|
clmerma
Nov 12, 2001, 9:10 PM
Post #1 of 36
(6728 views)
Shortcut
Registered: May 9, 2001
Posts: 76
|
I was giving my friend steve a belay with a gri-gri and he was going to climb up to the top hang from the rafters and do a PHAT whipper. Well as it turns out I had the rope feed wrong. He fell and all I could do was hold on to the rope for the length of the fall. He's was ok just a little shook up. I how ever had second degree burns all over my hands. I had to sleep with popcicles in my hands for the night. My ego was hit the worst. Never again will that s--- happen. clmerma [ This Message was edited by: clmerma on 2001-12-04 07:49 ]
|
|
|
|
|
pianomahnn
Nov 12, 2001, 9:31 PM
Post #2 of 36
(6728 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Feb 17, 2001
Posts: 3779
|
I hate to sound like a prick but that is why you and the climber ALWAYS double check, and also why the grigri has diagrams. If the head is in the game, human error from a grigri would be nil. Glad no one got seriously hurt or killed.
|
|
|
|
|
talons05
Nov 12, 2001, 9:36 PM
Post #3 of 36
(6728 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Aug 23, 2001
Posts: 1435
|
Good to hear everything was ok. Clear this up for me: Your friend was purposely trying to take a "whipper"? That doesn't sound too safe bud... Also, you should always make sure you are familiar with how your equipment works. Burned hands are better than the alternative. AW
|
|
|
|
|
hardcoredana
Nov 13, 2001, 7:32 AM
Post #4 of 36
(6728 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 11, 2001
Posts: 297
|
Not much else to say, except you might want to check out . . . www.rockclimbing.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=1896&forum=25&22 [ This Message was edited by: hardcoredana on 2001-11-12 23:34 ]
|
|
|
|
|
skupdogg
Nov 13, 2001, 10:12 AM
Post #5 of 36
(6728 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 9, 2001
Posts: 50
|
sounds like this happened in a gym. did the gym make you and your buddy do a lead climb safety test or take a lead climb class? if so, they should have emphasized DOUBLE CHECK, DOUBLE CHECK. finally, they should strip both of you of your leading rights until you can prove your competency and responsibility. even if nobody gets hurt, bad examples get set for others, and bad things happen in the future. climbing is extremely serious, not for "indestructible" jokers.
|
|
|
|
|
talons05
Nov 13, 2001, 3:15 PM
Post #6 of 36
(6728 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Aug 23, 2001
Posts: 1435
|
I still don't get the part about "hang from the rafters and do a 'phat' whipper" I'm sorry, but if he was planning on taking a fall and you didn't make damn sure you had your setup right, then you are both very ignorant and dangerous to yourselves and those around you, "boneheads" AW
|
|
|
|
|
old_school
Nov 14, 2001, 5:21 AM
Post #7 of 36
(6728 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 17, 2001
Posts: 259
|
buy and ATC and burn the damn grigri. [ This Message was edited by: old_school on 2001-11-13 21:23 ]
|
|
|
|
|
talons05
Nov 14, 2001, 5:39 AM
Post #8 of 36
(6728 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Aug 23, 2001
Posts: 1435
|
No, I think the Grigri is a great device, and it is not at fault for this accident. AW
|
|
|
|
|
kagunkie
Nov 14, 2001, 5:57 AM
Post #9 of 36
(6728 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 14, 2000
Posts: 731
|
YOUCH!!!! That sounds like a real bad experience, LET IT BE A LESSON. Make sure your ready for the unexpected. Practice your belay technique in a safe circomstance and dont take unnecessary risks. Hope your hands are ok.
