Falling

[Collin]

This is a question and a story;

 

Question: What went through your head as you fell? What's your story?

 

Story: The crack moved up the wall going from small hands to finger tips. Clipping the anchor chain on P1, I moved up the arching crack of P2. 15 feet above P1 anchor I locked off and placed a nut thinking to myself, "solid placement but it could be better". Another 10 to 15 feet out I could feel the pump grow. Reaching with my right hand I locked off with a single digit. My left hand at my waist, I jammed three fingers knuckle deep into the crack. Just one move away I could see a good place to fit Mr. Blue into. I began to move when something went wrong. My fingers, my feet, I can't remember. "FALLING", I shouted to my belayer as I seperated from the rock. My feet snagged the rough granite turning me upside down. Smashing the back of my helmet, I tumbbled downward. I felt the tension of the rope slow my fall. I though it was over when again I felt no tention on the rope. "Fuck, the rope broke", I thought to myself. Thinking this I remember not being scared that I most likely could die in a few seconds. I just felt relaxed as if it would help ease the impact below. Smack, I hit my helmet again, or what I though was my helmet. The rope caught and I came to a stop. "You alright", my belayer yelled. "Still alive", I replied. Ten seconds later I realized my nut had popped and the anchor from P1 caught me. Still confused of how I came off the rock, I straightened myself and wanted to get back on the crack to redeem myself. I looked down to see blood spatter on my gear and on my shirt. Feeling the back of my head, I felt a wet spot and not the good kind of wet spot. I was bleeding pretty good. 50 + foot fall, small wound to the head, lots scrapes and a cam lodged in my back didn't seem to fade me too much. Climb on.

 

 

 

[knotzen]

Ouch! The things we do for "fun."

 

I'm glad it wasn't worse.

[archenemy]

This is a question and a story;

 

Question: What went through your head as you fell? What's your story?

 

Story: I was bleeding pretty good. 50 + foot fall, small wound to the head, lots scrapes and a cam lodged in my back didn't seem to fade me too much. Climb on.

 

Maybe it faded you a little?

[catbirdseat]

Damn good thing you were wearing a helmet! Looks like blue from the helmet transferred to your head. So, was it the lower edge of the helmet that gouged the wound in your neck?

 

Basically, you took a FF 2 fall onto the belay, which is the worst sort of fall you can take. The other day I was ridiculed for putting a nut in 6 ft above the belay when there was a bolt only 12 away and easy moves. It's stories like yours that explains why I do that.

[RuMR]

but what knot do you use????

[Cobra_Commander]

Basically, you took a FF 2 fall onto the belay, which is the worst sort of fall you can take.

 

It sounds more like he climbed through the anchors and just clipped them as a piece of pro.

 

The other day I was ridiculed

 

You don't say

[catbirdseat]

 

It sounds more like he climbed through the anchors and just clipped them as a piece of pro.

Indeed, that's what he did.

[Cobra_Commander]

so why are you claiming it is a factor 2 fall? Is there a pit at the base of this climb he fell into or am I way off base here

[catbirdseat]

No there was no FF 2 fall. I misread what he said. It still was a huge fall.

[Stefan]

 

Question: What went through your head as you fell? What's your story?

 

 

When I fell from a rappel and broke both my ankles, during the fall, I thought: "Shit, my wife is going to be pissed off."

[ivan]

"did i leave the iron on?"

[dbb]

exasperator?

 

like bret said having taken a 60+ foot slab fall, "No slab will ever scare me again"

[Dru]

"What went through your head while you were falling?"

 

Well, when I landed on my noggin, it was my helmet and a large pointed rock that went through my head...

[Cobra_Commander]

one-one-thousand, two-one-thous..

[RuMR]

you counting time to post deletion??

[Cobra_Commander]

flight time

[RuMR]

oh...i'm a pansy...i never get more than one-thousand out on gear or bolts...

[mec]

falling is fun. I like taking those brand new ropes and climbing up a good 30 feet, placing gear, the climbing another 10-15 feet and jumping. Really breaks those ropes right in.

[Collin]

I've fallen big on plenty of overhanging climbs with no injuries. I definitely would rather fall clean then down a slab.

[chris]

"No no no no nonononononononono...."

[marylou]

When I fell from a rappel and broke both my ankles, during the fall, I thought: "Shit, my wife is going to be pissed off."

 

When I fell while leading, and broke both my ankles, I thought: "shit, my mom is going to kill me."

[Drederek]

First bolt goes by - Fuck! I shoulda clipped it!

Second bolt goes by - brace for impact.

Third bolt goes by - what the fuck?

Fourth bolt goes by - AAAAHHH!!!

Whack, end of fall, only banged one ankle Not all climbs at the Tieton have good ledges at the top.

[ken4ord]

I spun around facing out from the cliff, looked at my hand a saw a part of the cliff in it's grasp. I thought, 'What the fuck is going on? Oh shit! I got to hit that ledge or I am fucked.' I tossed the rock out of my hand. Luckily I hit the ledge and avoided a long pendulum fall.

[Cairns]

This is a question and a story;

 

Question: What went through your head as you fell? What's your story?

 

 

I think the saccular otolith reports on vertical accelerations, usual average resting rate of sensory neurons around 100 spikes/sec, a few thousand fibers per side. I forget what the average sensitivity is but if the sudden unweighting silences them all that's a few hundred thousand missing inputs which is pretty much the first noticeable thing to "go through" my head and yours, too. After that it gets complicated.

[Collin]

I spun around facing out from the cliff, looked at my hand a saw a part of the cliff in it's grasp. I thought, 'What the fuck is going on? Oh shit! I got to hit that ledge or I am fucked.' I tossed the rock out of my hand. Luckily I hit the ledge and avoided a long pendulum fall.

 

Did you aim for the ledge?

I got to hit that ledge or I am fucked.