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Climber falls at The Rock (south of Wagga)

jahmz

12-Jul-2013
1:06:07 PM

http://www.dailyadvertiser.com.au/story/1630531/cliff-plunge-sparks-rescue/?cs=148

Does anyone have anymore information about this? the article mentions twice it was a "freak accident" I would like to believe that shouldn't exist in climbing. Why was his harness undone? At best this could be a lesson for experienced climbers to remain vigilant.

My best wishes at his family and friends, I hope he recovers well soon.

IdratherbeclimbingM9

12-Jul-2013
2:28:59 PM

On 12/07/2013 jahmz wrote:
>http://www.dailyadvertiser.com.au/story/1630531/cliff-plunge-sparks-rescue/?cs=148
>
>Does anyone have anymore information about this? the article mentions
>twice it was a "freak accident" I would like to believe that shouldn't
>exist in climbing. Why was his harness undone? At best this could be a
>lesson for experienced climbers to remain vigilant.
>
>My best wishes at his family and friends, I hope he recovers well soon.

Not good news.

+1 on the recovery sentiments.

Regarding the harness allegedly being undone; unless the climber or his climbing partner elaborate, then we will probably never know, though we know that reporters often don't get the reports accurate from a technical perspective, and this may be a reference to not being clipped into a belay.

I also found this picture (within the 6 on the link provided), a little thought provoking.

... Possibly the reason they were not climbing at the usual location?

technogeekery

12-Jul-2013
2:35:11 PM

Yes, would suspect he wasn't clipped in at some stage, journos get this sort of thing wrong all the time. Hope he recovers quickly.

Shutts

12-Jul-2013
4:28:14 PM

Hey there, I thought I might elaborate for you!!!
It was a 15m grade 8 as it was to be my wife's first time climbing!
I finished the climb and anchored off a massive boulder 10m up the hill from the cliff edge.
I abseiled back down the rope toward the cliff edge to belay my wife from their. The ground was very loose and rocky. I stopped about 1m short of the cliff edge.
I tied a figure 8 to clip in to and belay from. I thought i was on stable ground where I was and I undid my gri gri, grabbed my pas and as I was reaching to clip it the ground under me gave way!
100% my fault, I should have clip in first and I knew it but as we all know sometime people take short cuts?
One I'm pretty sure will never happen again!
Anyway, me and a pile of rocks went over the edge and I fell 15m hitting the wall once or twice on the way down and crashed in a heap next to my wife!
Somehow I didn't break anything but will be stiff an sore for a while to come yet!!!
Dave

rodw

12-Jul-2013
4:42:35 PM

Wow glad your alright...... mostly....so when is the wifes second climbing outing or she turned off for good now?

Shutts

12-Jul-2013
5:57:15 PM

She won't give me a straight answer yet,
Fingers crossed though???

Miguel75

12-Jul-2013
6:05:52 PM

Shutts, thanks for elaborating and stoked you're relatively undamaged.

I reckon a laconic, 'safe, off belay' as you landed next to your wife would have shown phenomenal communication skills;)

P.S. Hope your wife isn't too put off by your misstep;)

IdratherbeclimbingM9

12-Jul-2013
9:03:49 PM

On 12/07/2013 Shutts wrote:
>Hey there, I thought I might elaborate for you!!!
>It was a 15m grade 8 as it was to be my wife's first time climbing!
>I finished the climb and anchored off a massive boulder 10m up the hill
>from the cliff edge.
>I abseiled back down the rope toward the cliff edge to belay my wife from
>their. The ground was very loose and rocky. I stopped about 1m short of
>the cliff edge.
>I tied a figure 8 to clip in to and belay from. I thought i was on stable
>ground where I was and I undid my gri gri, grabbed my pas and as I was
>reaching to clip it the ground under me gave way!
>100% my fault, I should have clip in first and I knew it but as we all
>know sometime people take short cuts?
>One I'm pretty sure will never happen again!
>Anyway, me and a pile of rocks went over the edge and I fell 15m hitting
>the wall once or twice on the way down and crashed in a heap next to my
>wife!
>Somehow I didn't break anything but will be stiff an sore for a while
>to come yet!!!
>Dave

Thanks for the feedback Shutts. It serves several purposes. It stops speculation, it helps the rest of us in being aware of safety issues, it straightens out mis-reporting; and by default it kind of brings us all closer together as a climbing community due the rest of us being able to relate to your mishap, ... even if only in 2nd hand fashion.
We are glad that you are relatively unscathed by this incident.

On 12/07/2013 Miguel75 wrote:
>I reckon a laconic, 'safe, off belay' as you landed next to your wife
>would have shown phenomenal communication skills;)

Laughed out aloud at that!

ajfclark

12-Jul-2013
9:20:39 PM

On 12/07/2013 IdratherbeclimbingM9 wrote:
>On 12/07/2013 Miguel75 wrote:
>>I reckon a laconic, 'safe, off belay' as you landed next to your wife would have shown phenomenal communication skills;)
>
>Laughed out aloud at that!

+2 here.

rightarmbad

13-Jul-2013
2:11:56 AM

Or got a slap in the face

technogeekery

13-Jul-2013
8:25:35 PM

Shutts, thanks for posting up. Great that you are basically okay! :-)

Might not tell my wife that story, though...

mikllaw

13-Jul-2013
10:33:45 PM

Top belaying on a dodgy ledge is always an issue, I understand that your probably wanted to watch your wife, but glad it didn't collapse while she was climbing.

We've all done it, but often got away with it.

daave

14-Jul-2013
4:37:31 PM

Hope you're alright Dave!

Jahmz

15-Jul-2013
10:15:14 AM

On 13/07/2013 mikllaw wrote:
>Top belaying on a dodgy ledge is always an issue, I understand that your
>probably wanted to watch your wife, but glad it didn't collapse while she
>was climbing.
>
>We've all done it, but often got away with it.

This does serve as a reminder. The times I have stood at the top and changed over to belay with no safety. might second think more now.

+1 Good to hear you're not broken & glad to hear the first hand report. The more we hear, the more we listen.

>a laconic, 'safe, off belay' as you landed next to your wife

hehehe, *wipes tear from corner of eye*

Cheers.

There are 14 messages in this topic.