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spideyman
Oct 13, 2007, 7:49 PM
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Was up at the Gunks this weekend and almost always wear my helmet, thankfully. Was belaying my second up Wrist, in the Traps when all of a sudden wack...A big ass cam hits me right in the head. I was wearing the Petzl Meteor III helmet; which from the impact of the falling cam actually dented. The nub that dropped the cam was some climber's second who obviously wasnt properly trained on removal of and racking of gear. After the cam exploded off my helmet it then continued down another 100 feet or so to the ground. As far as I know no one else got hit. So if there is any lesson to be learned I'd say wear that helmet. Could have fractured my skull or got knocked out from the impact which would not have been to good for the poor soul I was belaying up. So watch ur noggins out there people.
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catskillshiker
Oct 13, 2007, 8:25 PM
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I had a near miss of the same sort last week. I was going up classic in the gunks, and somebody dropped a biner full of nuts off the rap anchor. IT went right past my head. I still have no idea how they dropped it off the botls.
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knieveltech
Oct 13, 2007, 9:27 PM
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So if you catch dropped gear in mid-flight, does it qualify as booty?
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sketchypro
Oct 13, 2007, 10:27 PM
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Hell yes it counts as booty. Either that or the dropper buys the beer.
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quiteatingmysteak
Oct 13, 2007, 11:06 PM
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Good post. Anytime you climb below someone, wearing a helmet is super super important.
I tend to avoid the issue and skate a little thinner ice by not wearing a helmet because I have a disease that keeps me from climbing crowded routes :D. I'm pretty selfish, if I can't get on a route first I'm not likely to sit in line... but not climbing in the gunks I think i would be hard pressed to judge!
Wear a helmet!
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gunkiemike
Oct 14, 2007, 12:51 AM
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Just today a friend's son was hit on the head by a falling rock at the Gunks. He had a helmet but had taken it off since he was not climbing. Much pain and tears and 2 stitches later, he's back home.
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tigerlilly
Oct 14, 2007, 12:56 AM
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Amen. I almost got hit by a falling shoe on the first pitch of Maria/Frog's Head. I pretty much always wear a helmet when I'm walking around the base at the Gunks. But, being a long-time cyclist, I feel naked without one, anyway.
Kathy
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climbingtrash
Oct 14, 2007, 1:55 AM
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Too funny, today we were climbing the Headache in Zion and for some reason I didn't put my helmet on to belay my buddy up the first pitch. At about thirty feet up he kicked off a piece of sandstone the size of a large golf ball. I glanced down to look at the rope for a second and Wham, got hit right on top of the head. No blood but I do have a tender bump now.
(yes, I had a headache while climbing "the Headache")
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bent_gate
Oct 14, 2007, 2:47 AM
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Ouch. That's why I think finding a helmet that is comfortable is so important. If it's not comfortable, there's too many times that you won't be wearing it. It's the most common reason I have used in the past when I have taken off my helmet or not worn it.
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desertwanderer81
Oct 14, 2007, 4:09 AM
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wear a helmet and tie knots in the end of your rope if you're not absolutely 100% sure your rope is on the ground!
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knieveltech
Oct 14, 2007, 4:18 AM
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tigerlilly wrote: Amen. I almost got hit by a falling shoe on the first pitch of Maria/Frog's Head. I pretty much always wear a helmet when I'm walking around the base at the Gunks. But, being a long-time cyclist, I feel naked without one, anyway. Kathy
A shoe?! I bet there's a story behind that one. With all the falling objects the Gunks sounds less like a climbing destination and more like an artillery range. Is this normal?
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vegastradguy
Oct 14, 2007, 4:55 AM
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so, did you at least go get the cam?
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jakedatc
Oct 14, 2007, 5:20 AM
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seriously.. if i got drilled with a cam it would be on my rack so fast...
K .. gunks are busy and have a lot of moderates that accumulate lines.. people chase groups up stuff all the time.. the probability of stuff happening just goes up. I almost got drilled by a biner following my friend up something and luckily even though the person that dropped it didn't yell my friend did and it wizzed past me. I did have a helmet on.
I agree with Bent gate.. I personally hate petzl and BD helmets. but found the Simond Bumper to be super comfortable and am much happier wearing it than before.
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curt
Oct 14, 2007, 5:29 AM
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Don't be a retard and climb under n00bs. If you do, you'll most likely get what you deserve--helmet or no helmet.
Curt
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spideyman
Oct 14, 2007, 3:38 PM
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They traversed over from Arch to finish on Wrist pub. They weren't even on our route and had no business leaving their route to interfer with us.
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caughtinside
Oct 14, 2007, 3:52 PM
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spideyman wrote: The nub that dropped the cam was some climber's second who obviously wasnt properly trained on removal of and racking of gear.
How to train your "nub":
1. "First take the cam or nut out of the crack."
2. "Clip it to your harness."
3. "Don't drop my gear, or I kill you and you buy more gear."
4. "If you do drop it, I kill you, you buy new gear, and be sure to yell "ROCK!!!!!""
Always yell ROCK. It is the call all climbers know. I was climbing in tuolumne this summer and heard "WATER!!" and was like, WTF? I looked up to see a nalgene bomb headed my way. Just yell ROCK.