|
|
|
|
|
talons05
Nov 14, 2001, 6:21 AM
Post #10 of 36
(6728 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Aug 23, 2001
Posts: 1435
|
I just looked at some of my posts and realized I may have been a little harsh. It is GOOD to hear that no one was hurt. Do please try and be a little more attentive to safety issues. We don't want to lose a fellow climber! AW
|
|
|
|
|
jds100
Nov 17, 2001, 2:01 AM
Post #11 of 36
(6728 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Aug 5, 2001
Posts: 1008
|
Way to go, Austin. Really, I'm curious, too, about exactly what it was that your buddy was trying to do. Was it a Dan Osman thing? Let it be a learning experience; it doesn't have to be a shaming one. You might be surprised to hear some of the 'dumb' stuff a lot of us 'more experienced' climbers have done. The point is to learn, to get better, to climb harder, and to laugh about it years later when we're with friends (and quiver from fear at the memory when we're alone). [ This Message was edited by: jds100 on 2001-11-16 18:02 ]
|
|
|
|
|
climberchk
Nov 17, 2001, 7:49 AM
Post #12 of 36
(6728 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Aug 7, 2001
Posts: 304
|
I have to give you TONS of credit for holding the rope though, not many peeps would think of that. They would just assume let go and try to catch the climber.
|
|
|
|
|
rocmonkey
Nov 23, 2001, 9:17 AM
Post #13 of 36
(6728 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Mar 26, 2001
Posts: 292
|
The wheel turns...you get burnt when you burn other people... breathe stone RoC
|
|
|
|
|
nayjay
Dec 5, 2001, 9:02 AM
Post #14 of 36
(6728 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 4, 2001
Posts: 40
|
It takes alot of balls to grab that rope... you may have screwed up, but at least you tried to help the climber, even if you did get hurt... Well done
|
|
|
|
|
hangerlessbolt
Dec 11, 2001, 3:29 PM
Post #15 of 36
(6728 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 2, 2001
Posts: 7255
|
Ditto on holding the rope and taking the punishment. My partner (for the day, I didn't really know her. And yes, she received/passed the safety test)was lowering me at a gym in Dallas Tx. that boasts of 110' climbs. While she was lowering me, the rope began to get tangled. She let go with her brake hand and attempted to fix the rope. I came plummeting to the earth (well, rubber flooring) from about 35-40' up. She grabbed the rope for about two seconds and let go. I hit the ground, absorbed as much of the shock as I could by collapsing my legs and rolling onto my back. She sat and cried. God was looking out for me that day. Had the tangle happened further up or outside...well, I'm just glad it didn't. "Good decision-making come from experience. Experience comes from making bad decisions"
|
|
|
|
|
naturalhigh
Dec 11, 2001, 8:59 PM
Post #16 of 36
(6728 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jul 24, 2001
Posts: 131
|
I actually just started volunteering at my local YMCA as a climbing wall instructor/belayer. WHile this may shock some of you, it was the first time I've ever had to use a gri-gri. Personally, I'd rather take my ATC with me and use that. That little brake lever scares me; when you got it lifted up, the brake end can slip under it pretty easily and if you then try and release the lever, it doesn't close all the way... On the subject of the original post... major kudos for holding that rope. I'll bet this is one lesson (DOUBLE CHECK BELAY!!!) that you'll *never* forget. While they may have their place (such as at gyms where lazy belayers are in abundance) or for big wall/aid climbing, I'll stick with my atc. Keep it simple. (And cheap!)
|
|
|
|
|
talons05
Dec 11, 2001, 9:48 PM
Post #17 of 36
(6728 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Aug 23, 2001
Posts: 1435
|
That's right, K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid) AW
|
|
|
|
|
vbrgclimber
Dec 23, 2001, 4:23 AM
Post #18 of 36
(6728 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 21, 2001
Posts: 48
|
ya, ATCs are awesome..gri gris scare me...but ya, learn the lesson, great job grabbing that rope tho
|
|
|
|
|
graniteboy
Dec 23, 2001, 6:36 AM
Post #19 of 36
(6728 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 1, 2001
Posts: 1092
|
WELL, I must commend you for saving his ass and getting the burns. I must also Reiterate my previous contention (in the Gri-Gri forum) that having cool gear is no substitute for paying attention. I cannot even BeGIN to tell you how many times I've heard this same story. I know one guy who has TITANIUM PINS holding his leg together because some oaf didn't use the gri gri correctly. I have another friend whose WIFE dropped him while using a Gri Gri. He got off with a simple compound fracture. While we're on the subject, I suggest that you do 2 things which I teach all my students; learn to use a standard belay device, and learn to hip belay in case you drop your cool device on a multiple pitch climb. done properly, generally this is a lost art, which most 5.12 climbers don't know how to do... Gri Gri, mon ami?? Non, Merci.... PS; I'm not available to climb with you in this lifetime. Maybe next time around....but you're learning. And that's good. Try aloe vera gel on the burns.
