Chockstone Forum

      Sponsored By
      ROCK
   HARDWARE

Chockstone Photography

Australian Landscape Prints

Chockstone Forum - General Discussion

General Climbing Discussion

Topic Date User

Top Stupid Mistakes to Avoid 2-Nov-2003 At 2:54:31 PM Rock Weasel

Message

Do you call setting up an anchor on a precarious block an objective hazard or a mistake? I don't pretend to know more than Dennis when it comes to ropecraft and general climbing skills. But I know that an anchor is only as good as the rock it is placed in (or around). There are enough of these things out there that are pivoting on just a small point on the ground, and it doesn't take much for them to start moving when subjected to the forces of an anchor.
When you speak of rock fall, altitude sickness, etc., these are indeed objective hazards that one cannot control. That's why I stay the hell away from mountains with snow and ice on them. Besides, I don't like being cold.
When it comes to rock climbing though, death and injury is more often caused by doing something wrong as a participant. I don't pretend that it can't happen to anyone; after all, everyone makes mistakes. That is why I believe in that saying (If you die on the rock, it is your own fault)...Not because I am supremely skilled or because there are no objective dangers (rock fall is a big one), but as a reminder to myself and anyone else to be forever diligent in order to guard against death and injury caused by one's own mistakes.