The Sharp end when of Toproping
Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2018 11:29 pm
Wanted to share our near death experience we had Sunday with y'all.
It started out as a normal day. We got on a new route out in the Miller Fork.
It looked to be a .9 or .10 around 50' 5 or 6 bolts. It looked ok little dirty but we are always climbing new routes, so no big deal.
I lead up clip the anchors, lower. My climbing prartner Jason Harbin takes his turn on toprope, with plans to clean the anchors.
He gets to just under the first bolt, maybe 10' off the ground at his feet.
BLAM the whole wall came down!! That's what I thought anyway!!!!
Turns out it was only about 4' x 8' ft at it's biggest point and 6 to 8 inches thick. I'm guessing about 500 600lbs.
I see the block shift and just made it out of the way. With the block landing 2 inches from my foot. Jason on the other hand had rode the block down. It pulled him upside-down head first, running his back down the cliff like a cheese grater.
After getting the rope unstuck from said block I lower Jason and we both just sat there thinking, what the hell just happened.
Luckly we made it out with just a little blood and shaken nerves.
I've been playing the what if game all day. So many things could have happened. We got really very very lucky.
My wife caught the moment with her phone up untill that moment. She was very shaken and in tears. She saw me run and duck and thought I was hit. I thought for sure I was too.
But all in all we are ok and here to talk about it.
My main reason for posting would be to maybe save someone and makenewer climber aware. This ain't the gym. Outside can kill be perpaird . Just cause your Toproping doesn't mean your not in danger
Pics to come if I can get em to upload.
It started out as a normal day. We got on a new route out in the Miller Fork.
It looked to be a .9 or .10 around 50' 5 or 6 bolts. It looked ok little dirty but we are always climbing new routes, so no big deal.
I lead up clip the anchors, lower. My climbing prartner Jason Harbin takes his turn on toprope, with plans to clean the anchors.
He gets to just under the first bolt, maybe 10' off the ground at his feet.
BLAM the whole wall came down!! That's what I thought anyway!!!!
Turns out it was only about 4' x 8' ft at it's biggest point and 6 to 8 inches thick. I'm guessing about 500 600lbs.
I see the block shift and just made it out of the way. With the block landing 2 inches from my foot. Jason on the other hand had rode the block down. It pulled him upside-down head first, running his back down the cliff like a cheese grater.
After getting the rope unstuck from said block I lower Jason and we both just sat there thinking, what the hell just happened.
Luckly we made it out with just a little blood and shaken nerves.
I've been playing the what if game all day. So many things could have happened. We got really very very lucky.
My wife caught the moment with her phone up untill that moment. She was very shaken and in tears. She saw me run and duck and thought I was hit. I thought for sure I was too.
But all in all we are ok and here to talk about it.
My main reason for posting would be to maybe save someone and makenewer climber aware. This ain't the gym. Outside can kill be perpaird . Just cause your Toproping doesn't mean your not in danger
Pics to come if I can get em to upload.