Quickdraw gate failure

Thought I'd post this, because it hasn't happened to me before (and I think I learned something). The leader took an awkward fall (short, maybe 5 feet) at the first bolt and her force swung in/against the Petzl Spirit draw which torqued the carabiner against the rock and allowed the gate to come open. Luckly the rope didn't leave the carabiner, and she was lowered to the ground. It's just a reminder to be congnizant of hanging draws near an edge. I think this was more user error and bad luck than the gear itself. Climb safe.

Great reminder and reason to carry draws of significantly different lengths- for example some 12 and some 25 cm. glad it went ok!

100% user error and as was mentioned a good reminder to carry more than one length of draw.   I typically carry short draws and a few long draws 18cm and at least two shoulder length on routes I’m not familiar with.   This is also a reminder to developers not to put bolts in areas close to an edge, sometimes that may be the best most solid rock and that’s why the bolt was placed there but if at all possible avoid it.   

I've also seen this type of gate failure on the gear side carabiner in a vertical crack with a deep placement. Taught me to consider gates and edges apart from obvious edges like this one.  

rock climbing wrote:

6ft fall or a bigger breakfast and she would have broke the carabiner.
There is the option of using a carabiner instead of a draw

What route is that? Probably a good idea to post something in the route comments 

What do you mean by using a carabiner instead of a draw? 

I carry two 25mm quickdraws and one alpine draw.  On the 25mm quickdraw I changed out the carabiner on the rope side to a green Edelrid carabiner so I can easily identify it.

It's also not crazy to use lockers on your quickdraws for bolts or other placements that lack redundancy.

I think this was more user error and bad luck than the gear itself.

Definitely user error and if you think about it, luck was actually on her side.

This occured on a route called Send Town at Elizabeth Furnace in Virginia (I'll post the photo and a warning on the MP description). The rock quality on this route (and at most of the crag) is poor. We finished climbing the route using an extended draw which appeared to be a safer solution. Although the picture from the ground makes the decision to hang a longer draw look obvious, it wasn't initially apparent during the climb as the clip was a long reach from a compromised stance holding on to broken/loose rock. Hindsight is always 20/20. Definitely something I'll be more mindful of in the future.

A long reach you say? That sounds like a SECOND reason why there should be a steel cable Perma-Draw on that bolt.