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klopik
Oct 13, 2008, 7:35 PM
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Is there a good way to fall on a slab to avoid the sand paper effect?
Every time I fall on a slab, anything more then 2' fall basically ends the climbing day, as my hands are completely scraped raw.
Any advice?
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jmeizis
Oct 13, 2008, 7:50 PM
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My number one advice is don't fall. Really there isn't much avoiding the sandpaper effect. I just try to run my hands down the wall really fast. Doesn't do much. Just go spread eagle and hope for the best.
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epoch
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Oct 13, 2008, 9:13 PM
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Learn how to fall.
If you can, push your torso away from the rock so that you are perpendicular to the face it would help with the scraped hand thing. Also, your hands are getting scraped up maybe your ass isn't far enough away from the rock. Slab climbing is mostly about balance over the feet, and if you are using proper technique it is mostly foot work.
(This post was edited by epoch on Oct 13, 2008, 9:14 PM)
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kennoyce
Oct 13, 2008, 9:49 PM
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agreed, It sounds like you are leaning too far forward and because of this your feet are skating out behind you, so it sounds like if you worked on your technique you might not be falling as much, but to answer your question, when I fall on slab I try running backward for as far as I can, which of course only works for maybe 5 feet or a little more, so if my feet are above the last bolt, I just try my hardest not to fall. slab falls aren't fun.
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hafilax
Oct 13, 2008, 9:53 PM
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Work on your backward sprinting. The moment you lose friction start backpedaling.
I heard of a nasty long slab fall where the guy started tumbling and the rope wrapped around his neck. He just managed to get his head free when the rope came under tension. 
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epoch
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Oct 13, 2008, 9:59 PM
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I've taken a few long - 30 foot - slab falls. The real trick is to pick a hip that you don't want and slide on your side. Long pants and long sleeve t-shirts are your friend in the pushing-the-slab-grade arena. There are allot of techniques to use when falling on slab, everything from pushing away from the rock, to hip-sliding, to running, to surfing. IT all is dependent on just how you fall. But then again it was already nailed above with the DON'T FALL mantra. Slabs are one of the most feared disciplines of climbing, right next to offwidths. Both of which I actually don't mind.
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antiqued
Oct 17, 2008, 6:39 PM
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I once managed to go ~25ft on my toes, in near perfect balance, with the accompanying smell of burnt rubber. Haven't needed to repeat the performance, luckily. If the rock is smooth and you are climbing "in balance", then very little force on your hands should be needed.
Short falls are best run backward.
Saw one guy turn and run facing downslope. Didn't seem to turn out well, when the rope caught he slammed down onto his ribs - no serious hurt, but a pretty good whoof!
As epoch suggested, if the toe slide seems to be going, turn onto hip or butt and get the feet up a little - the last option is tumbling.
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taydude
Oct 17, 2008, 6:46 PM
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Has anyone ever taken a HUGE fall on slab? One of my friends wanted to do a multipitch trad route that the guide book said was run out for 50ft in places. I think I'll turn down the offer 
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flint
Oct 17, 2008, 7:04 PM
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klopik wrote: Is there a good way to fall on a slab to avoid the sand paper effect? Every time I fall on a slab, anything more then 2' fall basically ends the climbing day, as my hands are completely scraped raw. Any advice?
I watched a guy try and sprint backwards... he caught his heel on something and ended up rocketing the back of his head into the rock before the rope caught him. Slab is one of the few types of climbs were I wear a helmet with pride.
j-
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budman
Oct 17, 2008, 7:25 PM
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A lot of good suggestions. One- don't fall. Two-technique, weight over the feet. Three- protect you head. Slab falls are often associated with bad head injuries. Witnessed this at Whitehorse many years ago. 50 footer and really bad results. I'm not a good slab climber but am drawn to be better at it. Practiced falling on slabs in the Meadows one year. Running to the side slightly, not straight down will produce an arc during the fall. That will soften the blow a bit. It's a bit strange running down the slab at first but it does work. Be careful and have fun.
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flipnfall
Oct 17, 2008, 7:28 PM
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I just learned to yell "ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch..." as I'm falling. But seriously, fall facing the rock, don't use the "sliding into first base" on the side of your body technique. A friend of mine did that and broke his hip at the age of 20. We gave him plenty of old man jokes, but it wasn't a fun recovery for him. The amount of injury you receive will always depend on the roughness of the rock, protrusions and the manner in which you control your fall. It's hard to control the first two unless you're really picky about where you climb.
GT
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flipnfall
Oct 17, 2008, 7:31 PM
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antiqued wrote: I Short falls are best run backward.
I've actually witnessed this. The guy falling belly flopped at the end because the stop made his feet pop off and he did a short swing into the rock on this chest.
GT
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sspssp
Oct 18, 2008, 3:35 AM
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I've climbed a lot of slabs and slid on a few. You can attempt the "turn and run" or slide on the hip, etc. When it works, it is better. When it goes astray, it is often worse.
I stay in the same basic position as climbing a slab. keep the weight on the feet, try to keep from tumbling. Wear long pants. I've worn knee pads before. I have though about trying to wrap a piece of leather around my forearm so that I could slide on [leather wrapped] forearm instead of palms, but never actually tried it. I do tend to wear long sleeves and if the sleeve can reach up over the palm that may help to do the same thing.
My longest slide I wore a hole through the rubber in my shoe where the ball of the foot is. I took the shoe off and could stick a finger through it. My palms were raw, but not the bloody mess that I have heard of from other climbers.
(This post was edited by sspssp on Oct 18, 2008, 3:36 AM)
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salamanizer
Oct 18, 2008, 5:14 AM
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Gee, it's a long way down to my last piece..
.........best to just not fall!
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sungam
Oct 18, 2008, 6:10 PM
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Let's go climbing when I get there (NC)
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evanwish
Oct 23, 2008, 4:41 AM
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epoch wrote: I've taken a few long - 30 foot - slab falls. The real trick is to pick a hip that you don't want and slide on your side. Long pants and long sleeve t-shirts are your friend in the pushing-the-slab-grade arena.
second on that. When i took my 60' slab fall i fell from a vertical section onto the slab which broke my left ankle, so i slid the rest of the way on my right side.. i was wearing jeans and a fleace, both were torn up but i did not have one scratch on my body other than the broken ankle.
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Bats
Oct 29, 2008, 12:17 AM
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Scraped knees and palms within the first 5 ft when I first learned how to climbed slab. After that...monkey crawl or like the others were saying weight over feet. I learned the DON'T FALL mantra.
I have yet to climb a slab that I have fall on other than that first.
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wyoclimb
Oct 30, 2008, 12:24 AM
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drop your heels
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ja1484
Oct 30, 2008, 12:43 AM
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sungam wrote: Let's go climbing when I get there (NC)
Got you covered. We have the best friction slabbing in the US, and anyone who says otherwise is a fucking liar.
40 feet between protection is well protected. Run outs start when there's no pro between belays. R/X ratings start when some of the belays are firm stances with no anchors.
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sungam
Oct 30, 2008, 5:17 AM
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...
okay.
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duncanlennon
Oct 30, 2008, 1:38 PM
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gotta wear those Carhartt work pants with reinforced ass and knees. My confidence on slabs has gone way up since I stopped being able to feel falls through the pants- and lift my feet above knee level.
(This post was edited by duncanlennon on Oct 30, 2008, 1:39 PM)
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