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TrundleBum
Trad climber
Las Vegas
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Nov 11, 2007 - 11:00pm PT
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hashbro: Ouch, Broke ribs even ?
and ... 'Swami' belts are out of style?
I was out today at RR with a local "Scary Larry" DeAngelo.
Nicnamed such by a more contemporary climber that was hoob'd out by Larry's swami and hip belay.
I am wearing a harness these days unless it's short top rope or way, way easy.
This past spring I met and climbed with Larry for the first time.
I had brought both swami and harness with me.
But when I saw him putting on a Swami I did as well.
But I don't bother wearing when climbing with him anymore.
It seems my good graces are forever jeopardized due to my reticence to give up my 'bucket' of 'white courage'.
A couple weeks ago Larry and I were out.
We did something he had picked out on the "Blood Wall" he wanted to do.
I backed off a section and he went to have a go and took a 15 footer and smacked his ribs on rounded arete.
Later he said he thought his ribs hurt from the swami, but I told him "no way, it was from way he hit the arete."
I will tell Larry about this thread, maybe he will share one 'harendo' he told me about, that he took at Tahquitz, back in the day.
I did get a good trick out of Larry.
All these years and I never thought of it.
For rap's pull your chalk bag down under yer arse and use it for a surrogate leg loops.
Back east,77, maybe 78,
A guy named Tom Callahan and I
(no, not the well known Cal)
Went over to Whitehorse ledge to do a route called 'Sleeping Beauty'
Alain Comeau etal had done the route the year before and it had seen little traffic.
It got it's name from the fact that the route was found while rap'n and it was buried under a huge, deep swath of the big fat 'Rock Stripe' lichen. The route goes up a good corner then belay off a small tree (that was an awesome couch), and the fun pitch went straight up a splitter 5.8 hand crack to a welded, fixed angle and ended. The crux section was a long, ascending, left finger traverse with bad pro.
I was laying on my back on the tree belaying Tom as he set off. He started into the traverse got about 40' from the fixed peg, with maybe 3 or 4 crap ass, #1 - #2 stoppers in horizontally.
He peeled and 'all in all' was not that scary of a fall.
About a footer 40'tr down a super steep slab.
I got two good yanks in and just rolled off the tree.
He ripped all the wired's back to the fixed peg.
But man was it impressive!
The climb had been cleaned on rappel, but only a few feet below what was needed to clean the climb.
Tom left about 30' of ski tracks down this streak of 'Rock stipe.
There was huge a cloud of lichen dust in the air.
At days end we talked about it and I think my ribs were more sore than his from hitting the end of a few feet in a static tie in.
But he was definately got a bigger adrenyline dose than I.
La Concita, maybe '80 / 81'
Squamish Aug 07'
Same Blue swami
(but now when I use it, I tie in through my chalk bag and webbing pants belt, cuz I 'escared now I oldman li dat)
I had a Whillan's as well. Only used it a few times then I gave it away.
ps. earlier in the Thread someone mentioned 'Paragot' (nic' paraquate) French, climbing shoes, that they had bought for $10.00 of a Frenchman in Camp, during the early 80's. I must have patronized the same guy, I did the same.
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Risk
Mountain climber
Minkler, CA
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Nov 12, 2007 - 12:39am PT
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I’ll confess that I fell/swung/scraped about 12-15 feet on a simple Sunnyside Bench climb about 1969. I even yelled out “falling!” knowing it was happening before it did. I was over confident having recently completed Wayne Merry’s “basic rock climbing” class out of one of the old Yosemite Lodge lounge closets next to the door (that was it for YMS then). My dad was with me and my climbing buddy, and I suffered a shiner and torn jeans. I cannot recall another swami incident.
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Jello
Social climber
No Ut
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Nov 12, 2007 - 01:16am PT
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Took a few falls up to thirty feet back in the 60's and 70's on a swami, on rock climbs, with no damage. Then fell 60 feet or more when a cornice broke on Mt hunter in Alaska in '76. No damage to the ribs but I broke my ankle in the fall, and Mike Kennedy and my cousin George had to sheppard me down 4,000 feet.
In my wall climbing period between about '67 and '73, did about 50 wall routes, all with swamis and never felt the need for a harness.
-Jello
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Brian in SLC
Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
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Nov 12, 2007 - 10:12am PT
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Ice climbed in an old Forrest harness, but, learned to rock climb in a 2" red swami (still have it). I don't recall ever taking a long fall in it, maybe 10 feet at the most.
