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anomaly
Sep 18, 2001, 11:32 PM
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I'm sure everyone here has taken a few big falls. Some may be a 100 foot zipper others a 10 footer that was big to you. Let's hear about your ultimate rush.
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compclimber
Sep 18, 2001, 11:38 PM
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At Rockin and Jammin a gym up here near Denver. I usually skip the last 4/5 draws while leading and take about a 40 foot whipper. Its so fun and I've scared alot of bumblies doing this. The look on their face is usually hilarious because they cant quite figure out why I would do it.
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bart
Sep 18, 2001, 11:39 PM
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Sorry, I wrote this down among the 'close calls'. I'm sure you'll find it.
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anomaly
Sep 19, 2001, 2:53 AM
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A few weeks ago I was climbing in Foster Falls, TN and daylight started fading. I was about 70 feet up and skipped a few bolts on the way from trying to climb faster. I had made it to a ledge and clipped in above me. My group announced that I needed to clean my gear and go home so I opted with the unclip, secure rope, and bail technique. From what I remembered on the way up, I thought I was clipped in just over the ledge I was standing on so I was looking at about an eight foot fall. I unclipped overhead, my belayer gave the jump signal, and I bailed way out expecting only 4 feet of rope to swing me back in. As soon as I cleared the ledge, I saw the bolt but no quickdraw. I had skipped that one and clipped in 15 feet below the ledge. When the rope finally caught, I was fifteen feet from the face and 30 feet from the ledge I was standing on. Those 5-10 Hueco's with the cushy heel were a savior.
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jer
Sep 19, 2001, 3:37 PM
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Anomoly- I'm not sure your technique is a widely accepted style of finishing off a route; and doesn't sound too safe either. Obviously , by the mistake you made attempting it- clipping a draw doesn't take but a few seconds; especially on easy ground; and especially worthwhile if you practice that kind of finishoften...
My most memorable fall; which wasn't my longest; was at Cochise Stronghold,in Arizona. I was leading the first pitch of "Full Metal Hootgoat"- a feared 5.11a runout route. I had already passed the crux 11 section; and the runout wasn't all That bad, maybe 15 feet to my next piece; a bomber finger size cam. 6 or 7 feet after that, I came to a overhung dike of quartzite which angled left and obviously was going to be very tough and provide zero gear, so I glanced down at my feet recalling how quality that cam placement was...but I wasn't convinced. I fingered around for awhile; searching for anything to ease my mind as I headed out on the dike. I found a really shallow nut placemnet- a #5 to be exact; which was hardly worth anything and basically there as a "head piece" to give myself a a little confidence. I headed out onto the dike; enjoying some entertaining moves; matching hand and heel hooks were the trick- moving horizontally upside down across the dike. I was about 20 feet out now, and feeling pretty good- the cool desert breeze cooling off my sweaty palms. I saw that soon I would be able to conect with a series of horizontal cracks again. Unanounced and un prepared ; I exploded off the wall backwards and let out a "Crap Crap ! Crap! faaaaaaaaling!". I was taking a pendulum back toward my piece; and imagining my piece-o-crap nut exploding out and shockloading my good cam; as well as punching my face. The fall was actually fun, because It was so over hung and 70 % of it was actually spent in the pendulum. My erratic swinging stopped eventually and I looked up to see a pretty sight- my little nut was holdin me out there in space. I quickly kicked off and got myself back on the wall, and off the nut...I had fallen 40-45 feet. I looked down at my belayer who had just put his helmet on. "What Happened!?" I asked. He laughed and said "Man, you just about crushed my melon with a nalgene sized chunk from the dike!"- He pointed and I looked at the ground- I guess it exploded out while I was chalkin' up.
I imagine this story won't be too exciting to those who take 40 foot whippers(!) in the gym, but for a trad man who falls on gear once a season or so; it was definiately a ride to remember. sorry it's such a long post.
jer
p.s. 5 seconds later my buddy Pat leaned out from above at the second set of anchors. JER! IS THAT YOU!?" "yeah!" - "Hey man- I took that SAME FALL!!" we both erupted in laughter. I doubt it was via the same hold...
we found out later that ours were the second and third ascents
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marcsv
Oct 3, 2001, 3:38 AM
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i was at the last two moves ov this boulder problem. im in an iron cross both hands in respective shallow pockets going for a 3 foot dyno to a jug then both hands popped out of the holds and down i came. good thing its only a 10-foot boulder.
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climberchk
Oct 3, 2001, 6:45 PM
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I've never taken a super huge fall or anything but... I was at this JCCA onsite comp, and being a chk I wasn't able to try some of the guys routes. I saw their "finals round" route and thought I'd give it a whirl. So I'm about 5 feet from the last clip and there's this super reachy move. My supa hot belayer's all like,"just dyno for it" Him being so hot and all I decided to try a dyno. He gives me some slack and right when my hands left the holds my foot slipped off. Since I was going from a lie back position to a full upright dyno I landed completly horiaontal. My back got 'snapped' backwards and I srceamed supa loud. I was in total humilation and complete pain for the rest of the trip.
