shanja
05-16-2007, 12:36 PM
Yesterday Kyung Ah, Karen, Eric and I hit up the wall at Asan near Cheonan. A really nice outdoor wall with heaps of that woogly exposure feeling to it, and a few easier routes too. After Eric warmed up on a far left route (where it's easier) it was my turn to lead. I jumped on feeling pretty chilled and happy, but what happened a few clips later was to really mess-up my focus and confidence for the rest of the day. A bizarre "accident".
Climbing above my last bolt to where I could just about reach the next, I heard a "bang" sort of snap sound. I looked down to see a carabiner still attached to the bolt....BUT NO QUICKDRAW. I was about 12m up I guess and on a prety cruisey route, though overhung. My last bolt (now no longer in connection with rope) was about 4 feet below and the last connected bolt a further 5 feet below that. It took a minute to think of what "had happened". It appeared that the dogbone (nylon runner sling) on my draw had snapped under the mere weight of the draw being tugged upwards as I went past! I knew they were oldish (bought in 2000), but to think that they could snap so easily made me extremely disconcerted about the potenial fall I might get...I had no confidence in them to lower off, nor to catch my fall, or even rest on. With a very attentive Eric belaying I downclimbed to the last bolt and re-clipped the rope through the bolt end crab (biner). Then down climbed to the next and did likewise again. Back on the deck we examined the failed dogbone. It hadn't broken. It wasn't torn. The crab was fine too. What in Petes name had happened???:confused8 How had a bolt end crab become estranged from it's dogbone without being subjected to a fall, a rest or anything? I know that I'd clipped it properly.:confused8
WELL HERE"S THE DEAL: After a little experimenting I found a tightish rope on an overhanging route actually could cause the draw to be lifted and the dogbone to be pulled up the gate and even to open the gate when the bolt end biner could not rotate further. I'll attach some pics to show this later. THe point is that although this was a freak happening, and I was actually able to make a bomber safe retreat (though my mind was never ble to accept my safety the rest of the day)...it can happen. So if you are climbing on those "safe as" sport walls, you still need to be careful. As you climb keep an eye on your draws and biners. Make sure they aren't being flipped, twisted or jerked into poor loading angles by rope drag or anything. Longer dogbones might have helped here too, but I'm not sure. Oh, and also if you are feeling woogly about the age/ condition of your gear it's probably time to retire it.
The Koreans who were there were really kind and supportive of us and we also met some really nice new climber friends. Cool.
Climbing above my last bolt to where I could just about reach the next, I heard a "bang" sort of snap sound. I looked down to see a carabiner still attached to the bolt....BUT NO QUICKDRAW. I was about 12m up I guess and on a prety cruisey route, though overhung. My last bolt (now no longer in connection with rope) was about 4 feet below and the last connected bolt a further 5 feet below that. It took a minute to think of what "had happened". It appeared that the dogbone (nylon runner sling) on my draw had snapped under the mere weight of the draw being tugged upwards as I went past! I knew they were oldish (bought in 2000), but to think that they could snap so easily made me extremely disconcerted about the potenial fall I might get...I had no confidence in them to lower off, nor to catch my fall, or even rest on. With a very attentive Eric belaying I downclimbed to the last bolt and re-clipped the rope through the bolt end crab (biner). Then down climbed to the next and did likewise again. Back on the deck we examined the failed dogbone. It hadn't broken. It wasn't torn. The crab was fine too. What in Petes name had happened???:confused8 How had a bolt end crab become estranged from it's dogbone without being subjected to a fall, a rest or anything? I know that I'd clipped it properly.:confused8
WELL HERE"S THE DEAL: After a little experimenting I found a tightish rope on an overhanging route actually could cause the draw to be lifted and the dogbone to be pulled up the gate and even to open the gate when the bolt end biner could not rotate further. I'll attach some pics to show this later. THe point is that although this was a freak happening, and I was actually able to make a bomber safe retreat (though my mind was never ble to accept my safety the rest of the day)...it can happen. So if you are climbing on those "safe as" sport walls, you still need to be careful. As you climb keep an eye on your draws and biners. Make sure they aren't being flipped, twisted or jerked into poor loading angles by rope drag or anything. Longer dogbones might have helped here too, but I'm not sure. Oh, and also if you are feeling woogly about the age/ condition of your gear it's probably time to retire it.
The Koreans who were there were really kind and supportive of us and we also met some really nice new climber friends. Cool.