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shutupandclimb
climber
Palm Desert Ca.
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 7, 2008 - 10:55pm PT
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Sorry to hear that Anastasia...................Murphy's Law?
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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hey there locker... say, saw your website... neat, very nicely done....
work and prosper, there, locker... :)
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looking sketchy there...
Social climber
Latitute 33
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Common at the sport crag, rarely on trad...
No more than 6-7 times a day.
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shutupandclimb
climber
So. Cal..............d00d
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 8, 2008 - 12:26pm PT
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Thanks for the thoughtful response. I have never really had the aversion to slab climbing that many seem to suffer from, but after an inverted slabby fall, the seed may be planted.
I am going to continue to do gear routes, but for the next little while, probably stick to the steeper stuff. That can be challenging
at josh.
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tolman_paul
Trad climber
Anchorage, AK
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I'm a climber, not a faller. As I recall I've only taken two lead falls, one on gear, one on bolts. Now top roping, or hanging, that's a different matter.
As I solo and run it out on occasions, I find it a bad practice to make a habit of falling.
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Dr. Rock
Ice climber
http://tinyurl.com/4oa5br
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If I fall, I am dead so you won't know if I fell or not because of the remote nature of the climbs and the hungry coyotes that start with your thighs, because thats where the most meat is.
You know whats ironic, if you fall, you go to heaven, hopefully, so you make a complete 180.
If not, you just keep on going.
Right through the bedrock.
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Anastasia
climber
Not there
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Shutupandclimb...
Murphy's law? No, It was actually my stupidity. I knew the ground was uneven. I was offered a pad to even it out and... I was being prideful and snubbed my nose at the offer. "We all know pride comes before a fall."
Anyway, Shutupandclimb... I need to climb with you. I am very guilty of talking more than climbing. I need someone like you to tell me to shut up and climb!
Smiles,
AF
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Dwain
Trad climber
Apple Valley, California
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"I see the most injuries in bouldering accident"
That is how I broke my back in 2000,
When a hold broke off when I was doing a highball problem.
Dwain
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adventurous one
Trad climber
reno nev.
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I still hate falling. About 25 falls, exclusive of hanging, over the past 26 years of climbing. Probably would fall more if I were willing to really push my limits on lead. I tend to never attempt free climbing trad leads unless I am pretty confident of getting it on the first go, as I believe that you only have one shot at truly succeeding "fairly". (I also am a chicken compared to many on this forum, so this theory works well for my ego) So, about an average of once a year. Maybe a dozen or so of those falls were due to broken holds on first ascents. Nothing longer than 25' and nothing more serious than a broken foot. A head first 22 footer stopping 3' short of decking maybe being the most memorable.
Have witnesed several occasions where the pro has failed during a fall, luckily no tragic consequences. This has reinforced my early schooling that the best way to climb is as though there is no rope and down climbing is the only option of retreat on lead. Always back up even "good" gear placements when a groundfall is possible. We all know that, right? Scares me when I see experienced sport climbers switch to trad and never back up placements as though they were as bomber as a bolt. Toproping is the place to push yourself to the point of failure imo. Glad to see so many others here adhereing to the old motto that "the leader must never fall".
edit- The worst fall I ever took was on a descent falling less than 10' onto my back on a granite outcropping, and that one shattered my back and almost ended my climbing career about six years ago. That is kinda how life really is. Rarely does anyone fall on heinous runouts. It is being inattentive on "easy" routes, or descents, that usually get us.
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originalpmac
Trad climber
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I fall relatively often, fell about four or five times just the other day on a single pitch roof crack, real clean except the rope behind my leg at one point gave me some nasty rope burn, hopefully won't do that again.
I have grown up in the age when climbing is safe and sex isn't, so I have taken a few whippers. I got off route in the Sandias the other day however and found myself in the midst of rotten barely if at all 10a climbing, and that got me pretty frazzled, doing hard moves ten feet past a manky old machine bolt with sundried webbing girth hitched to it, with that ten feet above a stopper in rotten rock all over top a sloping ledge. i thought I was going to break my legs as looking an epic.
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shutupandclimb
climber
So. Cal..............d00d
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 8, 2008 - 11:06pm PT
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Anytime Anastasia. I will be out both days this weekend with friends in Josh. Come join us. It's great to share the fun!\
Cheers!
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snowhazed
Trad climber
Oaksterdam, CA
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I fall often at the creek, and on occasion in the Sierra's- but only into space- slabs, ledges, etc.- no falls allowed.
