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ensonik
Mar 6, 2012, 10:32 PM
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I'm curious. In the gym this week, I saw a leader fall where the leaders ankle was twisted around the rope. It was quite a while before he figured he needed to pull just over the ankle to get out of it. It's obvious his leg was not placed properly in relation to the rope and fall direction (although there were 4 of us watching and nothing struck us as odd with the rope and his legs -- disclaimer; all 4 of us are beginners (about 2 years leading)), but I'm curious if any of you have seen this before. edit: spelling
(This post was edited by ensonik on Mar 6, 2012, 10:33 PM)
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shimanilami
Mar 6, 2012, 11:25 PM
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It happens. Figuring out when it could happen and avoiding those circumstances is part of learning how to lead climb. (I'm reminded of the words of my father, who said, "Pain is a great teacher .... See? I bet you won't ever do that again. ")
(This post was edited by shimanilami on Mar 6, 2012, 11:25 PM)
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ensonik
Mar 6, 2012, 11:27 PM
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shimanilami wrote: It happens This is what I almost put in the original question; Could it just be one of those 'Shit happens' moments and let it be ... I prefer things to be a bit more thought out and analysed, but maybe this was one of those moments.
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shimanilami
Mar 6, 2012, 11:35 PM
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I could clariy by saying, "It happens if you let it happen." [Hint - the "it" is the rope getting behind your leg.]
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GeckoBat
Mar 7, 2012, 1:33 AM
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As the belayer, I would have called up to my climber to advise him of the situation. I think that the belayer also shares some responsibility -- at least that's the understanding in my groups.
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jt512
Mar 7, 2012, 2:08 AM
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ensonik wrote: shimanilami wrote: It happens This is what I almost put in the original question; Could it just be one of those 'Shit happens' moments and let it be ... Only if you treat it as such.
In reply to: I prefer things to be a bit more thought out and analysed, but maybe this was one of those moments. Me too. I suspect that shit happens a lot more often to people who think that shit happens than to people who don't. Jay
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ensonik
Mar 7, 2012, 2:46 AM
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jt512 wrote: I suspect that shit happens a lot more often to people who think that shit happens than to people who don't. This phrase was confusing to me, but once it was sorted out in my head, I found it made sense. For what it's worth, I agree. Rope&Leg foul play there was. Doesn't sound like it happens often though ... (which was the original curiosity/question) edit: quote
(This post was edited by ensonik on Mar 7, 2012, 2:16 PM)
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shotwell
Mar 7, 2012, 4:39 AM
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ensonik wrote: jt512 wrote: I suspect that shit happens a lot more often to people who think that shit happens than to people who don't. This phrase was confusing to me, but once it was sorted out in my head, I found it made sense. For what it's worth, I agree. Rope&Leg foul play there was. Doesn't sound like it happens often though ... (which was the original curiosity/question) What Jay really said is that if you consider this event unlikely to happen, it will happen often. You have to be conscious of where the rope is at all times and not get your leg between it and the wall. If you can't be bothered to pay attention to it, this event will happen very often.
(This post was edited by shotwell on Mar 7, 2012, 5:02 AM)
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bearbreeder
Mar 7, 2012, 4:49 AM
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experienced leaders are often very aware of where their legs are, where the rope is, and where the last piece of pro is ... and the consequences of a fall ... youll notice they make moves to avoid getting the rope in bad positions
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jae8908
Mar 7, 2012, 6:23 AM
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ensonik wrote: It's obvious his leg was not placed properly in relation to the rope and fall direction (although there were 4 of us watching and nothing struck us as odd with the rope and his legs -- disclaimer; all 4 of us are beginners (about 2 years leading)), but I'm curious if any of you have seen this before. edit: spelling I'm a bit confused that after 2 years of leading experience, how is it that you don't know how to place your feet to keep the rope from getting wrapped around your leg when you fall? This is one of the first things I learned when I was learning to lead and I have only been leading just over a year. If you took a class, that should have been taught. If you have ever lead with anyone who has any experience then they should have recognized and corrected the foot placement.
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irukandji
Mar 7, 2012, 11:14 AM
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Scheis happens. I remember seeing a video of Lynn Hill getting her leg caught in the rope and doing the splits to avoid hitting her head over the wall. And few can beat Lynn when it comes to experience. Just be careful next time.
