Head injury at Red River Gorge

Helmet saved my life many times. Then again I rode motorcycles and climb ice.  The new helmets are super light and functional. 

Crack Me Up wrote:

If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing with a helmet on.
climbing, skiing, kayaking, rafting, biking…

A helmet saved my life years ago, in a situation where only the dedicated helmet wearer not worried about how dumb someone may think they look would wear a helmet.

This is not a knock on this thread’s accident. Just a PSA for anyone willing to read.

Times someone thought I looked dumb wearing a helmet: probably hundreds.
Times it saved my life: once. 

Maybe I live in a bubble. But it seems to me that the norm has evolved and now it is actually fashionable to wear a helmet. Or am I not hanging with the “right crowd”…?

Brad White wrote:

Is it our collective responsibility to make sure beginners have all available knowledge about a route before they get in over their heads?? Or should we encourage caution, and taking the time to gain experience that will help to make good decisions? 

I don't think I said anything about collective responsibility. I think you're confusing me for someone else.

When beginners get in over their head, accidents happen. And that's when land managers do their thing, which is to regulate. That is a loss of freedom.

Indeed, such a "hazards" field would be exactly the kind of place to warn fresh sport climbers about getting in over their head, the relevant "I don't know what I don't know beta," and might reduce accidents like this. The traditional film ratings don't make sense though for sport climbing, as far as I can tell. So I think a better alternative is to cater the safety info to the style and audience.

Should we really encourage climbers that claim to lead .12b trad in an online profile, but apparently follow trad routes at a much more moderate level to be going big for that hard route where there are consequences to the decisions they make?

Fixed it. I can't the help but laugh at the personal dig. I've got my own unrelated trail running injury that's taken me out recently, so I'm not using partner finder. But yes, I've been following buddies on moderates.

Daniel Joder wrote:

Maybe I live in a bubble. But it seems to me that the norm has evolved and now it is actually fashionable to wear a helmet. Or am I not hanging with the “right crowd”…?

Hey Daniel, in my opinion everyone lives in bubbles. The world is bigger and more complicated than our ape brains evolved for. Good to read the people you notice seem to have a norm of wearing helmets. My experience is that more people seem to be wearing helmets in some places with some sports— especially at ski resorts over the past twenty years. But I see people all the time without helmets (taking big whippers) and people are still getting injured and dying without helmets on their noggins.
Déu n'hi do 

Crack Me Up wrote:

Hey Daniel, in my opinion everyone lives in bubbles. The world is bigger and more complicated than our ape brains evolved for. Good to read the people you notice seem to have a norm of wearing helmets. My experience is that more people seem to be wearing helmets in some places with some sports— especially at ski resorts over the past twenty years. But I see people all the time without helmets (taking big whippers) and people are still getting injured and dying without helmets on their noggins.
Déu n'hi do 

Collons! Parles català!?

Yes, resort downhill skiing is definitely where I’ve seen a huge paradigm shift. I even wear a helmet as a technique-impaired, blue run, groomed slope skier. ; )

Daniel Joder wrote:

Collons! Parles català!?

Yes, resort downhill skiing is definitely where I’ve seen a huge paradigm shift. I even wear a helmet as a technique-impaired, blue run, groomed slope skier. ; )

I wish. Just picked up a few phrases when I visited Barcelona— a truly magical city.  My sister was born in Spain and we lived there a few years as kids. I’ve been back a few times to travel in Spain. It has a special place in my heart.

…I’ve started to wear a helmet when I boulder without a crash pad.  That’s how much I like my head without a crack in it.  When the original Petzl Sirocco came out I bought one, never looked back. I don’t even notice it’s there— until I bang my head on a rock and think well that would have hurt. 

Wear my lid roped climbing 100percnt. Same with bike riding. Not sking. I don't resort ski though. 

Mark Pilate wrote:

Totally floors me that someone would weigh in from the armchair peanut gallery and propose changes or a “proper grade” sight unseen.   I mean seriously.  WTF goes on in some people’s minds?  

Maybe meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cun…