"Practice fall" to test gear leads to fatality

[RuMR]

sure...anything can happen...I haven't inverted after my first couple of years...I fall alot...especially now...

 

matt...i never commented on the helmet issue...i commented about the moment that you are disengaging from the wall...like i've said, i have a hard time envisioning myself going invert on steep climbing...slabs and trundling falls, all bets are off as you may "trip" up on the way down...

 

perhaps i'm not pushing myself hard enough, but i generally have a decent sense of when i may be coming off...that split second for me is enough to get myself orientated (i think)...hard sport or trad ( "hard" is relative to the climber), i feel i'm a lot less likely to flip...even redlined...

 

I don't think it's possible to always know when you'll be coming off... Just last week, i was gym leading on a vertical-slightly overhung route, and got up to where the last bolt was near my feet. The clips had all been to the left of the route at that point, so the rope was hanging down my left side, vs. between my legs. The route then went left around a slanting arete (less than vertical), and i couldn't see that the only way to stay on was to step out onto an insecure slippery foothold around the corner until I was already there...and the rope behind my left ankle. When my foot blew, i inverted, but luckily my belayer caught me before hitting anything. Only injury was a rope burn around the leg. But it got me thinking hard about the helmet--there's NEVER a good reason not to wear it outside (except when your head won't fit through a squeeze chimney, in which case I start to ask myself if I should be there in the first place... )

this might be a bretty good reason to suspect that a fall may happen...again, hardly without a warning...

[motomagik]

inverted falls do not come from "nowhere"...they should simply never happen...i can not think of a time when i've flipped upside down...it just doesn't happen...

 

learn to fall properly...also, learn when not to fall no matter what...

 

Obviously it DOES happen, to climbers of all abilities and experiences.

 

What a terrible tragedy, my thoughts are with his belayer and his family and friends.

Edited June 12, 2008 by motomagik

[canyondweller]

inverted falls do not come from "nowhere"...they should simply never happen...i can not think of a time when i've flipped upside down...it just doesn't happen...

 

learn to fall properly...also, learn when not to fall no matter what...

 

Wow, you're a pompous dickwad. Obviously it DOES happen, to climbers of all abilities and experiences.

 

And man bites dog, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't happen. From what I hear, RumR is probably the greatest, hardest, most prolific climber you know. Heed his words.

[RuMR]

inverted falls do not come from "nowhere"...they should simply never happen...i can not think of a time when i've flipped upside down...it just doesn't happen...

 

learn to fall properly...also, learn when not to fall no matter what...

 

Wow, you're a pompous dickwad. Obviously it DOES happen, to climbers of all abilities and experiences.

 

What a terrible tragedy, my thoughts are with his belayer and his family and friends.

I personally agree with the victim that practice falling was not a bad idea...its unfortunate that his gear pulled...i was not slamming him at all!! everyone else was on boadrd with saying " what a stupid idea, blah blah blah"

 

piss off...

Edited June 12, 2008 by RuMR

[whirlwind]

On Flying Circus it would be possible to snag a foot on a ledge and flip.

 

I think practice falls are ridiculous, especially onto trad gear. Aid climbing gives you the experience you're looking for. But if you must practice fall onto trad gear... sew it up. Please. That is the real foolishness of this story.

 

i sec the sewing up part.. or atleast try to put in two pieces where there is a high fall/run out potinal. and defiantly 2-3 pieces if your plainging on a jump.