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ericontherocks
Aug 26, 2001, 5:03 AM
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I took my First gear fall this week it was on a number 6 Met curve nut (I never forget that)
This is a good story... I am climbing at a area in vermont called bolton on some 8 to get warmed up that day i get to the top (easy climb) without putting in to much gear this itself scares me i don't want to get some i can do anything attitude i'll get hurt sometime. Now never having taken a gear fall putting in anything and not thinking twice is becoming an issue. My partner comes up behind me we start talking about the climb and how i ran out most of the peices. I talk to him about wanting a fall to happen sometime to change my thinking and told him at some point when im leading to make sure i have some good pieces in then to just tug the rope and pull me off with out telling me its coming
Well the next climb i do is a 10 something i start climbing am going right along and being very careful because im a little scared about this route. i get about 60 feet up and go to put in a number 4 Camalot (large cam) in and some how i get the axle of the cam stuck in and can not move i tried for a while and the feet sucked while trying. I need two hands to get it out so i put in a number 3 camalot in a very bad spot 2 out of 4 cams were ok maybe body weight it did hold i fix the larger cam and go to put a sling on it while hanging onthe rope and POP!!! the 3 blows out i go down about 20 to 25 feet and the stopper held...
I think i'll retire that peice so i can keep it with me always and get a new #6
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ericontherocks
Aug 26, 2001, 4:52 PM
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it wasn't that i was out climbing myself i usally climb trad 10 pushing 11 now and then clean as i wrote i never have taken a fall before it was just the situation of being in a left arm lock off with crapy feet and had a piece of gear get stuck in a weird position causing me to get pumped after a while then to put a bad piece in to hold body weight to fix things it was a little off so it came out after a little while hanging on it.
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krillen
Aug 27, 2001, 2:36 AM
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Hey I know what you mean. I have yet to take my first gear fall either. I've been working up the grades slowly, and I'm breaking 10's now..the only problem...the looming first fall. the guys I climb with joke about how they are going to send me up the crappiest climbs they know of just so I fall. congrats anyway.
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jds100
Aug 28, 2001, 11:31 PM
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Eric, of course you weren't out-climbing your ability! Taking falls is part of climbing, period. Placing trad gear means placing NOW to protect a fall that may happen above. Sew it up, or run in out; it's the leaders call; he or she should assess the risks and act accordingly. The leader can learn downclimbing, too, to help manage risk and the pump factor.
Improving in a methodical way doesn't mean no falling.
Nice work!
[ This Message was edited by: jds100 on 2001-08-28 16:32 ]
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ericontherocks
Aug 29, 2001, 7:03 AM
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What do you think of what of was first talking about where i was joking about having my partner pull me off the climb when he was sure i had some good gear in just to get over that first gear fall fear (we are always talking about every peice that goes in and weather its good or not) It may be a way for others to take that first fall because now that i have fallen my head is so much better now about gear and just climbing in general
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pollux
Aug 29, 2001, 7:19 AM
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purposely falling is just asking for trouble to me. If I never fell I would be more than happy but I am realistic and know that is not going to happen. But there is no sense in asking for it. Just my opinion.
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ericontherocks
Aug 29, 2001, 7:32 AM
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if you never fell then you would be blindly trusting the gear that you place it is nice to know that things will hold from experince instead of book knowledge of seeing it happen i know that i am less afraid to push myself knowing that gear will hold me if put in correctly and for me the fear of falling was holding me back or just making me overgrip pumping myself out when it could easily do something so that first fall really helps and if its controlled and made safe why not try it
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ericontherocks
Aug 29, 2001, 7:35 AM
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i was even going so far as to thinking i may want to test fall all types of gear in many different placements this would be done while leading with the safty of a loose top rope though and i could see better for myself how things are holding i may find out that a peice of gear that i never have fallen on but placed a lot is not a good peice ina test fall and want to change it around a bit
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