Big fall on Outer Space

Japhy Dhungana wrote:

Jonathan, 

Thank you SO much for sharing your honest and thoughtful analysis.  It is reflections like this that help the climbing community (and yourself!) make sense and grow from the challenges and risks of our sport.  I respect and appreciate not just your objective assessment of what happened, but also the important *human-factor* or emotional/psychological reasons that contributed to it.  

I'm happy to hear that your injuries will heal and that in the end, this bodes well.  I was on the Wind Tower watching you directly from a belay ledge when this happened and it looked like you had just begun stemming/entering the dihedral (most likely with the piece you mentioned just below your feet, although I couldn't see the gear from that distance obviously).  The fall I saw you take was big, about 30-40 feet, landing on the sloping ramp, and lay there unconscious for about 4-5 minutes on your side.  I called dispatch after seeing you lay there for a minute without any motion.  In 2016, there was almost an identical accident to yours, with a leader hit that same ramp when gear in the lower dihedral pulled.  

Thank you again for sharing, and wishing you a swift and full recovery.  

Japhy,

I've listened to your episode on the podcast, and you are lucky to be alive. A very well-told story that could have ended in tragedy.

Deciding to set a belay or continue while effetively free soloing above a ledge with a belayer out of sight and unknown slack is a common decision to have to make in Eldo.  Regardless of mental state or abilities, seems like that decision didn’t end well here.

Glad you're OK!  I think it's worth mentioning that the humidity was really high on Sunday morning after all of that rain we had.  Maybe more so than other areas, Eldo can really get slippery in the Summer.  Also just a reminder, if anyone comes across loose rock that needs to be mitigated, please reach out to ACE or the Park and we'll go take a look.  aceeldo@googlegroups.com

Bill Schick wrote:

Deciding to set a belay or continue while effetively free soloing above a ledge with a belayer out of sight and unknown slack is a common decision to have to make in Eldo.  Regardless of mental state or abilities, seems like that decision didn’t end well here.

Belayer out of sight and “unknown slack” = “free soloing?” WTF!?

The XM gear has been cleaned and I have PM'd you to get it back! I have some good photos of the aftermath too that I can post later, lots of blood.

Marc H wrote:

Belayer out of sight and “unknown slack” = “free soloing?” WTF!?

I use it as a figure of speech sometimes when referring to a situation like this... Essentially when you are looking at a fall to a ledge and there is a good chance you may hit before rope slack is taken up... It's not really soloing obviously just a figure of speech.

Marc H wrote:

Belayer out of sight and “unknown slack” = “free soloing?” WTF!?

I think he just means that if you're above a ledge and the pro is below your feet, and the belayer may have an extra 3 - or 5, or 7 - feet of slack in the system, and so if you do fall you could easily deck and so you should climb as if you are soloing.

bryans wrote:

I think he just means that if you're above a ledge and the pro is below your feet, and the belayer may have an extra 3 - or 5, or 7 - feet of slack in the system, and so if you do fall you could easily deck and so you should climb as if you are soloing.

I understand what you’re saying but completely disagree with using the term this way. If you have a rope, pro and a belayer, you’re not free soloing. Hitting a ledge is different than fall resulting in certain death.

Marc H wrote:

I understand what you’re saying but completely disagree with using the term this way. If you have a a rope, pro and a belayer, you’re not free soloing. Hitting a ledge is different than fall resulting in certain death.

People die hitting ledges while using a rope and pro. But your logic regarding the semantics here is airtight no doubt, and that's what really matters here. Thanks for reminding me why I've generally stopped posting here. Nothing personal, sincerely. Glad this guy is OK, and thanks to him for sharing his account and lessons learned so that others might benefit. It's taken me most of my 20 years of climbing to realize I'd rather hang when things feel off than let my ego force me into dangerous life-changing situations, no matter how great it feels (and it does, I don't deny it, that's the hook for trad climbing, to push on when the pro or moves are uncertain and get to the next stance/gear) to look back and feel like king shit of bullshit mountain for risking your safety for the sake of a send only other climbers care the slightest about. Not all falls are clean, and being out of sight looking at a ledge fall isn't the best situation if you are doubting yourself.

Marc H wrote:

I understand what you’re saying but completely disagree with using the term this way. If you have a rope, pro and a belayer, you’re not free soloing. Hitting a ledge is different than fall resulting in certain death.

The semantic literalism with this one is strong.

Marc801 C wrote:

The semantic literalism with this one is strong.

I think people should say what they mean and mean what they say.  Unfortunately, that's hard to come by these days.

Really appreciate you sharing this, I mean that. Get well soon 

The helmet.

Thanks for all the positive responses.

Jonathan S wrote:

The helmet.

Thanks for all the positive responses.

Damn, good thing you were wearing a brain bucket. Glad to hear you survived, and the outlook is favorable.

Thanks so much for sharing your insight. That buffer between achievement and agony is always a thin one and undoubtedly, a moving line. Thankful that although you stepped over it, you made it back and were able (and willing) to share your wisdom. The circumstances leading up to your fall are all too similar to the mentality that prevails in skiing with taking that “one last run of the day”, which predictably translates statistically into a huge increase in accidents. A great day often means that you’ve likely got a high dose of that “adrenaline” of achievement coursing through your veins but also that you’ve likely expended much of your energy. In the same way we see judgement impaired under the influence of other substances, we need to recognize that those of us in “high risk” sports are subject to the same conditions. Thank you again for sharing this powerful lesson so that we can stay on this side of the line. 

Who said helmets save lives... pshaw!

Glad you're recovering well. Appreciate the thoughtful posts and respectful responses; all too rare these days on MP, or anywhere really. 

“sometimes it’s better to back off than to fall off.”

—some gnarly old dude, probably

Glad you are relatively okay.