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USnavy
Mar 7, 2012, 12:18 PM
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ensonik wrote: I'm curious. In the gym this week, I saw a leader fall where the leaders ankle was twisted around the rope. It was quite a while before he figured he needed to pull just over the ankle to get out of it. It's obvious his leg was not placed properly in relation to the rope and fall direction (although there were 4 of us watching and nothing struck us as odd with the rope and his legs -- disclaimer; all 4 of us are beginners (about 2 years leading)), but I'm curious if any of you have seen this before. edit: spelling I have not specifically seen someone fall with their leg twisted in the rope, however this issue is extremely common amongst new leaders. In fact, in my experience, climbing with the rope behind one's leg is the single most common major error new leaders make. Many gyms and instructors do not give this issue enough attention. Most focus more attention on backclipping, even though this issue is more important in many ways. The consequences of falling with the rope behind your leg can be severe, so make sure you are always paying attention. This issue is also not restricted solely to new leaders. I have seen 5.13 climbers put the rope behind their leg during certain moves. I believe that the best way to prevent this problem is to give it a lot of attention when you first start leading. Specifically look down and watch how your feet interact with the rope. If you learn early on to keep your feet away from the rope, you are more likely to continue that behavior throughout your climbing career. If you do wrong at first, you are likely to continue doing wrong, and if you try to correct yourself, it will likely be harder to do because you will have to suppress an already ingrained behavior. This reminds me of a partner I use to climb with. He would use a Trango Cinch to belay with. When he started using the device he learned that he could take his hands off the rope when his partner is resting on a bolt because the device is locked. Well this did not sit well with me, I learned to always keep my hand on the rope at all times. So I had to remind him over and over and over to keep his hand on the rope. I have reminded him hundreds of times, and although he has improved, I still see him switching to his old behavior of letting go of the rope at times. On the other hand, when my girlfriend bought a Cinch, I trained her to use it like an ATC, that is to never let go of the rope. Although she has less time on the clock belaying on a Cinch than my other partner, she is a superior belayer largely because she never lets go of the rope, because that's how she was trained from the beginning. Do right early on and its easy to continue doing right.
(This post was edited by USnavy on Mar 7, 2012, 12:34 PM)
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blueeyedclimber
Mar 7, 2012, 1:51 PM
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ensonik wrote: I'm curious. In the gym this week, I saw a leader fall where the leaders ankle was twisted around the rope. It was quite a while before he figured he needed to pull just over the ankle to get out of it. It's obvious his leg was not placed properly in relation to the rope and fall direction (although there were 4 of us watching and nothing struck us as odd with the rope and his legs -- disclaimer; all 4 of us are beginners (about 2 years leading)), but I'm curious if any of you have seen this before. edit: spelling I'm a little confused here. Are you saying that he just got flipped by the rope, or that he was left hanging there with the rope wrapped around his ankle. If the former, then it is common for newer leaders to get the rope behind their leg. I won't say it doesn't happen with more experienced climbers, but they at least know that it was their fault. If the latter, then, no, I haven't seen that before. Josh
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bill413
Mar 7, 2012, 1:51 PM
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jae8908 wrote: ensonik wrote: It's obvious his leg was not placed properly in relation to the rope and fall direction (although there were 4 of us watching and nothing struck us as odd with the rope and his legs -- disclaimer; all 4 of us are beginners (about 2 years leading)), but I'm curious if any of you have seen this before. edit: spellingI'm a bit confused that after 2 years of leading experience, how is it that you don't know how to place your feet to keep the rope from getting wrapped around your leg when you fall? This is one of the first things I learned when I was learning to lead and I have only been leading just over a year. If you took a class, that should have been taught. If you have ever lead with anyone who has any experience then they should have recognized and corrected the foot placement. I think it's admirable that he's willing to classify himself based on his experience rather than simply time. Different gyms, different classes, different instructors emphasize different things. People don't always retain everything they are shown in a class. I have seen experienced leaders concentrating on body position place a foot first, then realize they need to move it outside the rope. I have seen people make moves where it is questionable whether the rope is in a position to catch the foot. Sometimes it is a judgment call.
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ensonik
Mar 7, 2012, 2:21 PM
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blueeyedclimber wrote: I'm a little confused here. Are you saying that he just got flipped by the rope, or that he was left hanging there with the rope wrapped around his ankle. If the former, then it is common for newer leaders to get the rope behind their leg. I won't say it doesn't happen with more experienced climbers, but they at least know that it was their fault. If the latter, then, no, I haven't seen that before. Josh He was hanging upside down with the rope literally wrapped around his ankle.
