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phaedrus409
May 12, 2004, 6:00 PM
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So maybe this is a dumb question, but it's something I've been curious of as of late. If you are the only person spotting someone working a problem, and they end up no longer directly over the crash pad, is it okay to drop your arms and move the pad? I've often tried to kind of kick it into a better position, but even this leaves me less attentive to the climber. Let me know your thoughts..
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cloudbreak
May 12, 2004, 6:26 PM
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The easiest way thing to do would be to get a second pad, but I assume you would have done that already if you could.
Anyway, the way I look at it is you can do one of two things: either do what your already doing, and move the pad when he gets higher/further out, or preplace the pad further out to begin with and just be an extra kickass spotter until he gets to that point.
Save your pennies and get another pad!
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alpnclmbr1
May 12, 2004, 6:34 PM
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Most people find it is a worthwhile risk to move the pad.
Try to time it appropriately, keep one arm up if you can to try and keep him from landing on you while you are moving the pad.
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boulderman
May 12, 2004, 6:35 PM
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Yes, it's a pretty dumb question. Get another pad, climb with more people that have pads, or continue doing the best that you can with one pad. If you are paying attention to the climber and you know where he starts to get into trouble over and over (crux), just be ready there. You don't need your head up his a$$ while he makes the opening moves that are 3 inches off the ground. :wink:
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thun
May 12, 2004, 6:36 PM
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The answer really depends on the boulder problem in question, where the climber is on the problem, and the surrounding environment. With one pad, your optimal choice is to evaluate the climb and place the pad in the area where the climber is most likely to fall. Taking landing quality into consideration, you may opt to place the pad in an area with a bad landing.
Of course, this assumes that there is only one "bad" spot, when we all know there are likely to be more. I wouldn't say that moving a pad between these spots is a no-no, assuming the climber could safely fall without your spot while you move the pad. Obviously, if you're the only thing keeping the climber from tumbling over head-first on a rock while falling out of a mantle or something, moving the pad isn't the top priority. But I would try and evaluate the problem and the landings and minimize the amount of time you move the pad. Kicking the pad works well, as long as you're able to keep your focus on the climber. If you have to constantly move the pad under the climber, you either need more pads or you should stick to roped climbing if you're that concerned about hitting the ground. The constant moving of the pad is pretty distracting for the climber, as well.
So, basically, there is no one correct answer to your question, but I would try and keep the moving of the pad to a minimum and keep your focus on the climber.
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kackerlaken
May 15, 2004, 4:48 AM
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you know in bouldering your never really that high :roll:
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xprompt
May 15, 2004, 4:50 AM
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In reply to: you know in bouldering your never really that high :roll:
haha
true true
just ....put it under him..
whew
i had to think about that onefor quite a bit
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wyattearp
May 15, 2004, 10:13 AM
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If you can I sometimes just hold the pad under them and move it along with them! It kinda depends on the problem though! Even if hes about to bail while your moving the pad, just keep your wits about yourself, climbiner included and you guys should be alright~!
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andy_reagan
May 15, 2004, 1:47 PM
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if he's mantling a problem 20 feet off the deck you might want to worry about other things than the pad. If he's on a vert wall 4 feet off the deck you can rearrange the pad pretty safely, I would say.
This is part of the beauty of sports like climbing. You get to figure these questions out for yourself and rely on your own common sense.
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badass
May 15, 2004, 3:32 PM
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Hey when you commit to doing a boulder problem you commit to the landing. Once someone equal to your weight get's up about ten feet there is not much you can do for them anyway. Best method to remember, if your hands can physically reach out and touch the climber worry about the spot. If the climber climbs out of reach that crashpad is the only thing between them and a shattered ankle. Always remember that a person is generally going to fall more away from the rock than you anticipate so move the crashpad accordingly
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andy_reagan
May 15, 2004, 4:18 PM
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I disagree. I've personally been helped by a spot after falling off something greater than 10 feet. Lots of time a spot is the only thing stopping you from cracking your head or spine on rocks. I havn't been bouldering nearly as long as some on this site and I'm sure they can back my statement up.
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badass
May 15, 2004, 4:43 PM
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Did that person weigh twice as much as you? Try ten feet of that. I do believe in catching a person's extremities or trying to throw them towards the pad in a launch fall but I think the best prevention from injuries is the climber learning how to take a fall properly. I've seen Japanese stuntmen do a backflip off a 30 foot balcony onto solid ground land on their feet and start dancing. You think a 15 foot pitch off a boulder is going to phase them. My original statement was a response to the question about what do do with just one pad and I still say I'd rather land on the pad than the person.
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andyw
May 17, 2004, 2:02 AM
Post #14 of 14
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well if you moved the pad to where you would most likely fall off then there is no problem. But two pads would be most desirable.
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