the leader must not fall. are you seriously?
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i've found that most trad climbers don't like to fall on their gear, even if the gear is "so bomber it may as well be a bolt". example: basalt splitters. so i was hoping to hear from some folks who really push the limits on gear; what is your take on the subject? do you fall often? if not, why not? do you subscribe to the "leader must not fall" belief? if you do fall often on your gear, do you feel safe? i'm assuming you do, otherwise you wouldn't be taking frequent whippers. while we're on the subject, why do you feel safe? |
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pushing limits? I push my limits, but they certainly aren't "THE" limits. But i've started whipping on my gear this season. I think it's made me safer cause I think of every piece as having to be truck. Before on some moderates id place a so so cam or stopper and then cruise on. Now as I've said everything' bomber And as a whole i've always felt pretty bomber. |
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If you're not falling on occasion then you aren't climbing hard enough. |
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I took your question to be asking whether I felt trad gear was as reliable as bolts. |
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You have to evaluate safety on a route by route and sometimes even move by move basis, but for the most part, falling on trad routes is not only safe, but a very important part of becoming a better climber. |
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The idea that the leader "must not fall" comes from a different age of climbing. |
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I personally subscribe to the quote "the leader must never fall", its not that I don't trust my gear, if I didn't I wouldn't climb above it. Its mainly due to the fact the trad routes I like to climb are multi pitch routes and there are two lives on the line, mine and my partners. |
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Some of the best advice I have heard/read comes from the instructional booklet that comes with camalots: |
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Robert 560 wrote:The idea that the leader "must not fall" comes from a different age of climbing.Haha...very true |
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Even minor falls on trad routes can lead to serious injury. Most sport routes tend to be on smoother rock with less ledges and protrusions, and are much more often overhanging. The style used in trad climbing involves a lot more jamming and using odd features, which ups the danger a lot regardless of the holding power of the gear. That's just my experience anyways, I shattered my ankle when my foot didn't release from a toe jam three weeks ago. I only fell ten feet, but now I'm screwed for months. |
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Assess the situation, and if the calculated risk pans out for you, go for it!! |
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"Falling is not an option" |
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common sense...sometimes falling would suck. |
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"If you fall you fail" Erickson |
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I agree with Chris that falling is a key component to improving. The real difference between world class climbers and the rest of us has more to do with their willingness to test gravity than genetics. Until you can push yourself right to the edge of possibility you will never come close to reaching your potential as a climber. |
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Kevin Stricker wrote: The shiny bolt in the distance has lured many more climbers to an injury I would think.Nicely put. |
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I'll whip on small nuts if I know they're bomber and not the only thing between me and a ledge (or ground fall). On the other hand, I just got back from Alaska where we were stretching out pitches for a 1,000 feet with a single screw every 200 feet. Falling wasn't an option. The bottom line: the leader must know what he (or she) is doing. |
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"The sport is called climbing, not jumping, falling, or failing. Falling is anti-climbing. I dont know why those folks even consider themselves climbers. Its all pretty damned lame if you ask me." --Roland Thompson, in this interview. |
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Incontrovertible truth: If you don't fall, you won't fall to your death. |
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Robert 560 wrote:The idea that the leader "must not fall" comes from a different age of climbing.I don't think so, this rule still holds true for us ice climbers! |