Hooked up with a guy in Boulder Canyon in the summer of '84, I think. He tied in with a swami, I was belaying with a hip belay. He started up a 5.9, which I was a tad nervious to follow, but, for some reason, headed off on a much harder route. Didn't get much pro in, and, popped off. Took a 50 or so footer. Hurt a rib and his foot. I carried him back to the road. Said he'd probably be ok by the next day, and, if I was still around, maybe we could hook up again... Strange feller. My bet is he didn't get out of his sleeping bag the next day, but, who knows.
-Brian in SLC
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hashbro
Trad climber
Mental Physics........
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Nov 12, 2007 - 11:27pm PT
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I already posted a rendition of this amazing story (elsewhere), but this thread certainly deserves another round.
In approximately 1972 or 73' on a weekend trip to Idyllwild I met a fellow named Bill Houghton who asked if I'd belay him on the Guillotine at Suicide. At that time 5.8 was over my head and I was had to get a chance to climb the route with an "expert" on the sharp end. Little did I know how wrong I was...?
Upon beginning his lead Bill seemed a bit agitated which even back then seemed non-fortuitous. Bill was of course prepped out with a 1' tubular awami, ratty EBs and a chaotic rack of Troll, Forest and Dolt gear. Ten feet up the route Bills sewing machine leg told me that something was beginning to go very wrong.
As Bill reached the 40" point, my neighbor, cohort and freckle-faced teen Randy Vogel strolled up the trail and stopped to see what the concern was above. "He seems confused,” I told Randy. Randy replied, "he's off route already."
Bill was now obviously off route and continued climbing away form the established line. "Hey dude", we yelled, "go right, go right." Bill did not say a word and continued to the left. Randy and I stared upwards beginning to worry. Mumbles seemed to be coming from the leader above but we could not figure out what he was saying.
At the 60" level we heard sounds more akin to a moan than a mumble. "Dude, you gotta go right" we yelled. At this point, Bill was separated from the correct line by a difficult flake. Suddenly Bill came into view, now actually grabbing onto the flake the constituted the some scary, hard and dangerous variation to the Guillotine. To our amazement, Bill grabbed onto some piece of fixed gear inside the flake, passed it and failed to clip it. Randy and I were stared up in astonishment and yell" Bill, clip the gear, clip the gear." He did not...
Bill was now way off route, and now was extremely run out above whatever piece of sketchy pro he had found many, many feet below. Randy came up to the belay ledge and grabbed onto the rope next to me. His eyes met mine in seriousness and the next moment we heard Bill let out an unprecedented and blood-curdling scream. "Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!!!!!!!!"
At that instant Randy and I both began yarding armloads of road past up and then we saw Bill sliding downward on the slab, bounding and screaming. More and more rope went through our hands as Bill shot toward us on the ledge. Then suddenly bill jerked to a stop, right above a gnarly block of rock that had he hit, would have turned a human body to mush.
Bill was upside down and still. Randy and I had pulled 50 feet of rope past our belay, just barely keeping Bill off the block and still alive. Randy I stood silently in shock.
Then just as suddenly, members of the San Bernardino Mountain Rescue team (nearby doing some training) scurried up to ledge, cut Bill's 1' swami, threw him in a stretcher and hauled him off to Hemet. Randy and I had no idea what had hit us (or Bill for that matter) and tried to get some climbing in that day, though we were quite shaken.
Amazingly, Bill was pronounced alive and healthy at the hospital and hitched back up to Humber that evening. Largo may remember that Bill became a sudden and short-lived celebrity for his big fall and was termed (by Largo) "Acapulco" Bill for his massive 120" cliff dive. Folks might also remember that Largo was seen schmoozing around with Bill for several weekends in a row, since now both were part of the elite club of Illywild celebs.
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TYeary
Mountain climber
Calif.
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Nov 13, 2007 - 01:16am PT
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I took a long slider on the Fiend at Suicide back in the mid seventies. From the last bolt , instead of following obvious good holds up and right to the belay ledge, I climbed straight up into no mans land. All right for about 15 feet or so and I was almost home free, when my EB's lost their magic. I could smell burning rubber as I sailed back toward the belay. All was fine untill I poped my ankle out as I slid over the chicken head. All in all, about 35-40 feet. The resulting raps and hike out to get my ankle pinned were anti-climatic. Ah, Swami Belts!
Tony
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Nov 13, 2007 - 02:19am PT
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To be honest it's been so long I can't remember, and it was probably on a bowline on a coil as opposed a swami. But then goldline was so damn stretchy anyway so I suspect that's why I don't recall anything significant happening.
There would be a lot less dogging going on if folks still wore swamis.