(This post was edited by ensonik on Mar 7, 2012, 2:22 PM)
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ensonik
Mar 7, 2012, 2:27 PM
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jae8908 wrote: I'm a bit confused that after 2 years of leading experience, how is it that you don't know how to place your feet to keep the rope from getting wrapped around your leg when you fall? This is one of the first things I learned when I was learning to lead and I have only been leading just over a year. If you took a class, that should have been taught. If you have ever lead with anyone who has any experience then they should have recognized and corrected the foot placement. It's something we all learned and that they put emphasis on at the gym where I go. But as mentioned by others in this thread, it happens to the best of them. I only have 2 years experience, so shit may happen once in a while. In this case, it's obvious there was foul play, but I think for the inexperienced like us, it wasn't obvious since we all missed it. I'm glad your superior intellect avoids you this type of problems; our group is not as gifted.
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blueeyedclimber
Mar 7, 2012, 2:27 PM
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ensonik wrote: blueeyedclimber wrote: I'm a little confused here. Are you saying that he just got flipped by the rope, or that he was left hanging there with the rope wrapped around his ankle. If the former, then it is common for newer leaders to get the rope behind their leg. I won't say it doesn't happen with more experienced climbers, but they at least know that it was their fault. If the latter, then, no, I haven't seen that before. Josh He was hanging upside down with the rope literally wrapped around his ankle. Hmm...Well, I think it's safe to say that he indeed fell with the rope behind his leg. That is his fault and does not fall under the umbrella of "shit happens." The rope getting wrapped around his ankle is kind of flukey, but once again, it wouldn't have happened if he didn't position his feet with the rope behind his leg. Josh
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johnwesely
Mar 7, 2012, 2:29 PM
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That happened to me once, except the rope was wrapped around my thigh. The route was a weird overhanging arete, and somehow I got discombobulated while doing a weird move. It really hurt.
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ensonik
Mar 7, 2012, 2:32 PM
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blueeyedclimber wrote: Hmm...Well, I think it's safe to say that he indeed fell with the rope behind his leg. That is his fault and does not fall under the umbrella of "shit happens." The rope getting wrapped around his ankle is kind of flukey, but once again, it wouldn't have happened if he didn't position his feet with the rope behind his leg. Fair enough. I guess we really all did miss the obvious ... just a thought: I wasn't belaying, just watching from afar with my kid. The belayer was wearing those weird belay glasses (can't remember the name). I wonder if the angle the glasses give you on the action would prevent the belayer from seeing leg&rope foul play ... (I know it's up to the climber to be careful, but as a belayer I'm always hyper aware of telling the climber when the rope is misplaced)
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jae8908
Mar 7, 2012, 2:42 PM
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I'm not perfect. I did indeed place my foot behind the rope one time. However I proceeded to move it out around the rope and to never do it again. Yes, as others and you have said "Shit happens". But like as Jay said only if you let it. Like I said I've only been climbing a short about of time but I nor anyone in my group climbing with me at the time have yet to have a major accident. Worst thing was probably having the skin scraped off of my knuckles while belaying a fall from sitting on top of a boulder. You have to pay attention to everything happening 100% of the time and think about anything that could possibly go wrong. Notify the people you are with and see if they have the same concerns. If needed, correct the issue. That's it, bottom line. I am glad that you are trying to learn from the situation.
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edge
Mar 7, 2012, 3:52 PM
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ensonik wrote: blueeyedclimber wrote: Hmm...Well, I think it's safe to say that he indeed fell with the rope behind his leg. That is his fault and does not fall under the umbrella of "shit happens." The rope getting wrapped around his ankle is kind of flukey, but once again, it wouldn't have happened if he didn't position his feet with the rope behind his leg. Fair enough. I guess we really all did miss the obvious ... just a thought: I wasn't belaying, just watching from afar with my kid. The belayer was wearing those weird belay glasses (can't remember the name). I wonder if the angle the glasses give you on the action would prevent the belayer from seeing leg&rope foul play ... (I know it's up to the climber to be careful, but as a belayer I'm always hyper aware of telling the climber when the rope is misplaced) Belay glasses? I've never heard of such a thing, nor can imagine a need for them. Unless of course you are referring to some tumblers of water, gatorade, or scotch. From the sounds of it, the only scenario I can imagine for having a complete ankle wrap after a fall suggests that a) the rope was behind the climber's leg, b) that he must have done some weird cartwheeling or flailing of limbs while airborn, and c) that there was too much slack in the system, perhaps from climbing up from the last pro and then downclimbing a move or two. In the latter scenario, the belayer should have reeled in the appropriate amount of rope. Although it happens rarely if you are conscientious, occasionally the leader will need to put his/her foot in such a position that it is in a poor relationship with the rope; sometimes it is dictated by the line of protection and the next move, or happens in the heat of the moment during a cruxy sequence. The smart leader will recognize this immediately, and will either correct it at the next available opportunity, or accept the potential risks involved. This really shouldn't happen in a gym type setting.