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tigerlilly
Oct 14, 2007, 4:27 PM
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"knieveltech wrote: A shoe?! I bet there's a story behind that one. With all the falling objects the Gunks sounds less like a climbing destination and more like an artillery range. Is this normal?
You don't always know who is above you. You can be in the middle of a route and have someone come over and rap down very close to you. You don't always see them coming. Because of over overhangs and the angle of the cliff, they're sometimes not visible nor audible until a rope starts snaking down next to you. Some routes wander sideways, crossing over other routes. In my case, Frog's Head and Maria share the first 20-30 ft, and then Maria traverses to the right, while Frog's Head continues up. The guy that dropped the shoe appeared to have topped out on Frog's Head and taken off his shoes to get comfy while belaying his second. I was lucky I was still pondering how to get over a bulge and not in the middle of it, and my attentive leader relayed the shout of "rock!" from the dropper, whom I did not hear. Still, a shoe would probably hurt less than a rock or a cam, but at that speed, it would probably still hurt plenty.
I've rapidly figured out why my main trad partner prefers to climb at the Gunks on weekdays.
Fwiw, I tried on every helmet Rock and Snow had before settling on the BD Tracer. It's the only one that fit worth a damn on my lil' noggin. It also seems to be designed very much like a bike helmet, but with thicker foam on the crown, and mesh covering the top vents. Maybe that's why I liked it.
Sigh. I'm rambling. Had to cancel climbing plans today because of a case of vertigo. Bleah.
Kathy
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sandstone
Oct 14, 2007, 4:38 PM
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In the spring of this year I was on a small ledge belaying my partners up the second pitch. I looked up and there was a dinner plate sized rock heading right for my face. I scrunched up and threw my hand up to try to deflect it away. I changed its trajectory, but I still got a nasty bruise on my arm and thigh, and a nice gouge in the front of my helmet.
That rock sits on my desk now.
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kane_schutzman
Oct 15, 2007, 3:19 AM
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I attest!
Today I almost got knocked out too! Two bigassed potato sized chucks a ruck got ripped off this badass overhanging flake route. The climber fell caught the fall(in slow mow, and fuggin jumped, and swang way out to miss them). That was scary as hell, then I was trying to ipress the ladies and I was holding on to this pinch type dealio, and the thing flew right off in my hand I held that bitch till I hit the ground and damn near broke my leg. WTF
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majid_sabet
Oct 15, 2007, 8:03 AM
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From a recent 110 footer
Rear after impact
[URL=http://www.picoodle.com/view.php?img=/9/10/15/f_51707nosepim_c6dcdc9.jpg&srv=img39]
Front
[URL=http://www.picoodle.com/view.php?img=/9/10/15/f_Copyof51707m_d30c87a.jpg&srv=img39]
(This post was edited by majid_sabet on Oct 15, 2007, 8:07 AM)
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ZackP
Oct 15, 2007, 1:46 PM
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Wow after reading all these stories i think ill be buying a helmet real soon.
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blueeyedclimber
Oct 15, 2007, 2:13 PM
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curt wrote: Don't be a retard and climb under n00bs. If you do, you'll most likely get what you deserve--helmet or no helmet. Curt
Well, I find that the n00bs don't always warn you by saying "Watch Out! I'm a n00b!" The Gunks are a place where it's hard to avoid them. It's a crowded area with stellar moderate routes that brings them in droves. The long path goes along the base of the cliff that sooner or later will bring you directly in the firing range of n00b central.
I love the GUnks, but i understand what it is and take precautions. But, even I get complacent sometimes and forget. I was sitting on a rock at the base of 3 doves when a rock came crashing less than ten feet from me.
So, my advise, is to not just have it on when climbing, but when walking or sitting near the base of the cliff at all times. But, like curt said, you climb under n00bs and sooner or later they will drop something on you.
Josh
(This post was edited by blueeyedclimber on Oct 15, 2007, 2:14 PM)
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granite_grrl
Oct 16, 2007, 12:26 PM
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spideyman wrote: They traversed over from Arch to finish on Wrist pub. They weren't even on our route and had no business leaving their route to interfer with us.
Arch to Wrist is one of the most common ways to do the route. Take a look at William's book, its recomended.
I'm sorry that you couldn't look up, see someone at the Wrist belay and take the time to ask them if they were heading up it.
Now back to the matter at hand: There is a lot of loose rock at rappel/belay ledges at the Gunks. you often hear people calling "rock" at the Trapps. I always like to wear a helmet when I know there are people above me, and at a busy place like the Gunks there's almost always someone above. Glad you had your helmet on.
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krusher4
Oct 16, 2007, 1:46 PM
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but they don't look cool....
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dominic7
Oct 16, 2007, 2:29 PM
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caughtinside wrote: spideyman wrote: The nub that dropped the cam was some climber's second who obviously wasnt properly trained on removal of and racking of gear. How to train your "nub": 1. "First take the cam or nut out of the crack." 2. "Clip it to your harness." 3. "Don't drop my gear, or I kill you and you buy more gear." 4. "If you do drop it, I kill you, you buy new gear, and be sure to yell "ROCK!!!!!"" Always yell ROCK. It is the call all climbers know. I was climbing in tuolumne this summer and heard "WATER!!" and was like, WTF? I looked up to see a nalgene bomb headed my way. Just yell ROCK.
Likewise, yelling PAPER! or SCISSORS! is also unacceptable.
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