My self-rescue skills became rusty because I never got into the sort of trouble where they would be needed. That’s definitely a good thing. My self-rescue skills also became rusty because I never practiced them and didn’t get refresher training as often as I should have. That’s definitely a bad thing. The self-rescue course I did at the weekend highlighted for me just how risky it had … Continue reading (Re)learning Self-Rescue
If someone asked me what causes accidents on via ferrate, I would only be able to make a few informed guesses. This is because there is surprisingly little readily accessible information on why accidents happen on vie ferrate. This concerns me because understanding why the cause of accidents is essential to preventing them. I’d like there to start a conversation about the causes and prevalence of these accidents as a way of improving understanding and helping people safely enjoy vie ferrate. Continue reading Via Ferrata Accidents – what you don’t know might hurt you
Well, the clue is in the name. You can’t really start out on this climb unaware that some bit of rock is going to wobble when you hold on to it. However, some of the wobbly rocks are more obvious than others and the guidebook doesn’t mention the most important of them. Continue reading What They Don’t Tell You In the Guidebook – Wobblestone Crack
Bump is due any day now, and Robin has been reminding me that it would be a good time for me to tell you about my experiences before life is filled with nappies and puke, and my brain can no longer string together a meaningful sentence. Personally, I think my brain reached that stage a while ago, so there may have been some hefty editing to this post on my behalf by well-meaning relatives… Continue reading Climbing for Two: climb when ready
I like to think that I’m a rational person and that I make reasoned decisions on the basis of a considered weighing up of all the information. This is important, as sound decision-making is vital for the safety of me and other people in the mountain sports that I do. The truth is that I am as vulnerable as everyone else to my decision-making being distorted by biases that lead to less than rational thinking. Continue reading Bias Can Get You Lost
One of our first considerations when thinking about trying for a family was would I have to stop climbing? There seems to be a lot of conflicting advice (and some rather strong opposing views) on the internet on the subject of rock climbing during pregnancy. General medical opinion appears to be that any activity where falling is likely should be avoided, as well as contact sports, anything that could result in even mild abdominal trauma and loaded twisting movements. The reasons for this are obvious – clearly I wouldn’t want to cause any physical damage to either myself or our baby, but on the other hand, there are definite benefits from climbing, both physical and psychological. And if pregnancy yoga is safe, then surely some aspects of rock climbing (or ‘yoga going upwards’ as I like to call it) could be ok? Continue reading Climbing for Two: to climb or not to climb?
Today a group of manufacturers have issued new recalls on via ferrata lanyards. This is the second wave of recalls of this type of equipment in the last six months and relates to a different type of lanyards than in the first wave. The statements issued by the UIAA (the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation) and the manufacturers are clear that the issues with these particular lanyards are potentially fatal. Continue reading Further Recalled
I couldn’t see where the cries for help were coming from. The rocky hulk of Tryfan was almost black in the twilight and was shrouded in cloud. I could tell the shouts of help were definitely coming from high on Tryfan’s west face, but they were just disembodied voices in the growing dark. Continue reading Be Seen on the Mountain
A failure of crucial safety equipment leads to a tragic death. Major manufacturers issue urgent recalls of the equipment and an emergency meeting of the industry body decides to review safety standards. If this were a story about a major consumer product, it would be major news. It’s not. This is a story about a piece of specialist mountaineering equipment – via ferrata lanyards. For this reason you won’t find this story mentioned outside the specialist press. It’s a story with a lot of the features of a crisis. Although the response to it has been swift, it raises all sorts of questions about the regulation of mountain sports and the accessibility of the mountains to the public. Continue reading Recalling a Crisis
It’s common for rock climbers to drink alcohol after climbing. It’s also common for rock climbers to go climbing the morning after drinking alcohol. If done in moderation and sensibly, this can be fine. But it can also be unsafe and affect climbing performance both in the short and long-term. Continue reading Rock the morning after
It’s been reported that an emergency meeting of the Safety Commission of the UIAA (Union Internationale des Associations d’Alpinisme – International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation) will be held this week because of concerns over the safety of via ferrata lanyards from several manufacturers. Continue reading UPDATE – Totally Recalled
Earlier this week equipment manufacturer Edelrid issued a product recall for a selection of their via ferrata lanyards. This recall follows a fatal via ferrata accident a couple of weeks ago. Apparently, investigations have so far established an association between increased use of these lanyards and a weakening of their elasticated webbing. As the Edelrid lanyards involved in this accident had apparently been rented, it is quite possible that they had seen greater than usual use. However, the actual cause of the accident has not yet been established and Edelrid have issued the product recall as a precaution. Continue reading Totally Recalled
Well, after two years following Robin up crags and cliffs, we decided that 2012 would be the year I would learn to lead. Aside from the fact that it’s frankly rather cool, I had several reasons I wanted to progress to leading. Firstly, I wanted to start pulling my own weight in our climbing partnership, we both want to have a stab at longer multi-pitch routes where leading through is necessary, and lastly, you haven’t really experienced trad climbing until you’ve been reduced to a quivering wreck… Continue reading Learning to lead
Whether it’s due to excess brains or empty space, I have a larger than average head. This makes it hard to find any headwear that fits. Anything marked “one size fits all” does not seem to include me in the definition of “all”. This might be only an annoyance if I were not a rock climber. I need a helmet to protect my head from falling rocks, dropped bits of gear, impacts and banging my head against overhangs (which is a habit of mine). If a helmet is to protect my head properly, then it has to fit properly. Unfortunately, my big head means that the selection of helmets that will fit me is small. Continue reading Helmets for Big Heads
the Severe climber 