Ground Fall @ Drive-By

[maine]

BTW I was introduced to the sport in a gym but thankfully had a wonderful mentor who took me outside. I have fond memories of him berating the shit out of me when I did something stupid!

[rjackson]

I think if you talk to gym owners, guides and anybody knowledgeable and certified that you'll find that most of the climbers you are categorizing as gym climbers are just new climbers that don't want to shell out money for instruction. Or aren't quite bright enough to realize what is really at stake.

I learned from the old fart gym owner (my age), the young guns who worked for him, the seasoned hard guys who came in regularly and from researching and reading on my own. Everyone taught the same basic 'safe' principals of how to belay and climb, and I sucked it all in as if my life depended on it - because it does. I learned in the gym because it was a great environment for learning basic skills, and I did not venture outside until I felt my skill level was appropriate. I may be the exception...

[dustonian]

Just sounds like you learned in a good gym... and you were motivated to learn the right way and realized the seriousness inherent to climbing without having to get f'd up first. The issue of the "gym path" is the variability of the experience. My wife is a hard-core 100-lb gym rat, but she has kept me off the deck once or twice after botching clips on hard steep stuff when I probably shouldn't have been so lucky. She's from Russia though, and everybody learns in the gym and climbs in the gym all the time there.

[krampus]

I agree with main. Most of the dipshits you see at the gorge are gym trained and go outdoors without their mentor and try something stupid. You can learn to climb in a gym and most of the time someone experienced will pick you up and teach you a thing or two before you go leading a group on your own. Unfortunately, billy wants to get laid, and some old fart bitching about safety is viewed by billy much the same as a prophylactic.

[mike_a_lafontaine]

In my usually wrong opinion, location is not as important as instructor. If Instructor A is better at properly preparing a new climber than Instructor B, then I would rather learn from Instructor A in a gym than Instructor B outside. Sure, there are situations and distractions outside that cannot be simulated in the gym, but learning the basics in a gym can still prepare someone to climb outside as long as the teacher is good.

[bentley]

So is there an update on how the lady that fell is doing? I think its been a few days since we have heard anything.

[krampus]

So is there an update on how the lady that fell is doing? I think its been a few days since we have heard anything.

see page 2

[MathRocks]

Huh, I think I fall in the category of: Gym Rat, that went outside and did some dumb shit. Then bumped into a hand full of experienced climbers that showed me some stuff and gave me good advice. Now I feel relatively safe when I climb.

Thank you climbing community for calling me out on all the dumb shit I have done!

[ND Clee]

I met and spoke with the climber at The Playground on Sunday. She seemed perfectly fine, and that she was airlifted for precautionary measures. She fell at the second bolt. She is a gym climber, seemed to have done little to no outside leading and was trying to do outside what her "gym" limit is. But the bolts were further that what she was used to. She panicked, got pumped and fell.
...
She was not climbing, she was with her group from Chicago. She took pictures, walked around and joked about her experience as if it was something to brag about.

I joined this forum today primarily to thank those who were there at the crag and acted immediately to assist me following my fall. I don't know how or if I can ever adequately thank you, but there is little doubt in my mind that were it not for your actions, I would not be able to joke around, let alone walk and function the next day.

I would like to clarify about what happened though. While it is true that I don't have years of outdoor experience, I am not a naïve, ignorant gymrat who had no business on breakfast burrito. I have successfully lead-climbed more "difficult" routes but had the misfortune of slipping off my handhold as I reached to clip the rope...while I was a little shaky, I did not panic nor was I at all pumped. Likewise, my belayer was in no way responsible or at fault for what was ultimately a very scary accident. I had stick clipped the first bolt, but should have gone for the second. The bolts weren't too far apart...but I definitely think the first bolt could have been higher. That said, it was my hand popping off that led to my fall, not anything else.

To address the above comments: in retrospect, yes, the airlift was by its very nature precautionary, but at the time, it was a response to the fact that I was knocked unconscious, siezed and was bleeding from the head. I don't know how or why I was able to leave with nothing but a severe ropeburn on my leg and a bruised head (with some lingering headaches on the side), but I count myself incredibly blessed to be able to walk away (relatively) unscathed. I only was laughing and joking because I was and still am incredibly grateful for how things ultimately transpired and to put my peers at ease...it's my coping mechanism. But by absolutely NO means am I proud or boastful of what happened. I respectfully request that you stop spreading that image of me without actually knowing me. Perhaps we can grab a beer and actually get to know each other!

Once again, thank you a thousand times over to those who were involved in the incident. I honestly do not know what I would do or where I would be without you. if you are ever in chicago, let me know. I owe you dinner at the very least!

**I will henceforth always extol the virtues of stickclipping the second bolt and wearing a helmet while leading!!!!!**

[Dighodi]

Hi CLee, myself and my friends from Columbus are very very happy to see you are ok