Dannible Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Me and my friend were simul-climbing on the NE Buttress of Goode (2500 feet of mostly class 4, with a mid 5 crux, pitching out would take forever); I was leading and I suddenly heard him yell something like "oh shit, are you ok?" I didn't know what he was taking about at the time, but it turned out that he fell when a foothold broke off, and I didn't even notice because of rope drag. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pink Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 speed is saftey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-spotter Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 (edited) I heard some bullshit story about a party of 3 simulclimbing and one of the seconds fell and knocked the other second off, and the burly leader held them all just by crimping... and through rope drag. Edited January 3, 2007 by G-spotter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmuja Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Good things 'bout simul-climbing, it encourages you to choose your partners carefully, improves your concentration, and also your ability to trust others.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pink Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 trust is definitely a factor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bstach Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Another random note: the stronger climber should go second and neither climber is allowed to fall. Â Why should the stronger climer go second? Is this to make sure that the follower will be OK to simul-climb what the leader has done? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmuja Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Best climber "goes second" because he is driving the bus - ie, if he goes, the entire bus crashes (unless youve managed to use the ti-bloc auto brake set up). Â It is generally considered that a leader falling while Simuclimbin MIGHT not pull the second off with him - therefore, weaker climber goes in front Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmuja Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 if you simu-climb on hard shit though, you aught not have anyone considered "weaker" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pink Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 the stongest climber is happiest climber Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dylan_taylor Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Consequences of follower falling are greater than for leader falling - falling follower yanks leader off, and increases fall factor on existing gear. Therefore 2nd climber = Stronger climber = climber least likely to fall  However, clever use of tiblocs on gear by the leader can often negate the usefullness of the strong climber 2nding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayB Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Does anyone have any stories of falling while simul-climbing? Â Wasn't there a party of three that died in the Sandias while simulclimbing? Â I vaguely remember hearing something about three climbers being found at the base of a cliff with three pieces of gear still attached to the rope. Actually, I can't recall the details of this accident. Might have also been a case of anchor failure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-spotter Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 It was in ANAM as anchor failure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faster_than_you Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Avoid simul-climbing with The Nodder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mvs Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 but the strongest climber might be better at routefinding, and less likely to lead up into sketchy situations. If "stronger climber" means something more than strength, I'd say they should lead. Â Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goatboy Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 I thought there was a story on this site years ago from the West Arete route on Eldorado which involved a party holding a simulclimbing fall -- a quick search yielded nothing, however...anyone remember that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billbob Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 June 16, 2006, Mt Hood S. Side, ascending the Pearly Gates. Three climbers simulclimbing 45-50 degrees and icy, using one picket (reportedly only one, please correct if wrong). One climber fell, pulling out the pro. All three tumbled 500' down, no fatalities but pretty bad injuries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevbone Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Does anyone have any stories of falling while simul-climbing? Â My friend was the third on a simul climb on the first pitch of White Satin at Smith rock. She was just passing the first bolt and a hold broke. She decked with rope drag. Luckly she will live to climb another day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chucK Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 I've got a climbing partner who said he experienced a simul-climbing fall on the East Ridge of Forbidden. IIRC, both he and his partner ended up dangling over the East side from a single piece! Holy crap! Â MVS has got a good point. Letting the weaker climber go first makes a ton of sense because if the climb is not too traversing (a la Forbidden E Ridge!) a fall by the leader may not be any worse than a regular belayed lead fall (provided good pro, etc.). Unfortunately, the whole reason you're simuling is because you've got a lot of convoluted ground to cover. Route-finding is key. If you take a lot of wrong turns you're going to lose all the time you saved and more. If the weaker climber is also weaker at alpine route-finding, then that might be problematic. Â Basically, when simuling BOTH climbers should be very competent and well within their abilities on the route. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goatboy Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Seems like the terrain often provides "protection" regardless of the number of pieces you have in. On Forbidden, for example, there are many blocks and towers which the rope might wind around and through, which can create rope drag while also making the equivalent of a "piece" of pro...same thing with the granite of the Stuart Range... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-spotter Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 When guides are short-roping clients (which is a form of simulclimbing), they sure don't make the weaker climber go first... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
selkirk Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Aren't tiblocs intented for static loads only? (i.e. ascending a rope or in a pulley system?) I imagine they'd do a pretty good job shredding your rope if you took a dynamic fall on them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valid ASB Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 i think simul climbing is one of the "freest" forms of climbing. The other posters here are correct, its done on 4th-5th class terrain and by experienced climbers (people who can climb REAL 5.10 no prob). In the Sierras my partner and I like to use 90ft of 9mm rope and float up the lower clsss routes. Occasionally we will have a sitting belay or something to exchange protection. Simul climbing is safer than free soloing and a little more dangerous than full belays. However, if you plan on falling then nothing is safe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billcoe Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Does anyone have any stories of falling while simul-climbing? Â My friend was the third on a simul climb on the first pitch of White Satin at Smith rock. She was just passing the first bolt and a hold broke. She decked with rope drag. Luckly she will live to climb another day. Â Sooooo, ?, was she the most experinced of the group? And why would you simulclimb a 2/3 pitch climb? I don't get the appeal. Â Things that make ya go hmmmmmmmm.............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevbone Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Does anyone have any stories of falling while simul-climbing? Â My friend was the third on a simul climb on the first pitch of White Satin at Smith rock. She was just passing the first bolt and a hold broke. She decked with rope drag. Luckly she will live to climb another day. Â Sooooo, ?, was she the most experinced of the group? And why would you simulclimb a 2/3 pitch climb? I don't get the appeal. Â Things that make ya go hmmmmmmmm.............. Â Bill, to my understanding they were simuling 3 on 1 rope and she was the second most expirence. None of them should have fallen on this route. A hold broke. Price you pay I suppose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurthicks Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 I know a guy who took a ~300' sliding fall simuling on Hood (on one of the headwalls, Reid, I think). He was just stopping to place another picket and slipped off his feet, rocketed past his partner who got slammed into their lower picket and arrested the fall. Both walked away unscathed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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