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cornstateclimber
Aug 9, 2011, 11:08 PM
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Ive had several falls in my climbing career, but nothing really that far. a few 5 footers or maybe the occasional 10' fall on an overhanging sport route. Lately(past few years that is) I habvent been able to climb much. lucky to get out 5 times a year, if that. anyway, im not in the shape or have the endurance I used to. I've been slowly gaining more and more trust in the gear, but after this fall, and seeing that Rock Empire Robot cam hold no problem, just gave me a new trust in the gear. Scared when I fell?, I dont know, it all happened so fast and my shorts were dry and clean when I was back on the ground. My life didnt flash in front of me. The only thing that I thought when I was on the ground, was damn, that was close call, being only 3 foot from a decking. And thank god I was horizontal, otherwise I would of sustained some shattered feet/ankes. All in all, it was quite an experience for my first "real" trad fall. I did sustain some good rope burn on my right hand(guess from holding the rope in my hand when attempting a really high clip) and some rashhed skin on my shin, and a sore foot. My only regret of it all, is that I didnt attempt the route again. I was pumped out as it was and sore from trhe fall, but no excuse. a little break and I coulda tried again. OH Well, Devil's Lake isnt going anywhere soon!
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uni_jim
Aug 10, 2011, 12:15 AM
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congrats on the whipper, buddy!
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billcoe_
Aug 10, 2011, 5:18 AM
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Remember too that no one will ever fault you for tossing in an extra piece at a crux and backing up your placement, especially when you are looking at the deck. Congrats on not having to try and "stick the landing":-)
cornstateclimber wrote: Ive had several falls in my climbing career, but nothing really that far. a few 5 footers or maybe the occasional 10' fall on an overhanging sport route. Lately(past few years that is) I habvent been able to climb much. lucky to get out 5 times a year, if that. anyway, im not in the shape or have the endurance I used to. I've been slowly gaining more and more trust in the gear, but after this fall, and seeing that Rock Empire Robot cam hold no problem, just gave me a new trust in the gear. Scared when I fell?, I dont know, it all happened so fast and my shorts were dry and clean when I was back on the ground. My life didnt flash in front of me. The only thing that I thought when I was on the ground, was damn, that was close call, being only 3 foot from a decking. And thank god I was horizontal, otherwise I would of sustained some shattered feet/ankes. All in all, it was quite an experience for my first "real" trad fall. I did sustain some good rope burn on my right hand(guess from holding the rope in my hand when attempting a really high clip) and some rashhed skin on my shin, and a sore foot. My only regret of it all, is that I didnt attempt the route again. I was pumped out as it was and sore from trhe fall, but no excuse. a little break and I coulda tried again. OH Well, Devil's Lake isnt going anywhere soon!
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jomagam
Aug 10, 2011, 6:00 AM
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What is the distance in these stories supposed to mean ? How far you were above your last piece ? How far you ended up in relation to your highpoint ? Times two ?
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ceebo
Aug 10, 2011, 2:23 PM
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ouch, thats a big fall. What grade was this?.
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cornstateclimber
Aug 10, 2011, 4:08 PM
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I was about 5 to 6 feet above the last peice, trying to clip a cam I got in high above me. akward position, not too hard of a climb, 5.7 on slick quartzite. yeah yeah, i know 5.7 isnt anything, I used to climb 10's a few year ago but just dont get the climbing in I used to. Outta shape pretty good, and only climb maybe 3 times a year now. So being pumped out from a solo trad lead, and a few other climbs before this one, being direct sunlight and HOT, sweat and quartzite dont mix. they are all excuses, but boils down to I fell, but good gear saves lives. But anyone who climbs out at Devil's Lake, knows alot of the routes are sandbagged pretty good. anyway, Im hoping to get back up there and knock it out next weekend. If I do, it'll be my third outing this whole year. I really miss the years when i climbed every other weekend, took 3 weeklong trips every year, and had a 20' wall in my yard and bouldering cave in my garage. I really need to get my shit together so I can get out more, and get back up into the 10's and 11's without falling again!
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superchuffer
Aug 10, 2011, 9:33 PM
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if you fail on a clip way above your head and then fall, you are going to fall a lot farther than if you had waited to clip at your waist. plus, by stretching out, you took weight off your feet, rubber doesn't work without pressure, then you fell.
