Hit by blown cam...

Took a big ole two to the noggin this fall...

I was yanking hard on a small cam around eye level in questionable rock while aiding and had it pop me right in the lip. 

Ryan Wood wrote: Been meaning to ask the MP community this for awhile:

Back in October, I was climbing Guiding Light (5.10) in the Yosemite Falls Ampitheater and while moving through the crux, blew a foot and fell on a yellow TCU in a pin scar well-below my feet (which I may have dislodged on the way down). I almost came to a stop, then heard a pop and felt something hit my head, I then continued to fall another 10-15 feet or so until my next piece caught me (thanks #8 BD nut!!!) As I came to a stop, I saw a stream of blood gushing to the ground (and on my girlfriend belaying, who was horrified!) and realized my cam had blown and scored a direct hit on my noggin!!!

I had never heard of this happening but have only been climbing for two years or so, I also asked the guide who taught me anchoring and another buddy who guided in the New, neither had heard of it and have a combined 45+ years experience climbing! Has anyone else heard of this happening?

Anyhow, hope the story and pics are entertaining during this quarantine!

Cheers, Ryan

Ryan,

It's already been mentioned, but why weren't you wearing a helmet? Did the guide that taught you make you wear a helmet? (most guides will require that of a client).

Buck Rio wrote:the leader had found a stuck piece and clipped it. He didn't tell me this was a fixed nut, so I hammered on this thing relentlessly

Can be prevented by getting familiar with the other persons rack before the climb, cam markings, passive pro type/condition. 

Too far to communicate, or too windy, sometimes. 

Helmet hit or thigh. Usually just a bruise.

A buddy fell and had a 1.5 Friend rocket into his helmet, leaving a nice hole. The Friend was wedged in the fiberglass shell. Yep, modern helmet. How about an ice pick through a shell...ouch!

So much more "cool" to have blood all around than to be caught with a helmet on.

Gotta look like all those guys and gals in the climbing mag's.

Being hit on the head by a cam/nut, whether it is attached to your rope at the time or not, is one of the half dozen or so reasons to wear a helmet.

Burton Lindquist wrote: Ryan... you didn't say in your post..... did you have that stitched?  Did it heal and leave a scar?
 

Funny enough, we had a nurse climbing with us that day. A couple butteflies and I was good to go. Very small scar. 

Matt Pierce wrote: Uhhh...helmet?

Thank You!  I couldn't believe how long it took a MPer to say that!

Robert Hall wrote: So much more "cool" to have blood all around than to be caught with a helmet on.

Gotta look like all those guys and gals in the climbing mag's.

Being hit on the head by a cam/nut, whether it is attached to your rope at the time or not, is one of the half dozen or so reasons to wear a helmet.

In response to Robert and all the other helmet comments, I choose to not wear a helmet for my own personal reasons. 

I find it ironic (and fully expect) the helmet comments on Mountain Project. Based on the fact we are all posting here it’s safe to assume the majority of people commenting are climbers, who participate in an inherently dangerous and deadly sport, yet a select and vocal group, make it a point to ensure others know their objection to not wearing a helmet while climbing. Do we not realize the arbitrary, subjective, and hypocritical nature of these comments? That being said, please continue to make them, as it’s great for discussion and completely in your right to make them in the forum, whether I, or others agree or disagree with the viewpoints. 

We all take risks, not only in climbing, but in everyday life, it is an individuals prerogative to make their decisions based on their level of “acceptable” risk. I think it’s obvious that level is different for everyone and that people’s choices should be respected. In this case, I respect those who make the decisions to climb with a helmet, as I respect those who make the decision to climb without one. My only hope is that all those decisions are made with informed minds and clear intentions. 

ABB wrote: A buddy fell and had a 1.5 Friend rocket into his helmet, leaving a nice hole. The Friend was wedged in the fiberglass shell. Yep, modern helmet. How about an ice pick through a shell...ouch!

I haven't seen a helmet with a FG shell on the market in 20 years.