|
|
|
|
|
reno
Dec 24, 2001, 7:50 AM
Post #20 of 36
(6728 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 30, 2001
Posts: 18283
|
There is a prescription cream that works wonders for superficial burns called "Silvadine" (I think the generic name is silver sulfazadine or something like that...) Cheap, easily obtained with a prescription from your doctor, and will promote healing, reduce scars, and prevent infection (which is the biggest issue with burns.) Try it...After bad road rash burns to both knees from a motorcycle wreck (don't ask...) I swear by the stuff. Best, JRB
|
|
|
|
|
clmerma
Apr 25, 2002, 4:48 PM
Post #21 of 36
(6728 views)
Shortcut
Registered: May 9, 2001
Posts: 76
|
both the people involved were the instructors.
|
|
|
|
|
masterbacon
Apr 25, 2002, 6:00 PM
Post #22 of 36
(6728 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Mar 20, 2002
Posts: 16
|
Got to agree with old_school buy a damn ATC
|
|
|
|
|
phreakdigital
Apr 25, 2002, 6:40 PM
Post #23 of 36
(6728 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Apr 24, 2002
Posts: 228
|
Grigri's are not unsafe, people are. Guns dont kill people, people kill people. Why would you use a grigri for a stunt fall...it seems to me that I would want a better system...because people drop people on grigris.
|
|
|
|
|
howitzer
Apr 25, 2002, 7:13 PM
Post #24 of 36
(6728 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Mar 5, 2002
Posts: 2511
|
You are both instructors and you misfed the grigri? I by no means want to bash on you for what happened - like others have said you are both lucky to be 'ok' - mistakes are what we all learn from, but in rock climbing there is little to no room for error. 1. There is a reason the grigri shows the user how to thread it - obviously it's still not fool proof 2. What is so darn PHAT about a whipper??? Doesn't sound like what you had planned was too safe to begin with... 3. How in the world do you end up an instructor?!? You should be fired for God's sake. In order to respect the seriousness of this sport, that is how it needs to be taken. This ain't no soccer match. Just take a look at the video that was posted here a few days back of the firefighters who fell http://www.rockclimbing.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=9089&forum=25&7 I think you need to take a look at that video, clmerma, and remember how safety and double checking play such an important role in what we do. The video isn't about not being safe, but what can happen if things go wrong due to human error. You may think what happened is 'funny' at the ripe old age of 19 - but for the safety of those around you as well as yourself, don't fu#k around with this stuff, it can and will kill you man. Be safe and live to see 20.
|
|
|
|
|
overlord
Apr 25, 2002, 7:28 PM
Post #25 of 36
(6728 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 14120
|
Try painting one half of the GriGri wit (for example red) paint, so you can check it with a glance and dont have to look for the damn small pictures
|
|
|
|
|
murf
Apr 25, 2002, 7:43 PM
Post #26 of 36
(4076 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Mar 15, 2002
Posts: 1150
|
Jesus! You don't have to paint rainbows on a grigri to check it. If you're the leader, before you climb, yank on the rope. If it locks, you're good, if not, try again. There's no excuse for not getting it right. Murf
|
|
|
|
|
astone
May 5, 2002, 12:44 AM
Post #27 of 36
(4076 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Feb 17, 2002
Posts: 183
|
Just another pair of young punks dying to get radical...
