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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jul 29, 2009 - 04:17pm PT
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Ok people, here we go.
It has been a seriously rough year around here, for all of us.
Too many d*mn fatalities.
Witness the Temple Crag accident thread, a good outcome at least. http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.html?topic_id=914647&tn=20
Now I would never dream of asking anyone to hang up the ropes for the rest of the year, but let's try to make a pledge to double, triple check and do all the right things to PREVENT PREVENT PREVENT!!!
Doug and I have 70 yrs experience between the two of us and we were recently double checking knots and anchors and each others gear like a couple of noobs.
Of course we need to do these things all the time, but d*mn, let's make an extra effort to put a stop to the bad news for the rest of the year!
* Make sure someone knows where you are going, and what to consider overdue, and who to call in the event that something goes wrong.
* Leave a note on your car. Not necessarily a return time (thieves) but at least where you are climbing/hiking.
* Take some First Aid gear. A big blood stopper dressing if nothing else. (combat size) You can improvise a bandaid out of a trauma dressing, but you can't improvise a trauma dressing out of a bandaid. Dressings can be improvised out of t-shirts of course, and splints out of day packs, etc. But a couple pieces of commercial gear don't weigh much.
* Have some storm gear. A couple BIG garbage bags can be improvised ponchos if necessary. They pack down to nothing and weigh damn near nothing. Robbie and I filled two giant bags with dry grass and pine needles for a bivy when we were benighted after a one day ascent of the Harding Route on Conness.
* Treat all holds and blocks as suspect. Obviously some are more suspect than others, especially in the high country, where you are more remote to boot.
* Treat fixed gear as suspect. Some of that shizz is OLD.
* Treat slings as suspect. Have a few extra slings.
* Have a few extra pieces, for the unexpected retreat.
* Check your partners gear. I have been caught off guard by partners who weren't willing to hump a couple extra pounds.
* Double check knots, harnesses, ropes, anchors, back things up.
* Have a signalling device. A quality whistle is kind of the minimum. An aerial flare that goes up 300-500 feet is light.
A signal mirror with a hovering "fireball" actually is the most accurate, directional and reaches waaaay out there. But they require some knowledge and practice. Of course they don't work so well in shiteful weather, but obviously storms aren't the only time we get our *ss up a creek.
I know I'm sounding a bit preachy, but the modern magazines look kinda like a d*mn REI/Dillards catalog. Everything is so clean, modern, light, young, healthy, glossy....
We need to get a little more OLD SCHOOL self reliant, and be prepared d*mn it!!
Help me out here people.
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tolman_paul
Trad climber
Anchorage, AK
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Jul 29, 2009 - 04:31pm PT
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Great advise and reminder!
I've gotten into the habbit of double checking knots and harness buckles and asking my partner to give a once over. I especially grill this into my kids. I've also gotten into the habbit of wearing the brain bucket as well.
Somehow loosing John has taken the climbing energy right out of me, and I haven't been on rock or plastic since then. We've also had a spate of moisture lately.
Not sure if or when I'll solo again, likely roped but I'm not so sure about going cordless.
Oh, and it's not so much about carrying extra gear, it's being mindful every time you rope up or take the responsibility of belaying someone else. Keep your head in the game at all times. Unfortunately its easy when you've been at it for awhile to take things for granted and have lapses in keeping yourself safe. Doesn't matter how long you've been climbing, gravity is a constant.
And lastly, don't be a rush to drive somewhere or more importantly take your time coming back from the latest adventure. If you're bone tired, pull over and take a 15-30 minute nap. I've gotten in the habbit on long road trips of pulling over and snoozing when I get drowsy.
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micronut
Trad climber
fresno, ca
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Jul 29, 2009 - 04:35pm PT
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Roger that. Heads up out there. Play hard and play smart.
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Eric McAuliffe
Trad climber
Alpine County, CA
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Jul 29, 2009 - 04:37pm PT
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I have been thinking about this exact thing for a little while now after this past 6 months events. We have lost quite a large number of amazing climbers and some less known recently and that has had me thinking a lot about safety.
I've only been climbing for a few years now and now that we get a little more comfortable in the vertical, simple things seem sometimes overlooked. i've done a little soloing but to hear about such a prolific soloist falling off scares the crap out of me. Double checking systems is sooo important imho. Climbing is inherently dangerous, but we can limit some of those dangers if we take the nesscary steps, although there will always be a group that needs to push the envelope to the limit.
Thank you so much Survival for posting this, i was thinking about doing something similar but could not figure out quite how to get my point across and you hit it on the money! Everyone be safe and most of all have FUN!
E
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Jul 29, 2009 - 04:38pm PT
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Most important thing, Be mindful, pay attention, and doubly so when tired. Accidents are caused by bonking and spacing out.
Peace
karl
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caughtinside
Social climber
Davis, CA
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Jul 29, 2009 - 04:44pm PT
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I will not sign your Loyalty Oath.
