Chockstone Forum

      Sponsored By
      ROCK
   HARDWARE

Chockstone Photography

Australian Landscape Prints

Chockstone Forum - Accidents & Injuries

Report Accidents and Injuries

Topic Date User

Encouraging a mate to climb, then he gets injured 27-Jan-2010 At 8:26:16 PM rolsen1

Message

On 27/01/2010 bones wrote:
>Obviously a leader needs to take responsiblity for his/her own choices
>while on the sharp end, but I'm curious to hear from people who've talked
>someone into climbing something that lead to an epic or injury? Did you
>feel guilty about it?

I wouldn't have thought you'd hit the ledge falling off the crux if you placed your gear high enough? Maybe he fell above the crux?

Also, I reckon a belayer should feel a bit guilty if the leader gets hurt, as to me trad is a team sport.

Although a good belayer is hard to find, if my belayer wasn't actively working towards having me not get hurt then I'd find a new belayer. A good belayer does the stuff that Sabu has spoken about above but when climbing at your limit I think the belayer needs to do more: read the belayer's body language and offer suitable advice, look ahead at the route suggest moves look for possible gear, and when you have to, make it clear (though not necessarily by talking) that you know the leader is struggling and that you're ready to do your bit.... which is another skill the belayer must have and also undervalued.

If 17 is a couple of grades harder than this guy has ever led before then I wonder if he is still under an apprenticeship? If so, and you are his mentor then yes I feel very guilty. If not, (and I know this sounds harsh) then maybe he needs to find a good mentor?