First fall on gear?

Ted Pinsonwrote:

Second lead is pretty early to be taking falls.

Agreed. But taking a lead fall is not necessarily a choice. One’s first lead fall could easily take place on their first lead or their 50th. Props to the above poster for recognizing one piece was not very good but the piece below it was. A note to all leaders, always keep at least two very good pieces between you and the hospital.  

Greg Dwrote:

A note to all leaders, always keep at least two very good pieces between you and the hospital.  

In a perfect world yes.  I'd wager just about anyone that's led trad for a while hasn't had this luxury many times. 

zosowrote:

In a perfect world yes.  I'd wager just about anyone that's led trad for a while hasn't had this luxury many times. 

Sometimes you cant even find one.

It was several years for me. First time was on a nut placed low on Chockstone in Eldorado Canyon. The first moves are pretty bouldery and I fell twice on that nut. Second time was high up on Werk Supp, but that was more oozing down and resting on another nut, then continuing. Most recently I fell on a route in the Sandias, also on a nut that held. So far I only fall on muh nuts, but I know how to handle them.

zosowrote:

In a perfect world yes.  I'd wager just about anyone that's led trad for a while hasn't had this luxury many times. 

I forgot how nitpicky the mopros can be.  I'll restate it.  

Leaders should strive to keep 2 good pieces between them and the hospital.  But, that is not always possible.  

Greg Dwrote:

I forgot how nitpicky the mopros can be.  I'll restate it.  

Leaders should strive to keep 2 good pieces between them and the hospital.  But, that is not always possible.  

Most most recent fall in New Mexico on a single nut resulted in an additional nut placed next to the first one before resuming the lead.

Greg Dwrote:

Leaders should strive to keep 2 good pieces between them and the hospital.  But, that is not always possible.  

I like this, and I try to implement it as well. Trad placements are not bolts, and doubling up on marginal/small (anything BD 0.2 and under is suspect for leader falls IMO), before a crux, or after a runout give me a lot more confidence going into the next part of the climb.

Also gear spacing should vary based on height above the ground/ledges, aka sew it up low down and don't extend as much, then when you're higher up and on clean vertical rock (i.e. splitter cracks) you can space gear out more. Really think about the distances between your knot and your last piece, between your last piece and the previous piece, and that previous piece and the ground/ledge beneath you (don't forget slack and rope stretch, also climb with attentive belayers).

Original question answer, I had ~30 pitches leading before my first fall and it was kind of a slow-motion slide down a wide crack, not really a whipper. It was another 30 pitches after that before I took a proper fall on a #1 and then another fall later on that same pitch on a 0.5 on granite, both held and I was fine. Another 30 pitches later I took 3 more whippers on #1's in sandstone at Indian Creek which all held.

Clipping direct to pieces when on the ground is a great way to see how they react to forces, also load them in different directions and see how the placement can change or get worse. Try aid climbing. It's great to develop a sense of confidence in good gear placements but it's equally important to be able to recognize when a placement is suspect or downright garbage and you should place another piece, fix the bad one (or both), or if that's all you got definitely know you cannot fall. Even with experience, I wouldn't make a habit of falling on gear like you might on bolted sport climbs.

I know this is the internet, but there is a lot of bad advice in here.

Every fall is different. Even the same fall, on the same climb, on the same attempt, can have a different result. I don’t know about you, but I have met a lot of climbers over the years and I don’t trust every single one of them to make a rational decision every time. Some climbers SHOULDN’T fall. Some climbers are perfectly capable of falling all the time. The real answer for most of us is somewhere in between.

So, decide for yourself, but just remember that every fall is different.

Josh

I think I understand the point you're making. But if you're in the "shouldn't fall" category, is climbing even worth the risk? At some point there needs to be a base level of competence.

I'm just surprised anyone remembers their first fall. I have really no clue when or where it happened.. 

Yoda Jedi Knightwrote:

I think I understand the point you're making. But if you're in the "shouldn't fall" category, is climbing even worth the risk? At some point there needs to be a base level of competence.

Well, that’s the thing. We can’t tell people not to climb, but some are just not very self aware. I’m always amazed at the willingness by some to climb with any stranger that has an MP account

Josh Squirewrote:

Well, that’s the thing. We can’t tell people not to climb, but some are just not very self aware. I’m always amazed at the willingness by some to climb with any stranger that has an MP account

Just ask for their belay cert lol

Yoda Jedi Knightwrote:

Just ask for their belay cert lol

Like that means anything, lol. 

Took a 25±ft one yesterday, then climbed up to where I fell, did what might be the hardest move on the route, then stance drilled. It all depends on the route.

Yoda Jedi Knightwrote:

Just ask for their belay cert lol

Apparently you’ve never seen anyone dropped in the gym   

I fell on my 2nd or 3rd trad lead. Instead of giving a soft catch, my belayer sat on the rope hard and fast, so I wouldn't deck if that piece blew. It sucked. Should have been more conservative, but at least I didn't have to retire my no falls rack after a couple years of wussing out all the time. 

So psyched to finally get to post in this thread. Started climbing trad at the end of last summer, probably had a dozen or two leads under my belt  before this weekend.  My buddy and I climbed strawberry jam at the voo (my buddy led) and when we pulled our ropes they got stuck on the horn for grunt lie back.  We decided to climb that route with our rope that was on the ground, and I got to lead.  About 2/3 of the way up I fell unexpectedly and was caught by a bomber #4 cam. All I remember is looking up while falling and watching the rope tighten and the piece stay in.   I was more psyched than I would’ve been to send haha

I started trad climbing in spring 2019 and took my first fall in fall (no pun intended) 2020 on a #2 after a hold broke. Fell about 15 feet or so. I didn't watch my leg and it got caught around the rope, flipping me upside down. It was a bombay chimney kinda thing, so it was actually a pretty clean whip into nothing but air. I couldn't believe I forgot to keep the rope from wrapping around my legs. 

I was leading 5.8 max for about a year (as a 5.11 sport climber) before pushing myself on harder stuff. I don't think everyone needs to go as slow as I did, but I felt like my progression and risk taking was very reasonable. 

I fell on what was my first or second trad lead. I slipped on a slippery bit o slab and was caught upside-down, free hanging in a notch on a .4 eye level with my belayer. It was my first piece. My second and more memorable whip on gear was on a 10-15 footer on a .75 Z4, my belayer jumped off a rock to keep me from hitting the deck. Mid fall I remember thinking to myself that I'd been falling for a while, only to look over and realize I was just passing my gear. I slapped against the wall and broke my ankle.

Fell on my very first trad lead on the second piece.  It was a 4+ with a single difficult move in the very beginning. I had a bomber nut that was too low to actually protect the move. Didn't feel like free soloing on a training lead so fumbled in a very strenuous position to place a cam a bit higher up. As soon as I was happy with the cam I guess I relaxed slightly and my foot slipped. The cam held.

Can't wait to take my first proper whipper on gear.