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Booroomba accident 20-Apr-2016 At 10:37:11 AM dmcg

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I know no details of the accident other than hearing last night that the climber involved is fine which is good news, so not even sure if the ‘awkward wide bit’ on the second pitch is the culprit in this instance, but I remember 25 plus years on a climb around the corner and out of sight from hermes when we heard the dreaded sound of gear clanking down rock followed by a thud then a lot of yelling. We climbed back around and with others were involved in the lowering off and subsequent chopper rescue of a climber who had fallen from this awkward wide bit on hermes either pulled his gear or didn’t place any (cant remember) bounced off ledges landing on the belay ledge splitting his helmetless head open and required 40 stiches (but never losing consciousness).
Like ODH I remember climbing hermes when 16 was hard (and now it is again, bugger it) and that wide bit was always slightly anxious making requiring reaching in a long way off an awkward stance to place a 4 friend (biggest at the time) of before then placing an 11 hex even more awkwardly. Given the ledges and flakes immediately below a fall from this spot would never be clean. I also have a vague memory of watching from the top of booroomba as someone took off their fibreglass joe brown helmet, wedged it in the crack at that point and tied it off.
It is a protectable spot, with the right bit of gear and a bit of care and patience placing it.