My longest fall to date!

Post by **goodguy** » Mon Jun 16, 2003 6:00 pm

So anyway, I was up at the Gold Coast area this past Sun. with the intentions of finishing up on my new slab route. Well as everyone knows by now almost everything at the red was wet this weekend, especially the slabs. So I walked past Calming Curtis and Spraydog, looking for some dry routes, when I noticed that this really cool looking arete that had some new bolts and anchors on it. (new Hugh Loeffler route) So I start up this thing and it was great. It was also a bit on the dirty side, not bad rock just lots of slick slick lichen. So to make a long story short I climb through the first 4 bolts and realize that as Im moving past the fourth there is no 5th and the anchors really seem to a long way off. Just as Im reaching up to clip the chains my left foot slips off of some nasty lichen covered ledge, and awaaaayy we go! This was my longest fall, 35-40ft. from the anchors all the way back to the first bolt! I can still fill my stomach floating when I think about it.

Lets hear about some other long falls!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Jun 16, 2003 6:17 pm

I can confirm this claim. I nearly puked witnessing this fall!

Post by **Power2U** » Mon Jun 16, 2003 6:47 pm

Good whipper...not every day you hear about 40 footers on sport routes. I assume you "did the math" when you decided to go for it. I also assume that more pro will be added?

As for my whipper it was a 50+ footer... yikes!

I was in Red Rocks in 1995 back in Balck Velvet Canyon on Fiddler on the Roof 10+ R. I knew what I was in for when I started the traverse along the lip of the roof on pitch 3 about 300 feet up. I climbed up from the belay, placed some gear and then started to move right along the roof. I clipped one token bolt and kept going placing a #1 tri-cam and then a # 1 DMM Walnut. Everything was going fine and I kept on going. Then as I looked around, with my feet 10 inches from the lip of this giant roof, I couldn't see any more pro. I kept going cautiously as I knew this was an R rated climb and that I may encounter run-outs like this. All of a sudden the holds got slopey and I looked back and all I saw was rope...I couldn't see my last piece of gear. I had been so intense on making progressing and finding more pro that I didn't realize I had climbed 40 or so feet past my gear plus I must have gotten off route. Anyhow the holds got terrible and needless to say I got a bit scarred when slip aaaaaaaaaaaah....rope stretch boing and I am hanging in space 50+ feet below the lip of the roof. I remember it like it was yesterday. I had to make prusiks out of slings and ascend back to my # 1 DMM Walnut....which for those of you who don't know is about the size of your thumb nail! ...and then climb back to the belay. I definitely wasn't up for finishing that pitch! Haven't been on an R rated trad climb since....except of course to follow / TR! The risk just ain't worth it. I love climbing and want to be able to climb tomorrow...scarry stuff!

With all this rainy weahter this could be a fun thread to read about peoples adventures since it is hard to get out and have any of our own. Lets hear about your sports action

Post by **loren** » Mon Jun 16, 2003 7:03 pm

Not a long fall, but a scary one. I got on Subatomic Fingerlock the other day when it was wet. I figured that it was so short that if it was too bad then I could just wipe it off with my T-shirt or something. Also, there were all of those face holds and I figured that it wouldn't be that hard. I was wrong. That route when it's wet sucks(never climbed it dry, maybe it sucks then too). Anyway, I put in #1 matolius TCU for my first piece, pulled the first couple of moves, dropped in a fingerlock and it just slipped right out. There's a roof right off the ground of that route and somehow my belayer managed to give me just enough rope that my whole body swung under the roof(my head missed it by about half an inch) but still kept me from hitting the ground. Anyone else climb that route? Is it worth doing when it's dry?

Post by **Power2U** » Mon Jun 16, 2003 7:21 pm

Short and sweet...when dry it is a great line. Do GI and Jungle Beat too when you're at Military on a trad adventure.

Post by **ynot** » Mon Jun 16, 2003 7:46 pm

It should be called 1 subatomic fingerlock. Thats all you need. GI is good fun,Take a 5 .Theres a route at Hueco tanks just like it only longer.

Post by JR » Mon Jun 16, 2003 7:53 pm

The title has never been plural.( subatomic fingerlock).

Post by **ralst4** » Mon Jun 16, 2003 9:27 pm

Last Fall I had overclimbed the 3rd bolt on Please Don't Feed The Triceratops ( my inexperience was showing). The bolt was at my waist when I peeled off. The worst part was that the rope wrapped my leg and inverted me on the way down. I stopped right next to my belayer with my head a couple of feet off of the ground. Luckily all I ended up with was a nasty rope burn on my leg and a few bruises. After that, it was time to call it a day

!!

It was so wild, it seemed like it all happened in slow motion and I had no idea which way was up.

Hey Dipsi and ynot, did I atleast get style points for my flailing on that fall?

Post by JR » Mon Jun 16, 2003 9:56 pm

Holy Cow ralst4. That sounds scary. Was your trusty belayer saying "Go, Go,Get your feet up, Yes, Oh yes thats it. O Kick ass. Nice. Go, Go. O don't worry about that bolt. Oh no, don't worry about that rope behind your leg. JUST GO"

Post by **ynot** » Tue Jun 17, 2003 1:43 am

Falling upside down is just plain scary. Ralst4's fall was just as bad as mine,only I was way higher and nearly hit a ledge head first. I popped off of a thin layback. Looking at blue sky while you're falling is disconcerting.You get style points for not being seriously hurt,Chris.