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Forums: Climbing Information: Injury Treatment and Prevention: Re: [DemolitionRed] This could only happen to me!: Edit Log




mheyman


Sep 5, 2012, 1:29 AM

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Registered: Jul 25, 2002
Posts: 607
Re: [DemolitionRed] This could only happen to me!
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DemolitionRed wrote:
including the stretch of the rope, he fell around 15ft.

Thats not a long fall...

DemolitionRed wrote:
Because I'm lighter than him I always move close into the rock for the decent (unless theres an overhang) but during the ascent I stand well enough away from the rock so I can see what he's doing. I anchor myself if possible and when I feel its appropriate. I was not anchored on this particular occasion.

If you must be located away from the rock it appropriate to be anchored - almost always.

DemolitionRed wrote:
As I saw him fall my instinct was to break and get in close to the rock but I knew I was going to get sprung upwards, so I jumped towards the wall. This is something I have done many, many times, usually landing feet first on the rock. I have always felt, as a light person this is the safest route to take (providing its flat faced).
Safer for who? If you are very light in comparison to your partner then It will should only be beneficial to jump under certain circumstances for your partner to be safer, and even then that is due to your choice of belay device. The only normal time it is essential to provide a soft catch is when a leader is falling on a mildly overhanging wall. There are many times when it essential to give provide not tha soft catch but the minimum fall distance.

DemolitionRed wrote:
Most of the people who I know and those who were with me that day say that it was just bad luck.
From your description it does not sound like bad luck. You did things that allowed the accident to occur. In fact it sounds as if all you really had to prevent it was be in line with the bolt/rope.

DemolitionRed wrote:
I know the closer into the rock I am, the safer I am (obviously there are exceptions). I will be extremely conscious of this in the future.
Perhaps its just the language, but to be clear after the first couple of clips you generally want to be under the bolt. On an overhang start this will not be closer to the wall.

DemolitionRed wrote:
I do believe we can just have bad luck. A climber I know was killed by a rock fall whilst belaying his friend and I consider that very bad luck.

This seems to be a case where bad luck clearly a was not a factor! The person knowingly walked under a climber, or wasn’t paying attention to the climbers in their area. This could have and should have been prevented!

The Petzl video is an advertisement, not a instructional video. They were as concerned about the aesthetics as the safety. It is informative about the device, but not about everything shown. Don’t use it as a perfect example!

I think the only reason I am writing is that you seem so resistant to understanding why you had an accident.


(This post was edited by mheyman on Sep 5, 2012, 1:56 AM)



Edit Log:
Post edited by mheyman () on Sep 5, 2012, 1:56 AM


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