Have you ever taken a leader fall while ice climbing?

[lucky luke]

Funny how the leaderfall off of Dropline 2 weeks ago didn't garner much attention here considering a broken tib/fib and smashed talus. Sometimes descretion is the better part of valor.  A bunch of visiting guides carried out the rescue with the leaders partner.

The accident is not really interesting...

what we are looking is how to avoid that kind of mistake?

Knowing that falling happened to most climber and how they manage to go over to climb better after...

Maybe it is the reason why the question of dman and accident in north america is so important...

[SidleK]

Fackin' punting off routes left and right myself....If you're not falling, you're not trying hard enough right???

[DLottmann]

Fackin' punting off routes left and right myself....If you're not falling, you're not trying hard enough right???

Where’s the “like” button round’ here?

[Smear]

16 years climbing ice and no leader falls here.
I have however backed off my fair share of routes and saved them for another day.
It seems to happen a couple of times each year.

[Admin Al]

16 years climbing ice and no leader falls here.
I have however backed off my fair share of routes and saved them for another day.
It seems to happen a couple of times each year.

+

[tradmanclimbz]

30+something years of ice.  4 off the couch, 4+ 2nd day out sometimes 4+ on the 1st day.  Work up to the occasional 5 when its in super fat.
1 ice leaderfall. cragging on a 4+ that was in 5+ condition I had soloed the climb the previous march comfortably when it was in 4- condition.  Totally underestimated it and when I got up on the crux pillar the following january it was candled and overhanging. 5+ moves but not long enough to be rated harder than 4+  My screws kept hitting air so i kept fireing them in trying to get one I actually liked. Hung out in the steepest part for too long. Put a screw in , hit air, take it out try again, hit air again.  had that thing sewed up tighter than a nuns corset! Totally gassed out wanking arround with the gear on the steep and when i finally did swing over the top of the pillar it sheared off.  I had enough gas left to push the  huge plate out of the way and get one last ok stick but not enough gas to pull the move. Steep clean fall, kept my feet moveing , no injury. Big embaresment.

I have taken a bunch of hangs. ice is aid anyways and falling on ice is stupid  so if I am getting unreasonably  gassed rather than climb blindly into a pump ( see dracula video) I fire in a screw and take a hang. Gives you a chance to make a rational decision. thread off or rest up and finish.


1 fall on steep mixed.  caught in the dark without the headlamp turned on. couldn't see my feet and popped off on to a cam and stopper. hung and turned on the headlamp. fired the last 3 moves to the trees.

[Homeless Junkie]

 I've only leading ice for three years. I've never fallen but I also don't have much time under my belt either.

 I'm not sure where my limit is.  I've led some 4s and 4+s I've mock led WI5 to the right of Waterfall at Poko. I didn't fall but really doubt I would feel comfortable without the TR. I do mostly 3+ or 4- because I would like to lead 100 pitches before I regularly lead 4+ or 5... I lost count in January though! Haha.

 I also been dialing it back lately as conditions have hard lately. Between the brittle ice and snow. I've been enjoying stuff like Waterfall and Walk in the Forest at Frankenstein  I don't wanna push it! I can't wait until warm weather brings soft ice!

[darwined]

What percentage of of leader falls, on ice, result in injury?

[Admin Al]

good question... I started to say 90%, but obviously that's not even close. has to be a lot less, but it seems as if it should be high.

[Jeff]

For me personally, it was 200 % (one ice leader fall, two injuries). Back in March of 1981, dinner plating at the top of the top pillar on Pegasus caused me to try to reach higher with my Terrordactyl; of course my front points sheared out and I was off, landing about 15 feet down with both crampons on the small ledge I'd placed my last screw from; crampons bit, I went over backwards and the rope caught me before I was fully upside down, but the damage was done--left ankle badly broken, right one badly sprained. Lowered, my friends cleaned the gear while I returned to the tracks on my butt dragging myself downhill backwards. They went to the car and brought out 2 pair of XC skis (multi-sport weekend) and an ensolite pad and sitting on the makeshift sled I was towed to the car. Surgery 3 days later to install a fixation screw, six weeks teaching French from a wheelchair ( right ankle injury made it impossible to use crutches), climbing again by early May at the Gunks. Broke the same ankle again that August landing on the ledge below the crux of Werk Sup in Eldorado, but that's another story . In nearly 5 decades of leading climbs, I can count my leader falls as fewer than my digits-- others have also resulted in injury to ankles, and to one concussion-- This leader has given up landing!!

[DLottmann]

I’m finding the stories and stats pretty interesting... if you haven’t chimed in please do so!

[Joe_Re]

I've led ice a few times a year for 4 or 5 years and fallen once.  I was climbing Standard in three pitches and made an anchor above the cave to the climbers right on a nice flat spot.  About another ten feet to the right there was about a ten or so foot wall and I went for it.  I was screwing around taking too long moving my feet around when all four points went.  I fell straight down about three or so feet onto my feet/side of my ass.  I was climbing with a newer partner and co-worker.  He's a strong climber and has a very 'safe' head (but didn't lead ice at the time) so I felt good about having him holding the rope.  I felt dumb as shit for falling and really embarrassed, but picked myself up finished the climb, (taking the easier way to the left), went and led Walk in the Forest to shake it out of my head.

We didn't climb Dracula that day...   ...I didn't even want to top-rope it.

[tmbirdsall]

Why do you ask?

Curiosity started in the thread about the Texaco grounder a couple weeks ago...

That was me.  I just read the thread and once again say that I am more than comfortable climbing and leading the grade of ice I was on.  It was my first lead for this year and felt good about it until I couldn't get the screw in.  The ice was super hard and brittle and I couldn't get it started.  I got pumped out and fell.  That's it in a nutshell.
I do have to say reading the thread about my fall that I'm offended that some of the people responding to the thread seem to see my gender as an issue to leading.  It wasn't my first lead or my first season leading.  I am a confidant climber and fully plan on doing it (not falling) again next season after my injury heals. 

[ELM]

   I am sorry you felt people were having an issue with you leading as a woman climber. No real excuse for that. Lynn Hill could kick everyone here's asses on the cliff any day.
   I would say most woman climbers, leading or not, can teach us guys much. Guys often muscle through stuff that we don't need to. Women tend to move way more efficently and have better control. I have had the chance to watch Judy Perez on occasion and she just gradually tip-toe's up stuff I am hanging on for dear life grunting and sweating over.

[JBrochu]

I just read through that thread and can't say I could find any suggestion of gender having anything to do with the accident.