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Double D
climber
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I've only taken a handful of leader falls over the years but...
they've all been really comical mistakes on stuff below my ability. One of my nicknames was "Sky Pilot” from such mishaps. Stupid stuff like stepping on the rope, getting it caught around my leg and proceeding to pull my foot off, etc. The funniest one was on Outer Limits getting to the belay I decided to reach over and mantle the ledge instead of just climbing five feet higher and stepping over and of course I had confidently run it out. Lets just say I popped off the mantle and before I even knew what was going on I was negotiating righting myself as I flew through the air. Although I’ve fallen on harder stuff, it’s usually very short. These days I’ve been rope-soloing a lot and I don’t really push it, but today I did take a short top-rope fall from following a roped solo lead. I was running late for work and rushed through the section with the wrong sequence and simply got too pumped when my back up knot (loop) got caught. Even on sport routes I’m a wimp about falling and avoid it at all costs.
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Dr. Rock
Ice climber
http://tinyurl.com/4oa5br
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Just thought of a cool invention.
Use airbag technology.
You wear a suit with two thin membranes as the material.
When a fall triggers the inflater, you are instantly covered with a protective bubble suit.
Screw it.
It would probably make it worse.
Instead of a thirty footer, you would bounce like a bowling ball on crack, all the way to San Berdoo and back.
Plus, the heat from the hot gas would roast you like a Cornish Game Hen, my favorite Boy Scout food.
Anybody remember Bordens Milkshakes in a can?
Elsie on the label?
Those were like Gold to backpackers.
They replace money.
You could get a Joe Blob from the Scoutmaster with a six pack of stolen shakes.
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shutupandclimb
climber
So. Cal..............d00d
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 9, 2008 - 12:56am PT
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Hi Dan,
You put up Crest Jewel Drct with Steve right? Great job. I hear it was the first five star route put up in the valley for 15-20 yrs.
I tried to do the linkup this year :arches to CJ direct, but my partner bailed..................Shoot! Maybe in the spring.
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mongrel
Trad climber
Truckee, CA
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A few decades ago we taught a great friend to climb, and he became very strong at it, rock, ice, whatever. But it always worried me that he just fell too often. It was a different context then, not long out of the hip belay era. Then one year he fell on the non-crux part of a stout climb in the UK....and the rope cut in a tiny flake.
"Freak" things do happen just every so often in falls. You really want to minimize them, except in situations where you are pretty sure you have controlled all the "freak" risks to as close to zero as possible. It's good to get practice downclimbing from difficult spots, and up and down to try it different ways, you get really strong, and it increases confidence when things are truly sketchy and you cannot just take on a bomber piece or bolt.
That said, I've logged some good air time over the many years, twice going about 65+ ft on slabs, once 30+ ft on ice (1972 or 73 - whereupon I decided this was not OK and have not fallen on ice, lead or TR, since then), maybe 4 or 5 other real falls (longer than sport length). Works out to an average of about one real fall per 5 years. Sport length falls (bolt or pro not much lower than feet), up to a couple a year. Falling is fun! but just not a good idea to do too much. There are plenty of situations to push your limits, but if you don't practice a mindset of not falling, which generally means also practicing some downclimbing from cruxes, there's a whole host of great R and R/X climbs out there, and first ascents waiting, that you really ought not to be doing. And that's a loss. That stuff is REALLY fun.
For me, the biggest adrenaline shot ever came from an incident where the rope never got weighted: slid a few feet on a slab, pro way far below, but managed to hit a foothold and not tip over. Hooo boy, unforgettable heartstopper.
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HighDesertDJ
Trad climber
Arid-zona
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I fell three times in the gym today.
(two were intentional)
I usually don't fall but I'm trying to get better at doing it. Hopefully today helped.
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Dr. Rock
Ice climber
http://tinyurl.com/4oa5br
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I'm afraid I am going to have to report you to the Tempe Police.
No intestinal falls allowed.
Please don't say these were lead falls?
And quit smackin the crash pad.
It disrupts my concentration, decked three times all righty, I'm out.
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Ceramiclover
Trad climber
sioux falls, SD
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Nov 30, 2008 - 12:50pm PT
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I would be interested to know what people's experiences are with taking lead falls on pitons. I have searched the forums and have not seen much discussion on this. I have read that they are only meant for upward progression and body weight, though this seems antithetical to, for instance, the A1 rating's implication that these pieces can take any lead fall.
I only have about 500 feet of nailing under my belt, and would appreciate any illumination.
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