TR: Index - headfirst whipper!

[chucK]

Date: 7/7/5

 

Place: Index Town Wall

 

Climbed at Index yesterday. One pitch we climbed was Gorilla My Dreams. The climb is virtually all lieback.

 

Just past the undercling section (3rd bolt?) my foot skated and I went flying. Went upside down. Was looking down past my feet up at the sky through the trees. Seemed to fall quite a ways (20 feet?). Braced myself for head cracking on the rock (I was wearing a helmet). No crack came. Hit nothing. Fairly soft/quick jolt to a stop. Hanging inverted. Phew!

 

Didn't even get my nuts scrunched in my notorious Alpine Bod Harness (maybe upside down falls are good sometimes!).

 

Figured out where the good foothold was and finished the pitch.

 

Gear Notes:

All bolts. However, a #4 Camalot can be used to bypass or protect the clip specified as difficult in various guidebooks. A #3 Camalot will work too, though a little lower, before the first bolt.

 

Also one could use a .5 or .75 or #5 to supplement the bolts near the top.

 

Probably not a good climb to try leading with a Soloist.

 

Approach Notes:

Gorilla My Dreams is on the Winky Dink Cliff which can be reach by hiking up from the top of the Great Northern Slab, or hiking over (left) from the top of Princely Ambitions.

 

You can access the Middle Wall via the top of Gorilla My Dreams.

[thelawgoddess]

glad you're okay! i took a headfirst fall trying to lead a lieback flake down in slc one summer. it was f'ing scary. no helmet. ouch. thanks for the tr.

[Gary_Yngve]

I saw Chuck yesterday as we were doing G-M -- what route had you guys just finished?

[Geek_the_Greek]

The sketchiest falls are the ones you don't know are coming, even if they're not as scary as they ones you can anticipate (you don't have time to be scared).

Glad you's ok!

[AlpineK]

I took a fall one time in CO where a block I was underclinging broke. I remember falling head first with the rock right next to me until the rope came tight and I slammed into the cliff. I was all bloody and shaking, but I managed to finish the pitch.

[Szyjakowski]

chucK didn't you onsite that pitch? that climb can be slippery tho....

[cattalk]

yeah wow ! remember the tree good thing that is gone you might of hit that

[Otto]

I got to watch chucK's flying act up close as he hurtled toward me. When we saw you on G-M, we had just done Gorilla My Dreams, then Plum Pudding on the Middle Wall.