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big ears
Trad climber
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jun 8, 2011 - 09:42pm PT
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Holy Crap! I hit the deck while climbing for the first time ever today! took about a 3-4 footer on a red c3, it held just long enough for me to come to a complete standstill and then next thing i know i am on the ground. 12 ft fall maybe, but damn it scared the hell out of me.
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Bad Climber
climber
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Glad you're okay. Falling is dangerous. It seems a lot of the current jazz around videos of the hot stars working routes involves whippers. I'm a chicken and tend to avoid them, especially on natural gear, although falling on bolted routes involves risk, too.
Be careful out there.
BAd
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big ears
Trad climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 8, 2011 - 10:00pm PT
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you know, now that you say that I bet some of the vids have influenced my more than I would have thought. I have maybe taken 5 falls on gear in about 8 yrs of climbing. And never really tried a trad route thats "at my limit". I did today. made me rethink some stuff
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Sioux Juan
Big Wall climber
Costa mesa
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I saw this weekend ! a climber drop to the ground because the belayer was talking to others not watching ( the gear held and slack was to blame ) the climber was not an important one, so it's prolly no big deal anyway.
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big ears
Trad climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 8, 2011 - 10:20pm PT
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I actually had someone drop me once, and I never climbed with him again. This is scary to me bc I went against my judgement and forced a placement, with the red when it really needed a green, but it was all I had. Good lesson learned. Dont force placements, espescially on routes at, or near your limit
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, CA
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Holy Crap! I hit the deck while climbing for the first time ever today! took about a 3-4 footer on a red c3, it held just long enough for me to come to a complete standstill and then next thing i know i am on the ground. 12 ft fall maybe, but damn it scared the hell out of me.
Welcome to climbing!. Shouldn't happen, but it does.
Ya know why? People and systems have inherit flaws. The goal is to minimize risks/mistakes.
Good luck trying to make climbing 'safe'!
Good news is you are o.k. Learn, adapt, deploy your acquired wisdom.
Climb on!!!!!
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GhoulweJ
Trad climber
El Dorado Hills, CA
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BigEars
Dude, you should never deck. Seriously, these decisions in what/how to climb are very serious...
Glad your okay, now just tell us you won't reproduce ;)
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big ears
Trad climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 8, 2011 - 10:26pm PT
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Its funny, my friends all have mixed feelings on this. Some are like blue and have a "its gonna happen, be thankful you were low, and learn from it" attitude, others were have chastised me.
Out of curiosity, how many here have had something similar happen?
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GhoulweJ
Trad climber
El Dorado Hills, CA
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Pieces pop... Yes.
In a position resulting in a deck 25years of climbing and ZERO decks...
I think part of it is your: approach, respect, and critical thinking toward climbing.
To each their own, but please don't die where/when I'm climbing. It would wrinkle my day (sarcasm)
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, CA
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I decked out out twice due to dipshit belays. I no longer climb with these execution-cases.
Once from 30 ft fall, the other a 20 footer where I hit a tree on the way down that God had pre-placed for me. Thanks God!
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GhoulweJ
Trad climber
El Dorado Hills, CA
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Wow Blue, glad your okay.
I can certainly see the sceario... I hope I never experience it!
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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took about a 3-4 footer on a red c3, it held just long enough for me to come to a complete standstill and then next thing i know i am on the ground.
Had a similar occurrence once
The initial fall was a bit longer and it was a TCU. The physics involved is that the holding power of a cam in a purely parallel placement is determined by the friction of the cam and the amount of force applied.
The fall and attendant impact force is held just fine, The cam produces a prodigious amount of outward force. But when you come to a stop and unweight the placement a bit by getting your feet back on the rock, it slides right out.
A good reason to place gear early and often.
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apogee
climber
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A looong time ago I had a groundfall as a n00b at Suicide (Cat's Meow, I think)- placed a small stopper, moved left, sketched and fell- the piece popped, and I decked. Rolled backwards, whacked my head...the day was over for me.
Analysis: Poorly placed protection, inexperience, exceeding abilities
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big ears
Trad climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 8, 2011 - 10:53pm PT
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I would say that is about the same analysis for me. I would not consider myself an "inexperienced" trad leader, just inexperienced and trad climbing at my limit. Decided it was time to push myself, and got a bit carried away. Should have bailed when I realized I didnt have the right size gear
EDIT: Inexperienced AT trad climbing at my limit
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apogee
climber
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"Should have bailed when I realized I didnt have the right size gear "
Oh. You didn't mention that in the OP. The right gear makes a difference, yessirreee!
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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There's a tendency to not pay as much detailed attention to a cam placement as a nut.
It's best to think of cams as adjustable nuts and place accordingly, only using the parallel sided placements when unavoidable.
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Sioux Juan
Big Wall climber
Costa mesa
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TGT::::very good point......cams are adjustable nutz::::learn it that way & live longer- or play longer
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drljefe
climber
El Presidio San Augustin del Tucson
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F*#kin be careful dude!
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Bad Climber
climber
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+2 for TGT's point. I really WORK to get cams just right, and even then they can sometimes walk or tip into sub-optimal places. Cams are not plug and play. Also, in close-to-the-ground scenarios, it pays to be paranoid, doubling up placements, etc., if you're at all sketchy. I got some good-humored grief a few weeks ago for having a stick clip in the Alabama Hills. A lot of routes there have tricky moves right off the ground. Why the hell should I risk a sprained or broken ankle when there is simply no need? At Cochise this winter, an unfortunate bloke decked before the first clip on a long 5.9 up the center of Isle of You--seriously messed up ankle. Had he stick clipped, he'd have got back on and sent. The next day, a group asked to borrow our stick to avoid a replay.
Cheers and decking-free climbs, one and all.
BAd
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Gary
climber
Desolation Basin, Calif.
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Big ears, glad you're ok.
A good reason to place gear early and often.
TGT, that's great advice.
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