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7-Oct-2009 12:08:21 PM
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Was wondering if anyone new if the guy who took the huge fall at St Peters climbing gym last night is ok. This one has really freaked me out because I watched him hit the deck from the full hight of the wall (12m?) after the mechanical autobelay he was using failed. I had warmed up on that auto belay only a few hours before hand. I am never going to use those things again.
It has made me realise how much we trust the gym owners that all their equipment is maintained and in proper working order. What sort of QA/QC do climbing gyms go through to assure their clients safety?
Once again I hope this guy is ok.
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7-Oct-2009 12:49:40 PM
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Hey there, I was also about 3 or 4 meters away and saw the whole thing - really REALLY scary. I am heading to the gym now for a bit of bouldering so should be able to ask them if he is OK and post later.
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7-Oct-2009 12:56:18 PM
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Scary.
Was the wire rope still attached to the poor bugger when he decked?
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7-Oct-2009 1:05:36 PM
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Yep. The mechanism at the top failed. It sounded like something broke as he weighted it and then he dropped.
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7-Oct-2009 1:13:27 PM
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sounds nasty! How was the guy afterwards? My mate uses
those things all the time...
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7-Oct-2009 2:06:36 PM
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The guy was concious but in shock so its hard to tell how bad it was. The ambo's came pretty quick and put him on the spinal board.
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7-Oct-2009 2:06:48 PM
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For social outcasts such as myself those things were gold. Looks like my gym days are over...
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7-Oct-2009 2:15:57 PM
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On 7/10/2009 nmonteith wrote:
>For social outcasts such as myself those things were gold. Looks like my
>gym days are over...
Ahhh poor Quasimodo, I will belay you if you will only forgive the dry retching every time I
gaze upon your misshapen head.
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7-Oct-2009 2:25:17 PM
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Neil, there are plenty of people who would be willing to belay you, myself included.
Social outcasts, band together.
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7-Oct-2009 2:47:40 PM
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it would be good if a representative from the company that makes these blocks, gave us a detailed post of how these blocks work.
what i would like to know is;
1. a picture of the internal workings of them and how they work
2. how often they should be serviced.
3. is there anything we as users of system can 'look' when using them. although i think it would be a bit harrowing to get to the top of a wall and then find something wrong!
We as climbers should know what is involved with them as it is us that puts our lives on the line, whereas the gyms only put their liability?
I would think that the company should do something like this to stop any 'knee jerk' reactions - assuming this is only a one off incident.....
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7-Oct-2009 2:59:57 PM
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I've read about this happening before in the states. I think the manufacturers reccomend an overhaul every year.. ie: the unit is sent back to the manufacturer and rebuilt. I would imagine this would not be cheap, and it scares me a little... if a gym was struggling they may be reluctant to follow through with the reccomended service schedule?!
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7-Oct-2009 3:09:17 PM
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The manufacturers seem to be open about publishing information on the servicing of their
gear:
http://www.google.com.au/search?&q=auto+belay+service+schedule
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7-Oct-2009 3:27:51 PM
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1 year warranty ... & the user also has obligations...
May not be the same device, but I expect similar would apply to others...
http://dev.vermilion.com/eldorado/wp-content/uploads/msa-auto-belay-user-guide.pdf
Selected portions ...
10.3 MAINTENANCE AND SERVICE
Proper maintenance of the Descender includes regular cleaning of the brake housing with an air compressor to remove
brake dust. A Descender that is under continual use should be cleaned weekly. Use an air compressor with a nozzle
fitting to inject air into the drain hole in the bottom of the bronze brake housing (see section 3). While injecting air, slowly
extract and retract the line in order to rotate the internal brake shoes. Repeat several times until all dust has exited the
brake housing. Regular maintenance will help prolong the life of the brake shoes, and ensure a smooth descent. A
non-smooth descent indicates that the brake housing should be cleaned more frequently.
12.1 INSPECTION BEFORE USE
The Descender should be inspected before each use to verify that the unit is functioning properly. Check, by pulling
on the line, for resistance produced by the braking mechanism. Verify smooth, even deployment of the line. Return the
line back into the housing in a controlled manner and verify adequate and smooth retraction force. If inspection reveals
improper function, remove the Descender from use immediately and submit for factory service according to Section 13.
