UKC

anyone know how the guy who got fallen on is doing?

In reply to nick simons:

I've been wondering the same thing. Called up the Centre the day after. Reception didn't know there had been an accident, and no-one answered in the climbing office. I've asked some mates who are climbing tomorrow to enquire.

In reply to nick simons: Anybody? By 'today' I meant wednesday, the guy who got hit about 5pm under the narrow strip of 3 steep lead lines in the middle of the Westway.

In reply to nick simons:

Was this a different incident to the guy on the auto belay on Monday?

In reply to nick simons: Yes. Not the auto belay guy although I hope he's recovering well also.

In reply to nick simons:

Christ, 2 accidents this week! I won't be heading down there, don't fancy the odds!

In reply to galpinos: Lightning definately never strikes thrice

In reply to nick simons:

would someone care to expand on the 2nd accident?

I'm going down this afternoon so can ask after both.

In reply to Wingman@work:

At about 9pm on Wednesday, someone fell off the auto belay wall although he wasnt actually clipped onto the auto belay. It appears he was free-climbing and mustn't have realised how high he was, slipped and fell for what must have been more than 5 metres, onto his lower back. He was obviously in agony and by the time I left at 9.45 he was still on the ground, the ambulance had come and put a neck brace on him. Hope he's ok - just reminds you never to be complacent about these things...

In reply to Wingman@work:

Sorry, I meant Monday at 9pm not wednesday...

In reply to ck770:

thanks, had heard about that one. Was thinking of the above mentioned one on wednesday under the lead walls.

In reply to nick simons:

Hi, I heard about this from my friend (a non-climber) who works with the lad who fell.
Just called him and he told me the bloke's out of hospital today after having an operation to put bolts into his broken leg. In addition to the leg he also received a 'slightly fractured vertebrae'.

Apparently the (Estonian) lad had only started climbing recently, and had always climbed with others. He'd gone to Westway on his own for the first time, passed the test, and set about climbing. He simply forgot to clip into the machine, got pumped however far up he was, and let go to take a rest. Then gravity took over.

My mate said he realises it was his fault, is thankful the injuries weren't worse and is rather philosophical about looking forward to a break from his work which was getting far too stressful...

Nick

In reply to nickle: Good on him to admit and realise it was his fault. Hope he makes a quick recovery.

In reply to nick simons:
so the estonian was 'on' the autobelay - what about the more recent accident - what happened please? (I'm surprised in one sense - as half the wall was out of use for competition prep, and the place was horribly crowded & very poor value)

In reply to IbexJim:

yawn, what do you expect them to do, give you a half price voucher because they are route setting?!

In reply to Wingman@work:


IIRC They have in the past reduced the entry fee at Leeds wall if they are route setting for a competition

In reply to ANDY HUDSON:
agree - the management at Westway couldn't manage a picnic in a pork pie factory.

In reply to IbexJim:

How do you get to that conclusion?

In reply to IbexJim:
Do they still have the floorwalkers ready to pounce and tell you when an oval screwgate is positioned upside down?

The Ent

In reply to ANDY HUDSON:
the Westway offered reduced entry fees when they were fitting the heaters last year, which had a fairly minor impact on routes off limits; as far more routes were off limits last night, I was surprised they didn't offer the same reduced entry fee to compensate for the crowding and lack of choice.

In reply to nick simons:
Hope both guys are ok - not a nice thing to happen to anyone.

In reply to Wingman@work:

AFAIK a climber from one of the Uni clubs was up a wall at around the 5th clip and his belayer had alot of slack out (the rope was on the floor), and he fell and dropped onto another person standing below, the climber and belayer were ok, but the other person was stretchered off with a neck brace on. This is all from other people (I was there at the time, but didn't see it) so may/may not be accurate but was from reliable sources.
It was very busy that day (busiest I have ever seen it during the day), with loads of uni people, a climbing comp from a local school and many of the routes shut so this will have contributed to it.

Hope their ok, 2 accidents in one week is pretty good going.

Cheers

Rob

In reply to nick simons:

Altho i think the estonian lad is in idiot for not being careful enough (when i started i my have been checking my knots and harness every 3 seconds).......

..i just wanna say get well soon mate (if your readiing this). I wouldnt wish a climbing injury on anyone.

Regarding the other one, that must have a been a serious amount a slack to come off the 5th clip and almost hit the deck. Again get well soon to the innocent guy.

I cringe just thinking about it all.

Its weird how morbidly curious humans are.

In reply to Din Manuelpillai:

When I was doing my learn to lead course at craggy, my dad had to go to clip the 5th clip, and then fall off. I was belaying, and although I didn't get pulled up very far, he still managed to kick me in the shoulder. I wear a helmet when I do anything but top rope/boulder with him now.....

In reply to Din Manuelpillai:

I would say the "innocent guy" shouldn't been standing there in the first place, I never stand under climbers (indoor or outdoor) unless I HAVE to, but anway it was unfortunate accident, these things happen, part of the game really....

Morbid curiousity it may be, but we can all learn something from accidents, hence my original post.

it doesn't take much slack + rope stretch to deck, some people said that the belayer wasn't tied down and was pulled forward/up as well.

Rob

In reply to Wingman@work:

Yes. It is not the odd route, it is half the wall?!

In reply to roblo:

I just new a student had to be involved! Did the student have long hair?

Bet they did, wasting tax payers money.....

In reply to Enty:
It has to be said that the floorwalkers do an important role. If youd actually ever spoken to any of them about it, the frequency with which they find people belaying off gear loops, belaying with only a few twists in the toprope 'because the child climbing was light' etc is quite unbelievable. Unfortunately they cannot be everywhere all the time as the accident shows, but they do serve a purpose. Its pretty pathetic that some people are too arrogant to accept the compromise that is an indoor climbing wall.

In reply to Anonymous:

Funny incident, the management even got involved. I spoke to alot of people there actually regarding the incident.
Can't be arsed talking to you though, I'm too arrogant to talk to unknowns.

The Ent

In reply to Ossian:

yeah .. and they probably knew how to spell knew... stuck-up tossers.

In reply to Ossian:
i think this guys just a bit bitter because he was never intelligent enough to get into college or uni.