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justin01
Trad climber
sacramento
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Topic Author's Original Post - Apr 25, 2012 - 02:41am PT
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I was in MN last week and climbed at Taylors falls. I took my first lead fall in a year+ on a 3 ft roof climb there. I was surprised getting to the roof that all I could find was a #2 micro as my first and only piece. I took a 15fter on it which I was not expecting (basalt is slick, who knew). I stopped 1ft from the ground inverted without feeling a thing, Thank God. A good #2 did the trick, much to my surprise. I guess a well placed micro is pretty bomber. I will be wearing a helmet consistently from now on, I swear!
My wife nearly swore off belaying me, she got launched a good 7ft. Thank God she can hold a belay. Maybe the soft landing of our weight delta did the trick.
Anyone have any harrowing stories of micros saving their bacon. I owe my legs to one.
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briham89
Trad climber
los gatos. ca
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Apr 25, 2012 - 02:59am PT
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if that happened to me I would have gone Number 2 ...too
haha me 2!!
that is gnarly, i'm glad you are alive. I've never taken a whipper on a micro, but I am always surprised they hold when I bounce test them while aiding on crap placements
and oh ya
YOU'RE STILL GONNA DIE
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
the crowd MUST BE MOCKED...Mocked I tell you.
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Apr 25, 2012 - 03:20am PT
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Taylors Falls, where the true Yosemite crack is
good save of bacon!
helmuts is good.
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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Apr 25, 2012 - 05:57am PT
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This hapened to me on P38 in the gunks about 1985 or so. the #3 ripped out and the #2 saved me. inverted a few feet from a pile of rocks, no lid. Does NOT mean that I will do stupid thing over micro gear just that I got lucky that day....
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justthemaid
climber
Jim Henson's Basement
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Apr 25, 2012 - 07:54am PT
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I never fall on anything smaller than a # 2 so I have no harrowing story.
I do have a 200 pound climber-friend who took a good fall onto one of those green micro cams. (Smaller than a 00). Pretty wild. I guess when gear is good and the rock is solid those things do their job.
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mhd
Trad climber
St Paul
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Apr 25, 2012 - 08:52am PT
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That's sounds like a long fall on what was probably a short route, glad the nut held. What route where you on at Taylors Falls?
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Apr 25, 2012 - 09:08am PT
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held a leader fall on a #2 stopper in the late 80s when my partner fell off the overhang crux of Anguish in the 'Gunks...
we had been climbing a bunch that year and gotten pretty lax in anchoring, I had a single piece of webbing draped around a flake for the belay, doubt that would have held if the stopper had blown, I was standing with slack to the anchor.
pledged then and there to be better at anchors, always.
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High Fructose Corn Spirit
Gym climber
-A race of corn eaters
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Apr 25, 2012 - 09:30am PT
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pledged then and there to be better at...
Been there done that.
... probably a lead reason why we're both here 20+ years later. :)
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Social climber
Retired in Appalachia
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Apr 25, 2012 - 09:44am PT
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I took a 25 foot ripper onto a #3 wired stopper back in 1974, I came to rest upside-down just a couple of feet off the deck. Actually, the entire pitch zippered except for the #3 that caught me.
That was one of my 9 lives scratched off the list.
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couchmaster
climber
pdx
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Apr 25, 2012 - 09:52am PT
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The wires have been known to break, I'd back up any small wired you have to use if you think there is any chance of a fall with any consequences. Like a ground fall.
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Grampa
Trad climber
OC in So Cal
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Apr 25, 2012 - 10:28am PT
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I think you are a very lucky climber. Had your belayer been tied into an anchor at the ground, would your fall have been shorter?
I saw a number 1 stopper pull at Tahquitz in solid granite. A lucky number 2 in the same crack held after the number 1 pulled.
( Hummm,where are my knifeblades? )
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John Butler
Social climber
SLC, Utah
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Apr 25, 2012 - 10:56am PT
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I bet on these:
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Branscomb
Trad climber
Lander, WY
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Apr 25, 2012 - 11:05am PT
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Sometime around 1973 or 74, Carlos and Ricardo Casa and I were doing some aid climb on Lower Index Town Wall and Casa took a 20 footer onto a #1 Coonyard stopper, and it held. Would have been a nasty one to the ledge if it hadn't. We saved that baby for years in reverence.
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jstan
climber
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Apr 25, 2012 - 11:06am PT
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Why is everyone turning upside down? You need to prevent that. Upside down I doubt a helmet would do you much good.
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Grampa
Trad climber
OC in So Cal
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Apr 25, 2012 - 11:08am PT
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Ron,
I agree Brother! I will use a stopper or hex first, and a springy thing as a last resort.
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justin01
Trad climber
sacramento
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 25, 2012 - 11:19am PT
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Yeah, I really have no idea why I ended up inverted. I figure I was in a weird crouched position after passing the roof, and just fell off balance. I didn't really see it coming, so I do not know what happened in the air. The rope was not between my feet, I may have just flipped over when coming to a rest.
Not sure the route name, I have never climbing in MN before, and I didn't have a book. It was a nice fractured portion of steep basalt, 70ft tall probably, and right off the river. The route felt like 5.9 so I wasn't feeling too too stressed.
As far as the fall length. The piece was about 3 or 4 ft below my feet, and then my wife added to the fall. So probably a 10 or more feet of actual falling, and then the rest was the catch. All I know is I ended up inches from the ground. I think the soft landing was definitely key though. I barely felt the catch at all, like landing in a bed of feathers really (or going to heaven)!
We definitely quit climbing for the day after that. It was time to head for the lake and have a beer.
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jstan
climber
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Apr 25, 2012 - 12:11pm PT
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More than one person tells of becoming inverted. There is something badly wrong.
You do not want to fall head first.
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Social climber
Retired in Appalachia
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Apr 25, 2012 - 12:14pm PT
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Why is everyone turning upside down? You need to prevent that. Upside down I doubt a helmet would do you much good.
I suppose that Sherlock is your first name?
I dropped in a #3 wired, made a couple of hook moves, and then was reaching around a corner to place another nut. It was a long reach and the piece was difficult to bounce test. I was in the process of transitioning from the hook to the nut (with one foot in one aider and the other foot in other aider) when the nut blew. I guess that's what flipped me.
The entire pitch zippered except for that #3 wired. I had go back up to get my hook & etrier that was still hanging up on the pitch!
He-he
He said he blew a nut
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Grampa
Trad climber
OC in So Cal
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Apr 25, 2012 - 12:21pm PT
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Inversion can occur when you fall and the rope is between your legs and behind you.
This may also result in a (hopefully temporary) change in voice tone.
Another good reason for a helmet, in case you invert and smack the rock with your head.
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Dos XX
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Apr 25, 2012 - 01:20pm PT
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Yes, what @grampa says about preferring nuts over cams, and the value of wearing a helmet not just for rockfall danger.
I told @grampa in person about an inverted fall taken by a family member, and how a helmet saved their bacon, but it's still such a chilling memory that I won't recount it here. Stoppers good, helmets good.
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