Friend dropped from 60 ft.

I love my Gri Gri, and I am 100% certain that when I'm belaying you with my Gri Gri, you are safer than when I'm using my slot device. (If I get hit in the head by a rock, the Gri Gri has a chance of locking up. An unconscious Tim does not, etc.).

But I am constantly amazed at how the universe keeps building people that can manage to screw up belaying with a Gri Gri. *shakes head ruefully*

I mean we upped the complication from hunk of metal, to hunk of metal with a hinged hunk of metal on it. Is that really enough to blow people's minds? I guess so.

As long as you look at the pretty picture to thread the rope right (and respect rope diameter), and you don't *purposely* defeat the cam action, the damn thing works almost without your help! Whattahey.

RobC2 wrote:Sounds like he had the rope in the Grigri backwards? I always make a visual check of the belayer's set-up to be sure the rope is threaded correctly. Have caught this error a time or two this way...

My understanding is he pulled the lever and had the braking hand off the rope.

Gri-gris are an advanced device, I would rather a beginner belay me with an ATC and wear gloves. I think Mammut Smart is a better suited belay device for beginners - it really takes an effort to lower.

Come on, post up some hospital pics. I wish I had done that from the ER a few weeks ago.

If you search for the CU alpine club on Facebook, Tim, you can see the gnar.

doligo wrote: My understanding is he pulled the lever and had the braking hand off the rope. Gri-gris are an advanced device, I would rather a beginner belay me with an ATC and wear gloves. I think Mammut Smart is a better suited belay device for beginners - it really takes an effort to lower.

Who ascertained this was the malfunction? This guy?

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He had to be severely concussed so his ability to undertake any evaluation of what happened was pretty minimal at the time or even later. Likely the " belayer" didn't even understand what he had done...

Even if the guy had the lever down on a Grigri 2 a rapid lower not a free- fall would ensue ( see video below). If the rope is backwards in the Grigri the belayer CANNOT arrest the fall. CHECK YOUR GUY'S RIG BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE GROUND!!! HAVE HIM/HER CHECK YOURS!!!

dailymotion.com/video/x50vs…

A panicked belayer with a fully open gri gri will drop someone

As will a panicked belayer who blocked the cam

Seems like a few MPer are looking to spread a bit of blame

;)

Sorry about your bad luck, Scott. Hope you have a speedy recovery. And as mentioned earlier you self rescued and all, Where the hell was dude?

Thanks again for all the good wishes everyone, i can tell there's some good juju coming my way.

I'm really happy that this post hasn't turned into a witch hunt and instead serves as a good PSA.

I

Erik W wrote:Man, Scott, that's insane. Really happy you'll be able to recover from this. As JLP posed above, what would you do different going forward?... in terms of confirming a new internet-matchup's belay skills, verbal communication, processes when not feeling tension on a rope, etc. Any insights would definitely help the community as a whole. Thx, and speedy recovery. Erik

I guess the only advice i could give is not to be afraid to decline a belay from someone who gives you a bad feeling. I see now that a perceived insult can is a much better outcome than a trip to the hospital.

climbnplay wrote: a couple of questions, though. 1) to me, the logical thing to do - if i have any doubts about a communication with the belayer, would be to go directly into the anchor and then sort it out with the person from there. i would never start lowering myself on the rope because i think the belayer hasn't caught on and i just want to get to the ground. were you in a hurry? 2)was the belayer in a position where you could not hear or see him?

I had doubts the he had taken me at the very tope when i was at the chains, I assumed he couldn't hear me because of roar of the creek. after lowering myself a few feet i mistakenly felt the rope tighten. And no, at that point i couldn't see him. Just for reference here's what the route looks like: route

RobC2 wrote:Sounds like he had the rope in the Grigri backwards? I always make a visual check of the belayer's set-up to be sure the rope is threaded correctly. Have caught this error a time or two this way...

I'm absolutely positive the grigri was loaded the correct way, i double checked it before setting off.

Scott Jones..... It's good to see you here posting...

live and learn.

Anyone else think she was talking about a cam?

creektrails wrote: It seems like he meant that nobodys piling on Yount or searching to burn him at the stake. Outing was fair warning and seemed to stay there.

Agreed. And there as been no mention of Michael Yount until now
;)

and yet MPers are fine with naming someone who cheats them on gear swap ...

gear over life anyday !!!

;)

JLP wrote: That's what put you in the hospital. I don't agree with laying 100% of the blame on the belayer, I don't like that you named him here and I think the posts with his name should be removed by an admin. It isn't appropriate. He's not here participating in this thread and has no obligation to defend himself here nor tell his side of the story. Therefore, it's just slander and I think this site should be above it. It's a 40 foot sport route next to the road and you ended up in the hospital, that's all I know. I wouldn't rope up with either of you. I am glad you'll be okay. Good luck with your climbing.

Nobody wants to hear this. But, I do agree with you. We have only heard one side of the story and we don't know all the details. His name should not be listed unless he decides on his own to participate in the public forum. He may have come forward on his own if given some time. But, we will never know now.

Natalie P. wrote:...didn't know the difference between slack and take so when Scott said take, the guy just held the gri gri down completely

This is why I like to ask for "tension" instead of saying "take." "Take" and "slack" sound pretty similar.

JLP wrote: . . . I don't agree with laying 100% of the blame on the belayer, I don't like that you named him here and I think the posts with his name should be removed by an admin. It isn't appropriate. He's not here participating in this thread and has no obligation to defend himself here nor tell his side of the story. Therefore, it's just slander and I think this site should be above it. . . .

It's not slander or anything like that if it's true. If I were involved in something like this, I might think long and hard about how sure I was that any negative comments about someone are in fact true. But if I were to be satisfied that I was almost killed or seriously injured by someone's incompetence after meeting him (or her) on MP, I'd post an account of what happened, including the name, and the chips can fall where they may.

JLP wrote:If you rip someone off in the FS forum, then you are here participating.

how about ebay or craiglist then

or those who add a bolt or two to a climb

much more important than life itself

;)

Interesting he joined the MP community right around the time this thread and accident occurred.

D.Buffum wrote: I should caveat that I don't know if that profile is really his. It says it's for a Michael Yount from Boulder CO. That meets the description given on this thread. If the profile is real, or if it's for the same Michael Yount, I cannot say.

He Is just a fucktard that joined up answering a gal's post about being new and looking for partners. Posted a picture of his belay technique (sick fucker).
The admins deleted his posts in the thread fairly quickly.

No way it could be the real M.Y.

Probably A Trollenor manifestation.

He's easy to find on Facebook, if you actually wanted to contact him. (I don't know him, I just have a Google habit)

JLP wrote: I don't agree with laying 100% of the blame on the belayer,

Would you agree with....say 96%?