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Note 44.447 MOUNT-L 447 of 517 CUPIDO::STRITAR "Andrej Stritar,IJS,(61)-371-321" 60 lines 28-OCT-1994 08:10
CUPIDO::STRITAR "Andrej Stritar,IJS,(61)-371-321" 60 lines 28-OCT-1994 08:10
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Subj: 1st trad leader fall

Date: 27-Oct-1994
Posted-date: 27-Oct-1994

I sent this description of my 1st traditional gear leader fall to
rec.climbing, but I almost forgot about this group, since it has been
so inactive lately. I have had a few sport falls, but nothing of
any excitement, until now.

Willie Hunt

PS

I started on my 1st climb of the weekend, Andromeda Strain, a nice
overhanging 5.10a trad dihedral that I knew would be quite sustained
at a high level and has several cruxes. The bottom of the climb has a
20 foot slab that doesn't protect, so I climbed to the crack and put
in a directional. I climbed up the crack 20 feet putting in 2 more
pieces, and was thinking about a 3rd by reaching up as high as I could
around a small roof. So far the climb was tough but nothing that
should cause any problem, even though I was using my Vectors which
didn't jam into the crack well at all. My 5.10 Summits even loose
fitting proved to work better 3 days later on the same climb.

Anyway, I didn't put in the piece and I pulled the small roof. The
footing and hand holds were all sandy once around. I had one foot in
smear slip a little but repositioned it and it seems secure enough. I
had one good hand jam and the other was in a horizontal crack. I was
getting ready to commit to one arm, and my footing must have blown
because I was off there before I knew what happened.

As I fell the rope running from my directional to the belay caught my
leg and spun me around right near the slab. I stopped going down just
before the slab but the spin sent my head into the slab. I almost
always wear a helmut leading trad, but this time I just wasn't
thinking and didn't put it on before climbing. So, when my head
glanced off the slab, it cut my scalp. Major blood was involved.
Tony, my belayer, was getting wigged out once he lower me down the
slab and saw blood pouring down my head all over ground, my clothing,
gear, etc. I got the bleeding stopped fast as soon as I turned
upright and applied some gauze. Once I thought I was otherwise OK,
Tony ran to get Alex on another climb to come and check me out.

Alex is a 3rd year medical student, so he gave me a quick check out.
We both agreed that I should go to a hospital and have it checked out.
So, Alex and I went to the nearest one over 40 miles away. We had a
good excuse to drive 125 MPH on the interstate. They decided there
wasn't any serious injury other than the cut. I got 12 stitches for
the 1.5 inch Z shaped cut. The nurse ask me "Now, you are not going
to go right back and go climbing again, are you?". I didn't answer
directly. In fact, we got lunch at a drive through and in 2 hours
after leaving the hospital I was back on the rock leading easy 5.10c
sport. Oh well, live and learn, and the key there is LIVE!

It was bound to happen sooner or later, but it didn't have to be quite
such an experience. I guess, it's better I remember it for a long
time and it not be really that serious than it be "no big deal" or
"very serious". So after around a 100 trad leads, I finally did it.
Sure glad that #8 hex was bomber!

***pico
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