I had already decided to be better about wearing my helmet, but this picture will hopefully motivate me. With out the helmet this could have been way worse. Thanks for the reminder Steve.
So I said I was going to do better wearing my helmet, but I have to admit that I forgot to wear it on three lead climbs yesterday. So much for scared straight.
On that note we had a really fun day at Rivendale. Ryan, Brett, Mike, Steve, Agnes, Morgan, and Connor all came along. The approach is about 45 minutes, but the climbing was really fun, and the company was great. If you ever go to Rivendale take the wash, and not the climbers trail. Trust me. It's much easier in the wash.
Halloween 2010
14 years ago
4 comments:
So here's a little extra background on that photo. For the official version you can check out page 92 of the 2005 edition of Accidents in North American Mountaineering. Not a book I ever hoped to see my name in.
We were at the top of the first pitch on the CMC route on Mt. Moran in Grand Teton NP. Jerry and I were anchored separately, belaying his two sons up to our ledge. A party high above knocked off a bunch of rocks. Seriously, I glanced up and all I could see was rocks. We tucked into the wall as best we could. I got a couple pepperings on the backpack. Jerry got a cantalope-sized rock to the head. He never lost consciousness but he was totally out of it. His sons anchored themselves at a safe place. I called 911 and the NPS rescue crew came in and flew in a ranger on a long line. They hooked Jerry up and he and the ranger flew out. His sons and I rapped and got ourselves out. Very wild experience on many levels. Without the helmet he definitely would've died. He recovered quickly physically, we scrambled up the South Teton less than a month later. Financially, it took a while. The rescue in the park was free, but they Life-Flighted him from Jackson to Idaho Falls for an MRI and that wasn't cheap.
But that's on a big crumbling mountain. Sport climbing is different, certainly. But after the Moran experience and also having a friend watch the body recovery of a girl who died on a 5.8 sport route when she flipped and hit her head, I try to wear my helmet as much as I can. Yeah, sometimes I forget. And it's not that comfortable. But it only takes once. Just ask super climber and hilarious Dirtbag Diaries contributor Kelly Cordes: http://kellycordes.wordpress.com/2010/07/26/my-thick-skull-and-drink-recipe/
Here is even BETTER picture to help you remember to wear your effing helmet.
http://gracerich.blogspot.com/2010_08_01_archive.html
scroll down to the entry called "june lake turns to misadventure" then scroll down to the last pics of my friend who ran out of rope helmetless and decked - loosing 1/4 of her scalp.... lucky to be alive with a normal IQ after that one
Just in case you are unaware Angela is an ER doc (that's right folks, I have two er docs who read my blog). She sees people do stupid stuff and end up in her emergency room every day where she has to put the pieces back together. I imagine she will be scolding me soon. Hopefully in person when we go climbing, running, or mt. biking.
Up until reading the links in Steve and Angela's comments I thought the best use of my helmet was to keep the top rope from knocking my sunglasses off from behind. I will definitley remember those images the next time I need to put on a helmet. (which may be another four months at the rate I am going)
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