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overlord
Mar 7, 2012, 4:23 PM
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jt512 wrote: ensonik wrote: shimanilami wrote: It happens This is what I almost put in the original question; Could it just be one of those 'Shit happens' moments and let it be ... Only if you treat it as such. In reply to: I prefer things to be a bit more thought out and analysed, but maybe this was one of those moments. Me too. I suspect that shit happens a lot more often to people who think that shit happens than to people who don't. Jay ditto what jay said. the leader was probably 'inside rope', meaning that the rope ran behind one of hes/shes legs. when leading you must pay attention to where the rope is. it should be either inbetween your legs or in front of them. never ever behind. i made this mistake only once. almost cracked my head and got a serious rope-burn. my mistake and i learned from it.
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lena_chita
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Mar 7, 2012, 4:42 PM
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edge wrote: ensonik wrote: blueeyedclimber wrote: Hmm...Well, I think it's safe to say that he indeed fell with the rope behind his leg. That is his fault and does not fall under the umbrella of "shit happens." The rope getting wrapped around his ankle is kind of flukey, but once again, it wouldn't have happened if he didn't position his feet with the rope behind his leg. Fair enough. I guess we really all did miss the obvious ... just a thought: I wasn't belaying, just watching from afar with my kid. The belayer was wearing those weird belay glasses (can't remember the name). I wonder if the angle the glasses give you on the action would prevent the belayer from seeing leg&rope foul play ... (I know it's up to the climber to be careful, but as a belayer I'm always hyper aware of telling the climber when the rope is misplaced) Belay glasses? I've never heard of such a thing, nor can imagine a need for them. Unless of course you are referring to some tumblers of water, gatorade, or scotch. Ha! I am guessing that you do not climb in places where you tilt your head higher until you can't do so anymore, as the climber goes up, and then eventually have to face away from the rock to keep an eye on your climber. While I personally don't use those belay glasses, I have tried them, and liked them -- though not well enough to shell the serious $$ required. They take some getting used to, it is disconcerting at first, because they are essentially prisms. But I see people using them fairly regularly, especially the folks with neck problems.
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blueeyedclimber
Mar 7, 2012, 4:42 PM
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jae8908 wrote: I'm not perfect. I did indeed place my foot behind the rope one time. However I proceeded to move it out around the rope and to never do it again. Yes, as others and you have said "Shit happens". But like as Jay said only if you let it. Like I said I've only been climbing a short about of time but I nor anyone in my group climbing with me at the time have yet to have a major accident. Worst thing was probably having the skin scraped off of my knuckles while belaying a fall from sitting on top of a boulder. You have to pay attention to everything happening 100% of the time and think about anything that could possibly go wrong. Notify the people you are with and see if they have the same concerns. If needed, correct the issue. That's it, bottom line. I am glad that you are trying to learn from the situation. You mean 'in front of the rope' or 'the rope was behind my leg'. This happens to be a pet peeve of Jay's and I just wanted to get to you before he did. Josh
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j_ung
Mar 7, 2012, 4:52 PM
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While I disagree with a few minor points upthread, I think the gist here is valid, i.e., this was the result of climber error and to a lessor extent, the belayer for failing to recognize it and point it out. Aside from the climbing itself, there's only one thing you need to do 100% of the time you're on the wall—manage the rope and your body parts in relation to it. This is not a shit-happens situation.
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saint_john
Mar 7, 2012, 4:57 PM
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I saw a fall in the gym last night that was a result of the rope being behind the climber's leg. She fell and flipped upside down. She was on steep overhand and her head narrowly avoided banging into a pointy volume as she swung. She got lucky.