(This post was edited by superchuffer on Aug 10, 2011, 9:35 PM)
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csproul
Aug 10, 2011, 9:47 PM
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superchuffer wrote: if you fail on a clip way above your head and then fall, you are going to fall a lot farther than if you had waited to clip at your waist. plus, by stretching out, you took weight off your feet, rubber doesn't work without pressure, then you fell. No, the fall length will be virtually the same. You will end up lower by clipping over your head.
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JoeHamilton
Aug 11, 2011, 2:06 AM
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OKAY I am fully confused, you don't get a lot, you are out of shape, your not climbing near as much as you like or want to. Can i ask a dumb question? WHY SOLO a trad route under those self diagnosed conditions? 5.7 0r not Glad you made it
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shimanilami
Aug 11, 2011, 2:11 AM
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Congratulations?
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brijoel
Aug 11, 2011, 5:37 AM
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JoeHamilton wrote: OKAY I am fully confused, you don't get a lot, you are out of shape, your not climbing near as much as you like or want to. Can i ask a dumb question? WHY SOLO a trad route under those self diagnosed conditions? 5.7 0r not Glad you made it You seem to be quite confused, indeed, but not about what you think you're confused about. He didn't "solo" anything. He was leading, placing gear, and didn't make his clip-in before coming off the rock and falling 20' while on rope. Free solo'ing a route involves no gear nor partner, thus the term "solo" - by definition, not this situation.
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cornstateclimber
Aug 11, 2011, 6:34 AM
Post #13 of 29
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i solo led a route, just fine. all went well. then led another route, thats the one I fell on, with a belayer. not really anything confusing. The solo lead wore me out good. glad i made it too. I'll back the grades down a tad for solo leading till I get the hang of it. On average tho, my leading I dont fall. but then again I dont usually lead trad at a higher than 8 or 9. overall, a great experience for me though, cuz I got a new found confidence for the gear. Ive never been afraid of my placements, (except those I know were sketchy) just always had a fear of falling on them.
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rtwilli4
Aug 11, 2011, 7:31 AM
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cornstateclimber wrote: Ive never been afraid of my placements... just always had a fear of falling on them. Had to quote that one...
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healyje
Aug 11, 2011, 7:42 AM
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csproul
Aug 11, 2011, 12:26 PM
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brijoel wrote: JoeHamilton wrote: OKAY I am fully confused, you don't get a lot, you are out of shape, your not climbing near as much as you like or want to. Can i ask a dumb question? WHY SOLO a trad route under those self diagnosed conditions? 5.7 0r not Glad you made it You seem to be quite confused, indeed, but not about what you think you're confused about. He didn't "solo" anything. He was leading, placing gear, and didn't make his clip-in before coming off the rock and falling 20' while on rope. Free solo'ing a route involves no gear nor partner, thus the term "solo" - by definition, not this situation. While Joe often sounds confused, in this case I can understand the confusion. I think it is the OP who is a little confused. He said he did a solo...
cornstateclimber wrote: ...So being pumped out from a solo trad lead, ... ...but I'm not sure what a "solo trad lead" means? Rope solo? Soloing and placing gear without a belayer?
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cornstateclimber
Aug 11, 2011, 1:48 PM
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yes, anchoring rope at bottom of climb, climbing up placing gear and clipping in with an ascender and back up knots. a roped solo lead. pain in the ass, but not having partners is too
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oldsalt
Aug 11, 2011, 2:18 PM
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cornstateclimber wrote: yes, anchoring rope at bottom of climb, climbing up placing gear and clipping in with an ascender and back up knots. a roped solo lead. pain in the ass, but not having partners is too Quite correct, Cornstate. "Free solo" = no rope. "Solo" = rope plus: ascender, Rube Goldberg biner setup, or dedicated solo belay device. It's all good, even if not safe. Don't do it! (I have to say that. Don't want a fall on my conscience.)