Do not use the Descender if inspection reveals an unsafe condition.
12.2 DAILY INSPECTION
Examine the function of the Descender as specified in section 12.1. If the braking
mechanism produces loud chatter accompanied by a jerky descent, this is an indication that the brake housing should
be maintained according to section 10.3.
12.3.1 FORMAL INSPECTION FREQUENCY
The Descender must be formally inspected by a competent person at intervals of no more than six months. If the
Descender is exposed to severe conditions, more frequent formal inspections may be required. The frequency of
inspection should be established by the operator’s organization based on such factors as the nature and severity of
conditions, frequency of use, and exposure time of the equipment. The inspector should perform a methodical and
thorough visual and tactile inspection by following the inspection procedure in section 12.3. The inspection results
should be recorded in the Formal Inspection Log and retained for reference.
Do not use the Descender if inspection reveals an unsafe condition.
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7-Oct-2009 3:42:04 PM
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Perhaps it would be better, given the apparent seriousness of the accident, the potential for damaging legal ramifications for a well-loved climbing institution and, more importantly, the known fact that reporters frequent this site looking for scraps of half-arsed information, that people refrain from guesswork, gesticulation and bullshit.
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7-Oct-2009 3:48:03 PM
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On 7/10/2009 cruze wrote:
>Perhaps it would be better, given the apparent seriousness of the accident,
>the potential for damaging legal ramifications for a well-loved climbing
>institution and, more importantly, the known fact that reporters frequent
>this site looking for scraps of half-arsed information, that people refrain
>from guesswork, gesticulation and bullshit.
?
Any reporter worth half their weight would find the same info on the internet easily if they wanted to.
I think climbers want/need to be informed.
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7-Oct-2009 3:53:41 PM
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faaarrrkrkkk.....hope he gets a good lawyer, he should be go-ing both the gym and the manufacturer for that.
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7-Oct-2009 3:56:28 PM
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On 7/10/2009 cruze wrote:
>Perhaps it would be better, given the apparent seriousness of the accident,
>the potential for damaging legal ramifications for a well-loved climbing
>institution and, more importantly, the known fact that reporters frequent
>this site looking for scraps of half-arsed information, that people refrain
>from guesswork, gesticulation and bullshit.
Well said.
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7-Oct-2009 3:59:57 PM
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On 7/10/2009 cruze wrote:
>Perhaps it would be better, given the apparent seriousness of the accident,
>the potential for damaging legal ramifications for a well-loved climbing
>institution and, more importantly, the known fact that reporters frequent
>this site looking for scraps of half-arsed information, that people refrain
>from guesswork, gesticulation and bullshit.
I have been looking for a way to convey my wild gesticulations over the internet for some
time now. Have you, cruze, found that holy grail of the internet forums?
On the subject of guesswork and bullshit, we have one eye witness statement and some
research done on Google. Neither are guesswork nor are they bullshit.
Finally Mattjr has asked the question which is on all our tongues. Did the gym maintain
the auto belay properly? There has been no answer to that, guesswork or otherwise.
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7-Oct-2009 4:03:07 PM
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On 7/10/2009 cruze wrote:
>Perhaps it would be better, given the apparent seriousness of the accident,
>the potential for damaging legal ramifications for a well-loved climbing
>institution and, more importantly, the known fact that reporters frequent
>this site looking for scraps of half-arsed information, that people refrain
>from guesswork, gesticulation and bullshit.
We have the right to discuss this topic, we are not implying anything or undermining anyone.
And we are not throwing information around about this case in particular that may be used surreptitiously by dodgy reporters.
I know nothing about this particular gym.. if they run their business properly, which i assume they do, then they should have nothing to worry about legally!?
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7-Oct-2009 4:07:35 PM
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On 7/10/2009 ado_m wrote:
>faaarrrkrkkk.....hope he gets a good lawyer, he should be go-ing both the
>gym and the manufacturer for that.
I would hope not.
What is it with today's litigious society?
I hope the climber recovers and is not out of pocket for what they have experienced (most business's have insurance?), but accidents can still happen; … even with rigorous inspection regimes of equipment etc.
Climbing has risks, ~> even indoors apparently.
Let the participant/s be aware!
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