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edge
Mar 7, 2012, 5:41 PM
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lena_chita wrote: edge wrote: ensonik wrote: blueeyedclimber wrote: Hmm...Well, I think it's safe to say that he indeed fell with the rope behind his leg. That is his fault and does not fall under the umbrella of "shit happens." The rope getting wrapped around his ankle is kind of flukey, but once again, it wouldn't have happened if he didn't position his feet with the rope behind his leg. Fair enough. I guess we really all did miss the obvious ... just a thought: I wasn't belaying, just watching from afar with my kid. The belayer was wearing those weird belay glasses (can't remember the name). I wonder if the angle the glasses give you on the action would prevent the belayer from seeing leg&rope foul play ... (I know it's up to the climber to be careful, but as a belayer I'm always hyper aware of telling the climber when the rope is misplaced) Belay glasses? I've never heard of such a thing, nor can imagine a need for them. Unless of course you are referring to some tumblers of water, gatorade, or scotch. Ha! I am guessing that you do not climb in places where you tilt your head higher until you can't do so anymore, as the climber goes up, and then eventually have to face away from the rock to keep an eye on your climber. Actually, a large amount of my climbing is on routes where I can't see the climber at all. Nor do I need to in order to offer a safe and competent belay.
lena_chita wrote: While I personally don't use those belay glasses, I have tried them, and liked them -- though not well enough to shell the serious $$ required. They take some getting used to, it is disconcerting at first, because they are essentially prisms. But I see people using them fairly regularly, especially the folks with neck problems. So like a periscope? I'm having trouble wrapping my head around that one; maybe someone who knows what they are called can link a pic. Just for curiosities sake, as I come from the "light is right" school of thought and hate lugging around single purpose esoteric gear. My neck works just fine for adjusting viewing angles.
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lena_chita
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Mar 7, 2012, 5:57 PM
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edge wrote: lena_chita wrote: edge wrote: ensonik wrote: blueeyedclimber wrote: Hmm...Well, I think it's safe to say that he indeed fell with the rope behind his leg. That is his fault and does not fall under the umbrella of "shit happens." The rope getting wrapped around his ankle is kind of flukey, but once again, it wouldn't have happened if he didn't position his feet with the rope behind his leg. Fair enough. I guess we really all did miss the obvious ... just a thought: I wasn't belaying, just watching from afar with my kid. The belayer was wearing those weird belay glasses (can't remember the name). I wonder if the angle the glasses give you on the action would prevent the belayer from seeing leg&rope foul play ... (I know it's up to the climber to be careful, but as a belayer I'm always hyper aware of telling the climber when the rope is misplaced) Belay glasses? I've never heard of such a thing, nor can imagine a need for them. Unless of course you are referring to some tumblers of water, gatorade, or scotch. Ha! I am guessing that you do not climb in places where you tilt your head higher until you can't do so anymore, as the climber goes up, and then eventually have to face away from the rock to keep an eye on your climber. Actually, a large amount of my climbing is on routes where I can't see the climber at all. Nor do I need to in order to offer a safe and competent belay. Completely different scenario. You are probably talking gear climbs, slow and steady, by the time the climber clips the gear he hardly needs two armloads of slack. Yes, sure, I can belay just fine when the climber is out of sight, sport or trad. But on routes where I CAN see a climber, I prefer watching my climber in order to provide most optimal clipping slack and catch. And the neck strain can be significant.
edge wrote: lena_chita wrote: While I personally don't use those belay glasses, I have tried them, and liked them -- though not well enough to shell the serious $$ required. They take some getting used to, it is disconcerting at first, because they are essentially prisms. But I see people using them fairly regularly, especially the folks with neck problems. So like a periscope? I'm having trouble wrapping my head around that one; maybe someone who knows what they are called can link a pic. Just for curiosities sake, as I come from the "light is right" school of thought and hate lugging around single purpose esoteric gear. My neck works just fine for adjusting viewing angles. here they are: http://powernplayusa.com/ "Light is right" is a very good attitude, and I would not call these glasses an "essential climbing item to pack on a multipitch climb" by any means. As I said, I don't own them, and don't use them. But for a single-pitch sport cragging these glasses will hardly weigh you down, compared to all the comfort items people would typically bring for a day at the crag. And people who own them (at least the ones I personally know) are hardly your typical gear-junkie gumbies. Just saying.
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edge
Mar 7, 2012, 6:05 PM
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Thanks for the link, Lena. You are right, most of my climbing is trad, but I wouldn't say that it is always "slow and steady" by any means. In fact, it often progresses faster than sport. And I do clip the bolts as well, primarily at Rumney where it is often quite steep as you know. Of course those routes are so short that I can usually offer a shoulder stand if the climber needs help clipping the chains... Those glasses are definitely not for me.