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scuffy b
climber
The deck above the 5
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Nov 13, 2007 - 02:10pm PT
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I'm curious about this strategy of wrapping the swami below the
hammer holster, relying on the holster to keep the swami down and
away from the ribs.
What is to keep the holster down? Are you talking about putting
the holster on a belt going through the loops on your pants?
Wouldn't that mean that the crotch of your pants is what limits
the upward travel of the swami?
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wild willy
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Nov 13, 2007 - 06:51pm PT
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Took a 40 footer on the Royal Arches in '72 (got off route somehow). I have alway been grateful to Bill Squires for catching me. I don't think he was using a belay device, just the rope around his waist as I remember. As I was sailing past him we looked each other in the eye. I was wondering if he would be able to stop me. The swami held up ok and didn't hurt me. However, I ended up with a giant 6" circle of skin taken off my hip and ass from sliding down the face.
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Nick
climber
portland, Oregon
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Nov 13, 2007 - 10:45pm PT
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In 76' I busted a knob right before the anchor on "Wrinkle in Time" . I remember pivoting out, dancing ineffectively with my feet and then I was away. Saw a big loop develop as I fell and then the swing at the end. Not sure how far... 80? maybe 100? I was using one of those home sewn 2" tubular swami belts. Remember those? The web looped into a five inch wide band and held in shape by three one inch web bars, then closed with one inch tubular in front. Nice to have Pope holding the string.
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scuffy b
climber
The deck above the 5
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Nov 14, 2007 - 01:25pm PT
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Did you scrape the crap out of your nose on that one, Nick?
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Nick
climber
portland, Oregon
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Nov 14, 2007 - 10:56pm PT
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Yep, bout took half my schnoz off. One of the cool things about wearing a swami is you can turn around in it so that blood pouring off your nose will not get on your only clean shirt while your partners tie on another rope to lower you.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Oct 10, 2011 - 04:33pm PT
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I was doing a little research to polish up some of my recollections of climbing in the Needles of California.
Came across this gem; well worth a bump.
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Oct 10, 2011 - 05:08pm PT
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I was locked up when this thread came and went. Although my longest fall on a swami belt was maybe 40 feet, it was a slide on the Apron and really shouldn't count.
More consequential was one I took on the first pendulum on In Cold Blood. I tripped, banged my back on a small dihedral, and leaned over just enough to spill the contents in my pockets, consisting of our one and only pocket knife and a bit of change. My partner couldn't stop laughing while I was stuck there, semi-asphyxiated. The laughter stopped a little later. Because of a delay from a storm, we didn't reach the extra-plush flat, sandy ledge to the right, and ended up spending a night in hammocks. Without a can opener, we discovered that opening cans with pitons in a hammock bivy can be tricky.
John
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Chief
climber
The NW edge of The Hudson Bay
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Oct 10, 2011 - 05:14pm PT
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77ish, Rainy Day Dream Away, belayed by Daryl Hatten, having trouble with hexes, gun it for the root at the top of the crux, root pulls, 65 feet to an ankle twisting turf touch as the rope finally tightens up on the swami. Daryl laughed his ass off and cackled, "Beckham, you're LIGHT!"
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dee ee
Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
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Oct 10, 2011 - 05:34pm PT
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It was 1975 ish, on that crag outside the valley with all those knobs. Matt Cox was leading a route while several of us were laying in the road below watching. He got off route and botched it somehow and he was off for a 60-70 footer, all air. I think he came down after that as he was pretty rattled.
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TYeary
Social climber
State of decay
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Oct 10, 2011 - 07:12pm PT
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I saw Matt take a whistler off of Magical Mystery Tour. With the rope strech, he went softly to the ground. Must of been 60 feet. Matt got a lot of air time.
TY
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Oct 10, 2011 - 07:16pm PT
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No kidding Tony?
I know you are not: that's a bad route to peel off ... from almost any point.
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slabbo
Trad climber
fort garland, colo
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Oct 10, 2011 - 07:32pm PT
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nice sswingin' fall off a drilling stance for the f/a of Clean Sweep. on Cathedral, NH
Swingin' down about 40' or so and the knot busted my lowest left rib.NICE
SECOND- on the f/a of Unwanted Guests- Whitehorse NH - A Vue, all the way over to Future Shock - first try and - see ya big swinger 40' for sure
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DanaB
climber
CT
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Oct 10, 2011 - 08:00pm PT
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Coincidence: I had the same injury while climbiing at Cathedral. Forty foot fall. When I finally hit the rock the figure 8 knot was like a fist, broke three ribs. Harness for me after that.
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