|
|
|
|
|
joemor
May 5, 2002, 1:17 AM
Post #28 of 36
(4076 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 3, 2001
Posts: 609
|
sell the gri gri and get a atc...... hard to thred them wrong... joe
|
|
|
|
|
ponyryan
May 5, 2002, 1:45 AM
Post #29 of 36
(4076 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Mar 4, 2002
Posts: 704
|
My experience with an atc taught me to stay away from them. I respect them for a decent belay device, but I was sooo paranoid, even controling the brake line, that it seriously worried me to climb with my belayer using it. I've used an ATC or a figure 8 ever since. I have got some rope burns in my day and wouldn't wish it upon anybody. I'm glad you had the gonads to hold on to the rope and save your buddy, I'd bet he appreciated it. The lesson to be learned: Always double check your belayers setup and have him check yours. In my gym it's required that you have communication to check the belay setup (including the caribiner being locked and belay device being threaded right) and then communicate the start of the climb to let the climber know the belayer is indeed ready. This system of on belay, belay on, climbing, climb on, works wonders. Try to use at the very least communication to tell your belayer to check the caribiner and belay device setup. I'm happy nobody was hurt and you have a reminder to double check next time (if you can bring yourself to belay again, which I pray you can) Hope your hands heal quickly.
|
|
|
|
|
indigo_nite
May 5, 2002, 3:11 AM
Post #30 of 36
(4076 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Mar 3, 2002
Posts: 365
|
this may be a new thread topic but I've experienced serious rope burns too (taking a safety test). it made me think seriously about getting belay gloves. do people have any opinions or recommendations about using gloves on belay (pros/cons, good brands)?
|
|
|
|
|
maddie
May 5, 2002, 3:18 AM
Post #31 of 36
(4076 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jan 18, 2002
Posts: 197
|
i shouldnt be praising you for your stupidity but... you did do well to stop the rope. i still frown on this sort of behaviour (just not with red eyes)
|
|
|
|
|
iclimbtoo
May 5, 2002, 5:39 AM
Post #32 of 36
(4076 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Feb 10, 2002
Posts: 645
|
Talons05 must be a Comm. Major! K.I.S.S....nice, I like. Well dude, I WOULD like to say way to go on saving your buddy's ass by taking the burn (literally), but I'm not going to. You guys should have known better and been checking each other! Accidents can ALWAYS be prevented. Also, it's not the Grigri's fault. When threaded correctly, Grigri's work great. Your friend should have also not have PURPOSELY been trying to take a whipper. That's just plain stupid. I guess we learn from our mistakes...I hope you guys learned. Good thing it didn't happen outdoors...if you would have been on a multi-pitch, who knows what could have happened. Be smart. When you do stupid things, not only does it make you look stupid, but it gives all climbers a bad rep. Help the rest of us climbers keep a good name for ourselves...climb safe. Climb smart.
|
|
|
|
|
iclimbtoo
May 5, 2002, 5:48 AM
Post #33 of 36
(4076 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Feb 10, 2002
Posts: 645
|
Graniteboy, Kudos on the suggestion of learning how to hip belay!
|
|
|
|
|
clmerma
Jul 30, 2003, 1:52 PM
Post #34 of 36
(4076 views)
Shortcut
Registered: May 9, 2001
Posts: 76
|
thanks for the support
|
|
|
|
|
fishypete
Jul 30, 2003, 2:35 PM
Post #35 of 36
(4076 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Apr 5, 2002
Posts: 200
|
WILL EVERYONE STOP REPLYING TO THIS POST It is already nearly 2 years old, and the original poster just seems to enjoy reviving it once a year.
|
|
|
|
|
allan_thomson
Aug 2, 2003, 2:04 PM
Post #36 of 36
(4076 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jul 12, 2003
Posts: 596
|
Sorry, but this just has to be said: Wear gauntlet gloves next time your belaying. Enough said.
|
|
|
|
|
|