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easysteve
Feb 21, 2003, 10:41 PM
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Does taking a good whipper hurt your body, besides from coming in contact with rock? Is it especially bad if you have lower back pains sometimes?
I was toproping at wolf rock, and had a new belayer, and he let me fall about 7 or so feet, and the rope was a static rope, and my back has sort of hurt since then. That's why I'm a bit curious if falling a good length on a dynamic rope hurts as much as it looks. I've taken several falls, if not more. Just never a long one. I'm just skeptical. Thanks for your help. :?:
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climbsomething
Feb 21, 2003, 11:03 PM
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Sounds like you already basically know the answer. Static rope... that's your problem. When your fall stopped, the rope didn't absorb any of it... your body did. Hence the ouch. Soo... ditch the static.
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spacemonkey
Feb 21, 2003, 11:03 PM
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The reason your back is hurting probably has to do with the fact that you fell that far on a static rope, which simply jerks you to an immediate stop. That can place horrible pressure on your back, chest, hips and other areas. From what I understand, the jerk on a static rope can be considered comprable to the forces your body experiences in a car crash. I would definitly reccomend that you get a dynamic rope to climb on, even for toproping. It doesn't necessarily need to be the stretchiest rope in the world, but that elasticity (sp?) is what slows you before you hit the end of the rope, thus signifigantly reducing the impact of your fall. If the pain doesn't go away in a day or two, or gets worse in the mean time, I would definitly go see a doctor. I've heard stories of the force of a fall on a static rope breaking hips and backs before. They may be urban legends to some extent, but the possibility is definitly there.
Hope this helps, and I certainly hope you feel better soon.
Brian
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gretchino
Feb 21, 2003, 11:11 PM
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You need to go see a chiropractor Steve...doesn't sounds good. :(
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bigo
Feb 21, 2003, 11:12 PM
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Hey Steve-
Dynamic ropes along with a dynamic belay do a pretty darn good job of taking the pain out of a fall. I've taken my share of whippers, and the only falls that have been stiff enough to hurt are ones onto the first bolt.
One thing I want to point out. Don't climb on a static line. If it hurts to fall, it means the anchor is getting hurt to. A static line won't dissipate the impact of your fall like adynamic line will. There is potential for your anchor to become over loaded even in a top-roping situation.
When were you at Wolf? It's got to be pretty snowy up there now, huh?
pee's
Orion
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easysteve
Feb 21, 2003, 11:20 PM
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Yea, well that was during November, but I still have the pain there. I've done a lot of toproping with dynamic ropes, but I've figured to not use them when it's not needed. I certainly know well enough to use dynamic ropes when I'm trying to lead, and I don't do a whole lot of lead climbing becuase of my back. I want to start climbing lead again more, but am just curious how it will feel when I fall after having a few back problems from the past. I appreciate your help
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mikefreeman
Feb 22, 2003, 1:36 AM
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static rope...ouch. i would be sore too.
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beercanclimber
Feb 22, 2003, 2:27 AM
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as a few people have said, with the dynamic rope and a good belay most whippers don't hurt. though i've never taken one over 10 feet. if i were you i'd wait untill my back stopped hurting, just to be safe and not continually reinjure it. and, as for you using static rope, throw that shit in the garage unless you plan on setting up anchors or rapping off of it, you can see how dangerous it can be when climbing it.
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whipper
Feb 22, 2003, 3:18 AM
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absolutely not!! I have been climbing for 10 years, at a minimum of 50 falls a year(a lot pushing sport limits). that equalls over 500 falls, but in reality it is way above that. Some over 45 feet, and NEVER has a fall hurt me. Now I did fall the lenght of a static daisy chain onto it and that hurt, but we are talking a whole other game there.
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robbovius
Feb 22, 2003, 4:12 AM
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If you had the initial injury in november, and it's still hurting now, I wouldn't be surprized to find that you'd herniated a disc in your lower back...I've got two (one in my neck at C5-C6) and the other in my lower back at L12), and the healing process for both took MONTHS.. the injury in my lower back took a year in fact, and it'll never be the same as it was before. Not a day goes by that I don't have a twinge or some sort of pain...
get it checked out, talk to your Dr. I insisted on an MRI, and was glad I did...it'll never be 100% like pre-injury, but i know how to manage it, and can still climb, snowboard, etc...
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lemurboy
Feb 22, 2003, 5:10 AM
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i know i have taken huge whippers on my Beal Top Gun, with a very High impact force (ie. it absorbs more force) and I bearly feel a thing
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ronamick
Feb 22, 2003, 5:50 AM
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Thay's why you don't climb on static line! Climbing has a built-in stretch factor so you don't jerk to an abrupt stop when the rope goes taut. Static line is for hauling or fixing, not for falling on. Like they say "it's not the fall the hurts you, it's the sudden stop at the end". Get a real rope.
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