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jt512
Mar 7, 2012, 7:05 PM
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edge wrote: Thanks for the link, Lena. You are right, most of my climbing is trad, but I wouldn't say that it is always "slow and steady" by any means. In fact, it often progresses faster than sport. And I do clip the bolts as well, primarily at Rumney where it is often quite steep as you know. Of course those routes are so short that I can usually offer a shoulder stand if the climber needs help clipping the chains... Those glasses are definitely not for me. So, when you're belaying a steep route at Rumney, do you attempt to continually watch your partner. If your answer is no, you're not belaying well? If your answer is yes, it's hard to understand why you'd categorically write off belay glasses. If you're belaying steep routes regularly, they'll literally save your neck. Jay
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edge
Mar 7, 2012, 7:11 PM
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jt512 wrote: edge wrote: Thanks for the link, Lena. You are right, most of my climbing is trad, but I wouldn't say that it is always "slow and steady" by any means. In fact, it often progresses faster than sport. And I do clip the bolts as well, primarily at Rumney where it is often quite steep as you know. Of course those routes are so short that I can usually offer a shoulder stand if the climber needs help clipping the chains... Those glasses are definitely not for me. So, when you're belaying a steep route at Rumney, do you attempt to continually watch your partner. If your answer is no, you're not belaying well? If your answer is yes, it's hard to understand why you'd categorically write off belay glasses. If you're belaying steep routes regularly, they'll literally save your neck. Jay If I can possibly see my partner, then of course I watch him/her. It's just not always possible, even at Rumney. My thoughts are that if I can see them with the glasses, then I can also see them without, and probably better without distortion, dust, reduction in image size, whatever. If these help people with sore necks, then that is awesome, but after all my years of climbing my neck still works fine and I have no personal use for them.
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jt512
Mar 7, 2012, 7:41 PM
Post #32 of 42
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edge wrote: jt512 wrote: edge wrote: Thanks for the link, Lena. You are right, most of my climbing is trad, but I wouldn't say that it is always "slow and steady" by any means. In fact, it often progresses faster than sport. And I do clip the bolts as well, primarily at Rumney where it is often quite steep as you know. Of course those routes are so short that I can usually offer a shoulder stand if the climber needs help clipping the chains... Those glasses are definitely not for me. So, when you're belaying a steep route at Rumney, do you attempt to continually watch your partner. If your answer is no, you're not belaying well? If your answer is yes, it's hard to understand why you'd categorically write off belay glasses. If you're belaying steep routes regularly, they'll literally save your neck. Jay If I can possibly see my partner, then of course I watch him/her. It's just not always possible, even at Rumney. My thoughts are that if I can see them with the glasses, then I can also see them without, and probably better without distortion, dust, reduction in image size, whatever. Obviously, if you can see your partner without the glasses, then you can see them with the glasses. The differences is, with the glasses, you can see them all the way up the route while looking more or less straight ahead. As far as distortion, dust, reduction in images, and "whatever," you're speaking from ignorance. From what I could tell, the optics of the lenses were extremely good. I spent a month at Maple a couple years ago, and was belaying on steep routes all day 5 days a week. After a month of that, I began to think about what the consequences to the health of neck would be over a period of years of belaying like that. Jay
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edge
Mar 7, 2012, 7:59 PM
Post #33 of 42
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jt512 wrote: edge wrote: jt512 wrote: edge wrote: Thanks for the link, Lena. You are right, most of my climbing is trad, but I wouldn't say that it is always "slow and steady" by any means. In fact, it often progresses faster than sport. And I do clip the bolts as well, primarily at Rumney where it is often quite steep as you know. Of course those routes are so short that I can usually offer a shoulder stand if the climber needs help clipping the chains... Those glasses are definitely not for me. So, when you're belaying a steep route at Rumney, do you attempt to continually watch your partner. If your answer is no, you're not belaying well? If your answer is yes, it's hard to understand why you'd categorically write off belay glasses. If you're belaying steep routes regularly, they'll literally save your neck. Jay If I can possibly see my partner, then of course I watch him/her. It's just not always possible, even at Rumney. My thoughts are that if I can see them with the glasses, then I can also see them without, and probably better without distortion, dust, reduction in image size, whatever. Obviously, if you can see your partner without the glasses, then you can see them with the glasses. The differences is, with the glasses, you can see them all the way up the route while looking more or less straight ahead. As far as distortion, dust, reduction in images, and "whatever," you're speaking from ignorance. From what I could tell, the optics of the lenses were extremely good. I spent a month at Maple a couple years ago, and was belaying on steep routes all day 5 days a week. After a month of that, I began to think about what the consequences to the health of neck would be over a period of years of belaying like that. Jay Jay, all I'm saying is that these glasses are not for me personally. I hold no opinion for or against anyone who sees merit in them; to each his own. Since I have not tried the glasses, then I suppose I do speak out of ignorance for lack of first hand experience, but have been around long enough, and wearing prescription lenses of my own, that I can reasonably assume that the view will be diminished somewhat. Maybe it's negligible, but for me I enjoy looking at the mountains and cliffs with a conventional perspective. Since I can guarantee you that I will never ever spend 5 days a week over the course of a month without break at Maple, or any other sport area, then I do not need to worry about long term consequences. Once again, this is my personal opinion based on my climbing and what I enjoy right now; should I ever develop a debilitating neck injury, then I may find cause to look into them. Literally, figuratively, and hesitantly.
