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Fluoride
Trad climber
Hollywood, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jul 20, 2009 - 02:49pm PT
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I took a big rock directly to the head on Sun Ribbon Arete on Friday. Like brick sized from about 50 ft up. Couldn't go anywhere as I was anchored in, just braced against the rock and hoped for the best. My awesome old HB helmet totally saved the day.
How that thing didn't kill or at least seriously injure me is a miricle. The impact cracked the Hell out of my hardcore helmet.
While I'm okay, my poor helmet is a gonner. That thing was bombsquad. And I don't think they make them anymore. The crappy looking climbing helmets of today are a joke in comparison.
Any good rockfall vs. your helmet stories? Wondering if I was insanely lucky or my old lid just did it's job.
Oh, and PICS!!!:
The crack would have gone side to back if not for layers of some kind of polycarbonite throughout it.
Me and helmet in much happier times. It was ridiculous looking how high it rode on my head, but that 3 inches of space between the webbing and actual helmet saved me a world of hurt (or worse)...
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HighDesertDJ
Trad climber
Arid-zona
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Jul 20, 2009 - 02:51pm PT
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Damn that is lucky. Glad you are ok and it's good to hear that helmets can work that well with such a large rock. I remember a pebble-sized rock came off of Royal Arches when we were scoping a stranded party from the base in 1998. It hit Scotty Burke's SAR helmet (similar make to yours) and cracked it pretty good.
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L
climber
The Paleozoic rift of the Caradoc drift
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Jul 20, 2009 - 02:52pm PT
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Wow Fluoride!!! Glad you came away unscathed.
RIP Ol' Helmet...doing it's job to the very end.
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Fluoride
Trad climber
Hollywood, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 20, 2009 - 02:57pm PT
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Thanks Laura.
I am so bummed about this helmet. It was heinous looking, I looked like I was doing construction work. But it was so incredibly bomber.
After looking at typical climbing helmets (went to A-16 to replace it yesterday, nothing but crap) I can' find anything that compares. The stuff I looked at yesterday wouldn't have come close to absorbing what hit me. I'm beyond lucky for that damn thing to have been on my head when I really needed it.
Damn alpine rock.
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Jul 20, 2009 - 02:59pm PT
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Flouride
Glad you survived!
Don't like the Black Diamond helmets?
I haven't been hit by a rock with my half dome,
but it sure protects me from falling/chopped ice.
of course none of us looks good in a helmet. . .
'hair by helmet'!
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Jul 20, 2009 - 02:59pm PT
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I am soooo glad you weren't hurt!!!! Man, that is taking a hit.
EDIT: "of course none of us looks good in a helmet..."
Au contraire - Flouride does...
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HighDesertDJ
Trad climber
Arid-zona
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Jul 20, 2009 - 03:00pm PT
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Bummed about the helmet? I'd have the thing mounted in my living room. Thank god you were wearing one. If it weren't for that bucket this would be another "horrible accident in the Sierras" thread. Too many of those recently.
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Chaz
Trad climber
greater Boss Angeles area
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Jul 20, 2009 - 03:02pm PT
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Good thing the rock hit you on the head (covered by helmet)
A rock that size could have easily smashed your shoulder or broke your collarbone.
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Domingo
Trad climber
El Portal, CA
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Jul 20, 2009 - 03:02pm PT
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The one time I was on Glacier Point Apron, I got bowled down by a huge rock - probably brick sized - in my Half Dome helmet. Thing didn't even crack but my ears were ringing and my neck hurt for days afterward.
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Russ Walling
Gym climber
Poofter's Froth, Wyoming
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Jul 20, 2009 - 03:03pm PT
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Glad you are still with us......
Try one of these as a bomber replacement:
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apogee
climber
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Jul 20, 2009 - 03:04pm PT
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Holy shizzle! Glad you're ok...how's your neck?
There are places where helmets are not really necessary, and then there's Temple Crag- an obviously really good place for a helmet...
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Redwreck
Social climber
Echo Parque, Los Angeles, CA
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Jul 20, 2009 - 03:06pm PT
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Wow. Glad you're okay!
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Fluoride
Trad climber
Hollywood, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 20, 2009 - 03:08pm PT
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Thanks HDDJ. Gotta have a helmet in the alpine no doubt.
I can't believe how much loose rock there was up there. I was prepared for the usual amount of falling alpine rock but Temple was way worse than I expected.
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rhyang
climber
SJC
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Jul 20, 2009 - 03:08pm PT
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Yikes ! Glad to hear you're ok. I wear a petzl ecrin roc for ice climbing (lots of ice chunks falling) .. heavy, but bomber.
But lately I've been wearing an older petzl elios for rock .. maybe I should think about using the ecrin for things like temple crag.
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Jul 20, 2009 - 03:09pm PT
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I'll join the chorus, very glad you're OK!
As for hard vs. soft helmets, I understand they have different properties. The newer foam-lined ones,
like my BD Tracer, are supposed to compress and absorb impacts better than a sling suspension,
although the shells themselves are more flimsy. Which you want might depend on what hits you?
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apogee
climber
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Jul 20, 2009 - 03:10pm PT
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I have a similar helmet quandry- I have an old Petzl Ecrin that is almost 2 decades old- it has been subjected to untold UV rays, and I kinda doubt it would handle a dropped 'biner, let alone a brick like that....
Anybody have suggestions for a bomber, reasonably lightweight helmet that has enough room for a ballcap style hat or balaclava? Like you, I haven't been impressed by anything I've seen on the market these days...
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Jul 20, 2009 - 03:10pm PT
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Any good rockfall vs. your helmet stories?
I've never put my climbing helmet to any serious test, but I wouldn't be here writing this if it weren't for my bike helmet. Lost it on a too-fast corner, tried to jump the curb, but failed, and went sailing through the air. Last thing I remember was the sound of my helmet hitting something. When I regained consciousness my head was the only part of my upper body that wasn't broken. My doc told me the radiologist had gone running round the hospital with my x-rays shouting "Look at this! Look at this! I've never seen this before!"
So, here's to helmets. I'm glad yours did its job, and wish you luck finding a new one that isn't a glorified bike helmet. (Edelrid used to make an incredibly burly helmet, but I don't know if they still do.)
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slobmonster
Trad climber
berkeley, ca
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Jul 20, 2009 - 03:11pm PT
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Flouride: glad you're OK.
Caughtinside and I climbed Sun Ribbon the day after you got bonked, and I can certainly echo your comments re: loose everything everywhere. We had met your friends (?) the night before, and heard about someone getting hit by rockfall...
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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Jul 20, 2009 - 03:12pm PT
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if Fluoride was a president her name would be 'Babe-raham Lincoln'.
glad you're o.k.!
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Fluoride
Trad climber
Hollywood, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 20, 2009 - 03:18pm PT
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Hah slob, yeah that was me. We bailed after I got hit. My partner and I could've gone back Saturday but at that point just chalked up the trip to bad mojo and decided to give it a go another time.
You might have run into our friends though. On Friday was it 2 girls? The next day my other friends headed up to give it another go Saturday morning but backed off when the AM weather looked hinky. They were with me when it happened Friday albeit a little further up the climb but bailed when I got smacked.
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