but young Jim Stanton took a 200-240+ ft fall on the Braille Book (Higher Cathedral Rock) about 1970.
I was planning to post about that incident to see if anyone here remembered it. The belayer was Bob Johnson, a grad student in solid state physics at Brown University. From what I remember of his account, the leader had climbed about 80 feet above the belay with a few rattly nuts for pro. When he fell they all pulled. Bob was belaying around the hip. After catching the fall he couldn't see the leader. He yelled and got an answer so he shouted,
"Are you all right?"
Yes.
"I can't see you."
The climber stuck his arm out and it was entirely covered in blood.
The leader had suffered some scrapes, including scalp wounds which bleed a lot. He also had a broken nose. He was back on the rock within a month.
In catching the fall, Bob had been jerked against one of the corners. He didn't realize at first, in the excitement of organizing the descent, but he had a busted knee-cap. That injury, perhaps made worse by the hike down, took longer to resolve than the leader's, Jim Stanton, whose name the cornucopia of Supertopo has spilled all these years later.
In reference to another post above, I spent a day climbing with Andy Cox and Rob Hall on a trip from Buffalo to Mt Nemo and Rattlesnake in Ontario.
I believe Bob Johnson mentioned a burned or melted section of the rope that he caught the Braille Book fall on, about 20 feet long. If so, 80 feet above the belay to 80 feet below plus 20 gives an estimate of 180 feet for the total fall. +/- whatever guesses you want to make.
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Bulldog
Trad climber
Yosemite, CA
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Apr 22, 2010 - 08:03pm PT
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My friend Cooney, combined the last two pitches of Zodiac, got off route in a rain storm. Went left at the top, clipped into two rattie pegs and had back cleaned for some benounced reason? Then weighted the pegs and "pop"! He screamed twiced, watched his rope grate on the roof to the left of peanut ledge and ended up clipping into the anchor at peanut ledge. 150'--200'? He had a sprained wrist and ankel, got lucky! Lesson learned, don't back clean so much and pound those manky pegs!
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