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jt512
Mar 7, 2012, 8:54 PM
Post #34 of 42
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edge wrote: jt512 wrote: edge wrote: jt512 wrote: edge wrote: Thanks for the link, Lena. You are right, most of my climbing is trad, but I wouldn't say that it is always "slow and steady" by any means. In fact, it often progresses faster than sport. And I do clip the bolts as well, primarily at Rumney where it is often quite steep as you know. Of course those routes are so short that I can usually offer a shoulder stand if the climber needs help clipping the chains... Those glasses are definitely not for me. So, when you're belaying a steep route at Rumney, do you attempt to continually watch your partner. If your answer is no, you're not belaying well? If your answer is yes, it's hard to understand why you'd categorically write off belay glasses. If you're belaying steep routes regularly, they'll literally save your neck. Jay If I can possibly see my partner, then of course I watch him/her. It's just not always possible, even at Rumney. My thoughts are that if I can see them with the glasses, then I can also see them without, and probably better without distortion, dust, reduction in image size, whatever. Obviously, if you can see your partner without the glasses, then you can see them with the glasses. The differences is, with the glasses, you can see them all the way up the route while looking more or less straight ahead. As far as distortion, dust, reduction in images, and "whatever," you're speaking from ignorance. From what I could tell, the optics of the lenses were extremely good. I spent a month at Maple a couple years ago, and was belaying on steep routes all day 5 days a week. After a month of that, I began to think about what the consequences to the health of neck would be over a period of years of belaying like that. Jay Jay, all I'm saying is that these glasses are not for me personally. I hold no opinion for or against anyone who sees merit in them; to each his own. Well, I got that tired old "back in the day all we needed to climb was a swami belt and tube socks" vibe from your post. If I was mistaken, then I apologize. Jay
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edge
Mar 7, 2012, 9:19 PM
Post #35 of 42
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jt512 wrote: edge wrote: jt512 wrote: edge wrote: jt512 wrote: edge wrote: Thanks for the link, Lena. You are right, most of my climbing is trad, but I wouldn't say that it is always "slow and steady" by any means. In fact, it often progresses faster than sport. And I do clip the bolts as well, primarily at Rumney where it is often quite steep as you know. Of course those routes are so short that I can usually offer a shoulder stand if the climber needs help clipping the chains... Those glasses are definitely not for me. So, when you're belaying a steep route at Rumney, do you attempt to continually watch your partner. If your answer is no, you're not belaying well? If your answer is yes, it's hard to understand why you'd categorically write off belay glasses. If you're belaying steep routes regularly, they'll literally save your neck. Jay If I can possibly see my partner, then of course I watch him/her. It's just not always possible, even at Rumney. My thoughts are that if I can see them with the glasses, then I can also see them without, and probably better without distortion, dust, reduction in image size, whatever. Obviously, if you can see your partner without the glasses, then you can see them with the glasses. The differences is, with the glasses, you can see them all the way up the route while looking more or less straight ahead. As far as distortion, dust, reduction in images, and "whatever," you're speaking from ignorance. From what I could tell, the optics of the lenses were extremely good. I spent a month at Maple a couple years ago, and was belaying on steep routes all day 5 days a week. After a month of that, I began to think about what the consequences to the health of neck would be over a period of years of belaying like that. Jay Jay, all I'm saying is that these glasses are not for me personally. I hold no opinion for or against anyone who sees merit in them; to each his own. Well, I got that tired old "back in the day all we needed to climb was a swami belt and tube socks" vibe from your post. If I was mistaken, then I apologize. Jay No worries. I sometimes hold that particular mentality (except the tube socks), but not in this case. These glasses are just a solution to a problem I don't have.