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JoeHamilton
Aug 11, 2011, 3:36 PM
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csproul wrote: brijoel wrote: JoeHamilton wrote: OKAY I am fully confused, you don't get a lot, you are out of shape, your not climbing near as much as you like or want to. Can i ask a dumb question? WHY SOLO a trad route under those self diagnosed conditions? 5.7 0r not Glad you made it You seem to be quite confused, indeed, but not about what you think you're confused about. He didn't "solo" anything. He was leading, placing gear, and didn't make his clip-in before coming off the rock and falling 20' while on rope. Free solo'ing a route involves no gear nor partner, thus the term "solo" - by definition, not this situation. While Joe often sounds confused, in this case I can understand the confusion. I think it is the OP who is a little confused. He said he did a solo... cornstateclimber wrote: ...So being pumped out from a solo trad lead, ... ...but I'm not sure what a "solo trad lead" means? Rope solo? Soloing and placing gear without a belayer? Thankyou, thats what I am getting at. If you was inshape, getting outside a lot, climbing a lot. I wouldn't have asked. I too cant always find a partner, but I have a MOM, a Daughter, an ex who needs money, friends, people who care enough about me, that if an accident happend because I was soloing in any form, would be hurt and calling me a dumb ass. We say all the time grades dont matter, most fatal car crashs are within a couple miles of home, because we feel safe. Wasnt there a ventran climber like 10 -14 years ago that passed away falling of a step ladder in his home. All I'm sayin is if your not getting out much, and not in shape, please be carefull and think of the poeple who care about you more then the thrill.
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cracklover
Aug 11, 2011, 4:43 PM
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cornstateclimber wrote: yes, anchoring rope at bottom of climb, climbing up placing gear and clipping in with an ascender and back up knots. a roped solo lead. pain in the ass, but not having partners is too Lead climbing with an ascender as your primary catch is a lousy idea. GO
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Tipton
Aug 11, 2011, 5:47 PM
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cracklover wrote: cornstateclimber wrote: yes, anchoring rope at bottom of climb, climbing up placing gear and clipping in with an ascender and back up knots. a roped solo lead. pain in the ass, but not having partners is too Lead climbing with an ascender as your primary catch is a lousy idea. GO Agreed, but from the sound of it he'll probably deck anyway...
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cornstateclimber
Aug 11, 2011, 6:20 PM
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cracklover wrote: cornstateclimber wrote: yes, anchoring rope at bottom of climb, climbing up placing gear and clipping in with an ascender and back up knots. a roped solo lead. pain in the ass, but not having partners is too Lead climbing with an ascender as your primary catch is a lousy idea. GO I agree with you, and im glad it went good. I was wore out when I topped out. not the best of my I deas. hoping to get a soloist, or find a reliable partner.
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marc801
Aug 11, 2011, 6:55 PM
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JoeHamilton wrote: ...most fatal car crashs [sic] are within a couple miles of home, because we feel safe. Not true. Most fatal car crashes are within a couple miles of home because the vast majority of driving is within a couple miles of home.
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MS1
Aug 11, 2011, 7:25 PM
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cornstateclimber wrote: yes, anchoring rope at bottom of climb, climbing up placing gear and clipping in with an ascender and back up knots. a roped solo lead. pain in the ass, but not having partners is too Look, I'm not going to fault you for being out of shape, or being sketched about trad leading. I've been there at various times in my climbing career. But rope solo leading at the Lake? That's just foolish. It is hard to think of an area where it is easier to set top ropes if you want to climb solo. Likewise, the bouldering is pretty decent there as well. Even if you were partnerless, there was no reason to assume that much risk, especially if you have as little gear experience as you describe. Doing it when you had a partner around that day? That's just dumb. Doing it using an ascender instead of a more secure belay system? Double dumb. You need to seriously rethink your risk assessments, and dial it way back. By comparison, taking a gear fall while on a partner's belay (even one that was longer than it probably needed to be) is a triviality.
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chadnsc
Aug 11, 2011, 8:53 PM
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cornstateclimber wrote: I was about 5 to 6 feet above the last peice, trying to clip a cam I got in high above me. akward position, not too hard of a climb, 5.7 on slick quartzite. yeah yeah, i know 5.7 isnt anything, I used to climb 10's a few year ago but just dont get the climbing in I used to. Outta shape pretty good, and only climb maybe 3 times a year now. So being pumped out from a solo trad lead, and a few other climbs before this one, being direct sunlight and HOT, sweat and quartzite dont mix. they are all excuses, but boils down to I fell, but good gear saves lives. But anyone who climbs out at Devil's Lake, knows alot of the routes are sandbagged pretty good. anyway, Im hoping to get back up there and knock it out next weekend. If I do, it'll be my third outing this whole year. I really miss the years when i climbed every other weekend, took 3 weeklong trips every year, and had a 20' wall in my yard and bouldering cave in my garage. I really need to get my shit together so I can get out more, and get back up into the 10's and 11's without falling again! The routes at DL aren't sandbaged; that's just what out of shape climbers say after falling on a 5.7. Next thing you know you'll be saying that the quartzite is too slick for cams to work. Glad you took the fall well and didn't deck.
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