[pct-l] pct-l Digest, Vol 36, Issue 22

[Bighummel at aol.com]

In a message dated 10/22/2006 2:27:36 AM Pacific Standard Time,  
mountainprana at earthlink.net writes:

>  " Of course,  if you're lucky  and fall the right  way, even an 
> inexperienced hiker may be  able to self
>  arrest, but if you fall backwards and/or upside down, you could be  in  
> real trouble.  I can imagine, it's not the easiest thing to do  without 
>  first practicing."



Years ago, while doing summer field geology work in the Sierra above  Bishop, 
I did a foolish thing;  I tried to ice climb an old rotten corniss  (sp?) on 
the top of a ridge.  The snow on top was rotten from the advancing  summer and 
the snow under an overhang of about 18 inches was solid and still  near ice 
density and held well.  I climbed this with ice axe and full  crampons and a 
rock hammer (dumb).  The rock hammer slipped out while in a  sitting position 
wrapped around the overhang and I began to fall back.  In  that 1/1,000,000th of 
a second of realization, I threw the rock hammer and  pushed out and flipped 
around in mid air, swinging the ice axe into self arrest  position.  In the 
next 1/1,000,000,000th of a second I fell about 20 feet  vertically (gravity 
really sucks!) into the snow/ice/mud underneath and slipped  into mud and gravel 
at an incredible velocity.  The self arrest did  nothing, however, in the 
insuing years this event has resonated in my memory and  I think that I learned a 
ton;  
 
1) You really need four good points to climb vertical or technical ice,  
don't try to use a tool that isn't designed for what you're trying to use it  for.
 
2) In a fall, after recognition, immediately toss one point to free up that  
hand for self arrest.
 
3) My recognition of falling condition is good.
 
4) I'm a total idiot for trying this and damn lucky to come away with just  a 
slightly twisted ankle!
 
5) Gravity really sucks and the acceleration of a free fall is almost  
unbelievable.  
 
6) Your mind moves much faster than gravity sucks.  Thus, you can  recognize 
and react in time in many, if not most cases, IF you have the right  equipment 
and IF you know how to use it!
 
Big Old Idiot Strider (BOIS) or
Great Albino Zulu Warrior (GAZW) or
. . .