Ryan WoodI choose to not wear a helmet for my own personal reasons. 

Bet they are all BS.

K Weber wrote:

Bet they are all BS.

Thoughtful and eloquent in its brevity :)

I once yanked out  a medium sized stopper. It hit me in the face and there was a small chip made in top incisor, which the dentist easily smoothed 

Never had that happen, but some weird stuff happens when climbing sometimes. I was climbing in Rifle at one point and fell with my foot too close to the rope. As I fell my foot slid under (back stepped) the rope and against one of my draws. The shoe loop managed to catch the end of the draw and clipped into it. It flipped me upside down and surprisingly the shoe loop didn't break. I had to untie my shoe to get myself right side up again. 

Ryan, I respect that you chose not to wear a helmet, whether all the time or just sometimes.  I just hope you have some very good reasons (although, as I and others have said, we can't really think of them) , and you've explained these to those people who matter in your life.

At one time in my climbing "career" I would often not wear a helmet when it was hot (back in those days, when dinasours roamed beneath the cliffs, hemets were heavy, mostly unventilated and "a pain".  I chose to wear a helmet more frequently (like 99% of the time now) after I spent the night comforting a friend who had witnessed the following:

The group was lifting kayaks up over an embankment, one of her friends was standing on a wall about 3 feet high with a flat top; he had just removed his helmet. While moving a kayak up he lost his balance, fell over backwards the 3 feet to rocky ground hitting his head. Dead. That's like you're at the base of a climb and slip off 3 feet up, land wrong and fall backwards hitting your head.  Modern medicine and surgery can fix most anything broken, except a badly broken skull.

Robert Hall wrote: Ryan, I respect that you chose not to wear a helmet, whether all the time or just sometimes.  I just hope you have some very good reasons (although, as I and others have said, we can't really think of them) , and you've explained these to those people who matter in your life.

At one time in my climbing "career" I would often not wear a helmet when it was hot (back in those days, when dinasours roamed beneath the cliffs, hemets were heavy, mostly unventilated and "a pain".  I chose to wear a helmet more frequently (like 99% of the time now) after I spent the night comforting a friend who had witnessed the following:

The group was lifting kayaks up over an embankment, one of her friends was standing on a wall about 3 feet high with a flat top; he had just removed his helmet. While moving a kayak up he lost his balance, fell over backwards the 3 feet to rocky ground hitting his head. Dead. That's like you're at the base of a climb and slip off 3 feet up, land wrong and fall backwards hitting your head.  Modern medicine and surgery can fix most anything broken, except a badly broken skull.

Thanks for the congenial and constructive response. 

Persnally, I believe my reasons for not wearing a helmet are valid and I’m comfortable with the decision and potential outcome. Ultimately, that’s what matters, in my opinion. Also, I do actually wear a helmet at times, it just depends on the situation. (But why pass up a chance to stoke the Mountain Project fires of debate?)

I’m sorry to hear about your friend, for sure. I’ve had the experience of touching the cold body of a loved one who was the tender age of 22 when I was 23. The experience left a lasting impression of death and it’s ever-present nature. Everyone deals with and approaches fate differently, whether it be acceptance, increased risk-aversion, or something else. The experience of life is paramount in my opinion, for some it’s with a helmet on, others off... 

Ryan Wood wrote:

But why pass up a chance to stoke the Mountain Project fires of debate?

Now this I can appreciate ;-)

Side Note: I had severe head trauma and lost my sense of smell because I didn't wear a helmet once.  I definitely did not think I needed it.  The prussik saved my life.

abandon moderation wrote:

Climbing with anything less than this is utterly irresponsible

Plus a N95 mask and latex gloves, given the nature of diseases living on rock.

Classic. 

Gumby King wrote:

Now this I can appreciate ;-)

Side Note: I had severe head trauma and lost my sense of smell because I didn't wear a helmet once.  I definitely did not think I needed it.  The prussik saved my life.

Glad you’re OK.