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Falling on gear success stories! (Where the rock didn't completely blow out)

Mike Rowley · · Traveling · Joined Jul 2009 · Points: 76

JR Token at Trout Creek. Way Rambo is the same way for sure tho!

Jonathan Dull · · Boone, NC · Joined Mar 2012 · Points: 415

I think the smallest piece of gear I have whipped on was the smallest Metolius offset. Only like a six footer, nonetheless it held.

Also took about a 12 foot aid whip onto an old fixed copperhead after blowing an offset. Those things get pretty welded though, wasn't surprised that it held.

Jonny 5 · · Squamish BC · Joined Aug 2013 · Points: 1,220

Right before the rains came I took my first/only fall onto gear. I had led two 5.8 pitches onsight no problem (last pitch of Diedre and Easter Island in the bluffs). So I figured that Snorter 5.8 shouldn't be a problem for my 3rd 5.8 lead. My first piece was a Orange #3 Metolius TCU at the end of the overhanging crack. Initially I'd went for the yellow #2 Metolius TCU but it moved and looked shite when I went to pass it, so I downclimbed and switched it to the orange TCU, which pumped me a little bit. Climbed above it and had my foot about a feet above it when I fell. I screamed "falling" in a high pitched voice and the cam, grigri, belayer combo held and caught me :)

Orange #3 Metolius TCU is by far my favorite piece of pro in my rack now!

george wilkey · · travelers rest sc · Joined Jan 2013 · Points: 235

Garden of the gods 1952 (just kidding it was only a few years ago)

I was on the back side of some formation that saw very little climbing staring at a nasty off width. about 25 feet up was a drilled piton and the only gear I had big enough to stick before that piton was a #11 hex placed sideways about 10 feet above the ground. it was a crappy placement and I remember telling my belayer; "boy, it'll be a miracle if that holds".

but, like every young cocky trad climber, I didn't think I would need it anyway. to make a long story short, as I was reaching to clip the piton the tiny sandstone nubbin I had my right foot on disintegrated and I took a face first fall toward solid rock. The hex held, but I was a little to high when I fell. I still hit the ground but the hex pulled me upright so I hit feet first. I didn't break anything but I developed plantar fasciitis that plagued me for months, ironically it would have been a better story if I had broken something.

I went on to finish that climb. near the top a rock pigeon flew out into my face and almost put my darn eye out. AH rock climbing. you never know what to expect. It's all about the adventure.

Colin Szehner · · Oakland, Ca · Joined Jan 2013 · Points: 135

Recently fell on a Metolius Mastercam #5 in Joshua Tree, No Caluclators Allowed - left some nasty grab marks in the lobes and completely bent the axle… Glad the cam worked, however, it seems very damaged for such a standard fall.

bent axle on a #5 metolius mastercam

Shelton Hatfield · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2011 · Points: 650

That #5 metolious looks alright to me. Hard to say from one picture. Do you mean that the stem is bent? A bent axle usually results in wonky lobes. I have seen lobes and axles bend in relatively small falls though. I believe it usually means the stem wasn't facing the direction of loading.

Colin Szehner · · Oakland, Ca · Joined Jan 2013 · Points: 135

Ya I fell diagonally across the cam, forcing the cam to load at an angle. I would agree, it seems more like the stem is bent than the axle… or maybe a combo of both??? I ended up filing down a small fraction of the stem to stop the inside lobe from catching on it.

Josh Brown · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2008 · Points: 20

two falls.
one was short, maybe 3 ft with rope stretch as it was right after i placed a green camalot. held fine but freaked my wife out.

took a 20 footer on a gold camalot. held fine and the cam was no worse for wear.

Tronald Dump · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2013 · Points: 10

just yesterday... i had a horizontal nut placement 12 feet below in a flexing block (hoping if i fell the nut would "expand" the block and it would hold.... thigh-locking my way out of a vertical outward flaring 6"+ crack when i realized I should've brought some wide gear.... didnt want to fall on the nut, and couldn't downclimb at that point and no pro..... what does a traddy do???? I find a rock, sling it and stuff it as well behind the flake as I could, go to step up on the flake and my feet fall out from under me. rope catches, i stop, nut goes skittering down the other end of the rope, I realize I need clean underwear, some wide gear and a fat toke.

Kedron Silsbee · · El Paso · Joined Aug 2013 · Points: 0

Last fall I tried leading this climb called the Stand at the Gunks. After falling a couple times at the crux, I managed to make the stand move. Feeling a little out of my league, I spend ages fiddling in 2 small nuts, and topped off my little gear cluster with a BD 000 cam (rated to 4 KN) to protect the 5.10 move at the top of the hard section. I put my foot near the cam, stood most of the way up, and slipped off. In retrospect, it might have been a good idea to equalize my nest, but the cam held fine by itself.

Avalon'cha · · your girlfriend's bedroom · Joined Aug 2013 · Points: 35

I went about 10 feet on to a #4 HB offset brass this weekend. The placement was so shallow, the nut didn't even go in all the way. FF about .5

Mike C · · Co · Joined Jan 2006 · Points: 1,046

so,i once whipped onto a shallow black alien while rope soloing....i had an anchor on the ground and was caught by my trusty gri gri. i unintentionally had quite a dynamic catch.....the fall was maybe 30' or so with the natural stretch of the rope. i had about 100' of rope out.my point is dynamic belays are key when catching falls on smaller gear,i wonder how many climbers could avoid ripping gear out with more dynamic belaying(giving a little slack at the moment the climber would stop).......common sense but don't give too much slack.....the ground may be nearer than you think.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Trad Climbing
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