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paulc
Oct 3, 2001, 7:07 PM
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Not really all that far, but I was leading a inside corner crack that is on a slab. It had rained a couple of days before and the slab and crack were wet, no like really wet, chalk was no help at all, it just turned into white mud. I got about 50' up and then the crack narrowed down and there were only a couple of good spot for pro. I was near the top which involves a mantle up about 5 feet, being kinda pumped I pushed for it and was about 15' above my last piece (a #6 ot 7 stopper). Got up on the mantle and didn't have the energy to get up on it. Kinda hung out for a few seconds figuring out the fall, let my belayer know and lowered off as far as I could before I went.
Fell about 5' onto the slab, landed on my ass and slid down another 20-25'. Total fall i figure about 30' or so. I was fine, messed the rack up something fierce, spend 3 minutes getting my head together and then went at her again. Got up that pitch and finished the rest of the 4 pitches that followed.
Word of advice, falling on slabs sucks. Falling in free air is no big deal (assuming that the pro is good, or the bolt is good), but falling onto a ledge or slab is the pits.
Paul
[ This Message was edited by: paulc on 2001-10-03 12:08 ]
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camhead
Oct 3, 2001, 7:18 PM
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okay, my most memorable fall was not while climbing, unfortunately.
Me and some friends were in Southern Utah backpacking in January, and I was trying to find arout edown into a canyon. I approached what looked like a moderate 4th class route down a steep slickrock slab, when I slipped on some ice. The weight of my pack dragged me down. I slid about twenty feet down a steep slope, went over a forty foot cliff to another steep slope, and slid/rolled about another hundred feet down about a pretty steepr slab. I finally hit a juniper, luckily with my backpack so I did not injure myself beyond bad lacerations and a broken hand. My buddies had to send down a rope for me to get back up. Sucked I couldn't climb for a couple monthes after that.
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krillen
Oct 3, 2001, 9:30 PM
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I was belaying a friend of mine on a fairly easy trad route (he had been off all summer with tedonitis in his hand), so this was one of his first routes, back. he seemed pretty smooth on the way up, until near the top. There's a quick and easy walk out on the left which he stood on and contemplated for a while. The harder climb out was a crimpy 10 with sand and no pro. I encouraged him to use teh walk out and not push him self too hard, but he's stubborn. He placed a hex aroudn the corner of this walk out, length wise in a pocket, attached a long sling and opposed with a nut from the face, then went for it. Two moves from the top he started to shake like a leaf. While yellign encouragement I backed up and prepared for his fall. there were two nice sized boiulders infront of me waiting to punch me when he went.
As he fell, he pulled me off my feet and I swung into the boulders (feet first) and down he came. the gear held fine but teh hex grabed a slit second before the nut did, causing him to twist slightly. She hit with one foot, then his hip/hand. Gear dug into his hip and he ended up hurting his other hand (the previosuly un injured one).
He was about 10' above his pieces, plus the rope he pulled me into the rocks with, AND his first piece blew (not his bottom anchor, his actual "first" piece. All in all about a 25' on flatwall Trad.
That was my first actual trad catch too. Belaye lots, just have never had to catcha fall on it before.
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krillen
Oct 3, 2001, 9:30 PM
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Registered: Jul 19, 2001
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I was belaying a friend of mine on a fairly easy trad route (he had been off all summer with tedonitis in his hand), so this was one of his first routes, back. he seemed pretty smooth on the way up, until near the top. There's a quick and easy walk out on the left which he stood on and contemplated for a while. The harder climb out was a crimpy 10 with sand and no pro. I encouraged him to use teh walk out and not push him self too hard, but he's stubborn. He placed a hex around the corner of this walk out, length wise in a pocket, attached a long sling and opposed with a nut from the face, then went for it. Two moves from the top he started to shake like a leaf. While yelling encouragement I backed up and prepared for his fall. there were two nice sized boiulders infront of me waiting to punch me when he went.
As he fell, he pulled me off my feet and I swung into the boulders (feet first) and down he came. the gear held fine but teh hex grabed a slit second before the nut did, causing him to twist slightly. She hit with one foot, then his hip/hand. Gear dug into his hip and he ended up hurting his other hand (the previosuly un injured one).
He was about 10' above his pieces, plus the rope he pulled me into the rocks with, AND his first piece blew (not his bottom anchor, his actual "first" piece. All in all about a 25' on flatwall Trad.
That was my first actual trad catch too. Belayed lots, just have never had to catch a fall on it before.
[ This Message was edited by: krillen on 2001-10-03 14:31 ]
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jdcox_9
Oct 4, 2001, 12:24 AM
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Registered: Mar 23, 2001
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My worst fall was only about 15 or so feet. I was reaching to clip in my draw, slipped off and flipped upside down. I scraped up my arm a little, but i did not drop my quick draw. I didn't really want to have to retire it.
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rrrADAM
Oct 9, 2001, 3:28 AM
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Registered: Dec 19, 1999
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Two 40+ footers...
1 on Castleton Tower on a 'Yellow Alien'.
1 in Mt Lemmon on a #9 BD Stopper.
Both held, finished both climbs.
Numerous smaller ones on bolts and trad.
rrrADAM
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yendor
Oct 9, 2001, 3:56 AM
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Registered: Oct 4, 2001
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I fell from the grace of GOD, according to my mother, when I moved into a house with my girlfriend.
Girls are the devil
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rrrADAM
Oct 9, 2001, 4:00 AM
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Registered: Dec 19, 1999
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Girls rule dude,
They can rub lotion on your back in the tent after getting fried in the sun.
And they smell good too.
rrrADAM
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