|
|
Forums:
Climbing Information:
Accident and Incident Analysis:
Re: [pindude] Climbing accident in Spokane:
Edit Log
|
|
applewood
Apr 29, 2012, 5:15 PM
Views: 4724
Registered: Jan 19, 2007
Posts: 14
|
Steve, helpful, constructive post, in this interesting thread.
I especially agree with the part about learning to trad climb way below your limit, and climbing LOTS in the 5.3-5.7 range, gradually working your way up. This was the norm in the pre-bolt days. Unfortunately now a days there are less and less routes being established or climbed in the lower ranges at the crags. All too often I see recent grading to have no discernment of how to grade the easier routes. For instance at a local crag there is a "5.5" bolted line, that is more like 5.1 to me. There are also many new 5.7 & 8's that are really more like 5.4. It seems we have forgotten or never appreciated how hard a good 5.4 can be. For this reason alone it's worth it to pilgrimage to the Gunks at least once and climb routes such as - GELSA (5.4 ***), where I just had to keep repeating to myself, "it's only 5.4" as I led the long vertical 2nd pitch, and YELLOW RIDGE (5.7- ***), I'd never heard of a 7 minus before, although it felt like a 9!, and of course HIGH EXPOSURE (5.6 ***), after which you'll never look at 5.6's the same again.
When I look back on my experiences learning to lead in the mid 70's I'm sure I did stupid stuff like practice dropping onto gear (then having a hell of a time removing it!), but that was mostly when I was really inexperienced and climbing in isolation. Once I got involved with others and heard of their experiences such naive thinking was easier to leave behind. We're fortunate today with the internet, and lots of books and magazines. But we're less fortunate with the advances in gear (bolts especially) that give a sense of security (and possibly blind us to other factors such as rope stretch and slack and ledges, and back up knots and weather). In the 70's where I learned to climb (doing lots and lots of those 5.5's and 6's) the axiom was "the leader never falls", and I can tell you no one wanted to in swami belts! But while I got confident setting up anchors (and removing placements) in those old days and ways, I also never got very good at actually climbing until bolts came alone.
Now my main goal is to find the perfect 5.4 to create. My joy this spring was to bolt a couple of three star 5.2 and 5.3's - somehow much more satisfying than the three star 11b I put up too. (and those fully bolted 5.2 and 3 routes also had some possible gear placements which would be good for a beginner leader to practice on within the security of a bolted route. It sounds silly perhaps and redundant, but we all have to learn somewhere, and if it's my daughter learning out on the sharp end I don't want her taking a ground fall.
Finally my condolences to both the climbers. Hopefully their injuries and traumas have healed by now, and the lessons learned have become second nature. Thanks to Jeff for sharing the details, and showing how to do it right (and be prepared even at a small local crag).
(This post was edited by applewood on May 3, 2012, 2:12 PM)
|
|
|
Edit Log:
|
|
Post edited by applewood
() on May 3, 2012, 2:12 PM
|
|
|
|
|
|