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 29, 2009 - 04:45pm PT
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Great stuff you all, keep it coming!
Cragman, LOL, that's exactly the kind of stuff they rammed down our throats at survival instructor school, and of course Wilderness EMT classes are full of it too.
I can keep preaching, but I would much rather see the suggestions and advice coming from this great crowd we have here.
But my pledge is: I will keep this on the front page by myself if I have to. I'm just flat sick of all this sh*t we've been choking down lately. I don't kid myself, I know some of it comes with the game, but d*mn, we need to slow the bleeding for awhile.
caughtinside, whatever dude. You're a social climber anyway, so I guess you're not under the gun much?
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Jul 29, 2009 - 04:45pm PT
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A bit of first aid training also is useful. And a triangular bandage or two (aka headbands) can be helpful to have.
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caughtinside
Social climber
Davis, CA
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Jul 29, 2009 - 04:52pm PT
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I never climb. I am on this site to participate in the social exchanges on non climbing related threads.
I will carry an extra roll of tape on my harness next outing to the gym. Thank you for the reminder.
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Eric McAuliffe
Trad climber
Alpine County, CA
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Jul 29, 2009 - 05:04pm PT
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"I will carry an extra roll of tape on my harness next outing to the gym. Thank you for the reminder."
aside from the context, i got a good laugh out of that one...
E
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Jul 29, 2009 - 05:07pm PT
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You mean the "crux" is NOT where everyone unties to watch the leader???
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 29, 2009 - 05:09pm PT
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For caughtinside: You're welcome.
Keep it safe there in the gym too. You never can tell when a big block of plastic will come off and send you plummeting to the end of your top rope. Don't forget to double check that you haven't got a hole in the crotch of your tights.
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caughtinside
Social climber
Davis, CA
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Jul 29, 2009 - 05:13pm PT
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If I patched the hole in my tights the chicks might stop asking me out for drinks.
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tolman_paul
Trad climber
Anchorage, AK
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Jul 29, 2009 - 05:35pm PT
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Funny you should mention pulling plastic. While it seems like the utterly safe way to climb, it has it's own dangers. My partner popped when he grabbed a spinner hold. Fortunately I caught him before grounding as it was just high enough to where he could have done some damage to his ankles with a bad landing. It's easy to be casual in a gym if the leader looks solid, I mean, it's a gym, totally safe.
The other incident was a guy who broke a hold at the gym. The piece of the hold even clonked him on the head and caused a slight abrasion.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Jul 29, 2009 - 05:55pm PT
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Senator, I never have been, nor never will be a Communi... er, sorry wrong hearings.
Senator, I never have been, nor never will be a noobie like this...
"double checking knots and anchors and each others gear like a couple of noobs."
only old skool does double checking of knots and anchors. noobs by definition almost won't.
:)
Some day I really hope to be considered old skool.
good paternalistic bump ++
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Ed Bannister
Mountain climber
Riverside, CA
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Jul 29, 2009 - 06:24pm PT
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Dare we mention if you put up a route, it should be protected for a climber who is maxed doing the climb? If you cruise any 11 and then put up a 5.7 with a bolt at the top and the bottom, meaning anybody doing the climb who can only climb 5.7 has a potential crater 15 feet past the only bolt he can see, maybe, just maybe the really old school mentality has some merit:
The leader, is responsible for the safety of those that follow.
no, you cannot and should not be able to idiot proof climbing, but you can place clips where they can be reached, you can make sure your placements do not create death swinger pendulums for the second, and recognize that maybe the guys that took the time and the care to put in those 1/2" stainless rawls were actually being incredibly responsible to those that followed.
I can go anywhere, get no beta other than to know that Yaniro put it up, and know that it will be hard, and safe... and not sewn up, just reasonably protected. balance, consideration, and maybe a dash of stewardship, what a concept.
The flip of that is consider some of the "statement" routes,
was it cool, or was in fact incredily selfish, to put up a route to make an ego oops style statement?
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 29, 2009 - 06:47pm PT
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Nice Ed.
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Anastasia
climber
Not here
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Jul 29, 2009 - 07:58pm PT
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I want everyone to sign up on this! I am tired... Dang, if another one of you goes... Someone is going to need to put me in a padded room. C'mon, be nice to my sanity, stay safe...
AF
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Barbarian
Trad climber
slowly dying in the OC
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Jul 29, 2009 - 08:22pm PT
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I'm instilling this in my 11 year old son - check it once, check it twice, check it again. My wife would happily be spending my life-insurance money if I let something happen to him.
Just imagine your partner is an 11 year old. What level of checking would you do then?
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 29, 2009 - 09:10pm PT
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One of my partners IS an 11 yr old!
Luckily she's sharp and pays super close attention to the details. Not only that, but she asks great questions.
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