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cracklover
Mar 8, 2012, 12:04 AM
Post #36 of 42
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edge wrote: No worries. I sometimes hold that particular mentality (except the tube socks), but not in this case. These glasses are just a solution to a problem I don't have. I have a pair and I love 'em. My wife and I got them on our honeymoon climbing in Kalymnos (Greece). They're a big Euro thing. A bit spendy, but think about belaying a lot of routes like this: They were totally worth it! Besides, on your honeymoon, you try not to think about the money you're spending - you just want to bring back good memories, and sometimes good souvenirs. This was one of the latter. I never bring them on multipitch outings, and there are other things where they're of limited benefit, so I don't bring them then either but... if you've ever suffered through a bad case of belayer neck (which it sounds like you have the good fortunate to have avoided) you'll realize why they can be so sweet. GO
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cracklover
Mar 8, 2012, 12:06 AM
Post #37 of 42
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Oh, and to bring the conversation back full circle, the reason I'm wearing a helmet in that pic is because with all the gymnastic positions I found myself in, it was sometimes hard to envision (in the middle of executing hard sequences) how I would fall. So the helmet was an insurance policy in case I wound up getting flipped by the rope. GO
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ensonik
Mar 8, 2012, 2:42 AM
Post #38 of 42
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As chance would have it, my RSS feeds showed me this today: http://mammutathleteteam.blogspot.com/...of-debilitating.html In this case, shit happens for real (as opposed to 'shit happens' cause I'm a n00b) ... As well, someone upthread mentionned that experienced climbers do it instinctively. I was just watching Ken Nichols climb a route for the 10,000th time (that sounds so fuggin impossible ... I guess it can happen if you're banned everywhere but some FA you did ...) and at 10:30 he does some of this (I assume) instintive foot/rope management. http://www.youtube.com/...&v=xY11VAm-nX4#!
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jt512
Mar 8, 2012, 3:33 AM
Post #39 of 42
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No. Shit happens when you make a mistake. Do you think that guy is going to go up on that route again without asking himself what he could differently in that spot so that he'd be more in control in a fall? I'd hope so. If not, then he's an idiot. Jay
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bearbreeder
Mar 8, 2012, 5:13 AM
Post #40 of 42
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ensonik wrote: As chance would have it, my RSS feeds showed me this today: http://mammutathleteteam.blogspot.com/...of-debilitating.html In this case, shit happens for real (as opposed to 'shit happens' cause I'm a n00b) ... As well, someone upthread mentionned that experienced climbers do it instinctively. I was just watching Ken Nichols climb a route for the 10,000th time (that sounds so fuggin impossible ... I guess it can happen if you're banned everywhere but some FA you did ...) and at 10:30 he does some of this (I assume) instintive foot/rope management. http://www.youtube.com/...&v=xY11VAm-nX4#! as i said experienced climbers tend to do it instinctively whenever they can ... at least experienced trad climbers there are 4 cases where its particularly dangerous and common in trad IME - feet on either side of the rope in a crack .. yr inverting if you fall ... - traverses where the climber keeps the rope between his legs or is on the wrong side ... gently traversing climbs are particularly sneaky as the climber may not notice they are on a traverse - runnout slab ... as you fall you can easily be on the wrong side ... and as you slide down yr feet can catch the rope ... very bad juju to invert on runnout slab ... -laybacks ... quite a few climbers put their feet on the wrong side of the rope ... and yr leaning back anyways ... the trick is always to think about where yr last piece of pro is ... and focus on footwork ...
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bearbreeder
Mar 8, 2012, 4:24 PM
Post #42 of 42
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cracklover wrote: What did you mean by this: bearbreeder wrote: - feet on either side of the rope in a crack .. yr inverting if you fall ... I have no idea from the above where the crack is, where the rope is, or where the feet (or more importantly, legs) are relative to the rope. GO both feet in the crack ... rope between the legs basically rapped around the rope ... happens quite often with newer crack climbers. ..
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