In reply to Jack Geldard - Editor - UKC: Good article. Having personally witnessed the helicopter rescue at Stanage over the August Bank Holiday (Dave Hesleden and I were actually co-opted in to help carry the stretcher) as well as numerous dodgy moments on Gritstone edges just about every weekend, I can honestly say that the more articles appearing like this, the better.
There seems to be a growing willingness amongst inexperienced climbers to really go for it, often to the point of falling off, and frequently coupled with poor gear-placing skills — a dangerous combination, and bloody frightening to watch!
The poor lad who fell off Left Unconquerable has already been put through the ringer here, and I don't want to add to that, but really, if you can't protect LU adequately, you can't protect anything.
Today's young, wall-trained climbers can quickly reach high levels of strength and agility, but this in no way prepares them for how to stay safe on real rock. Perhaps someone should introduce courses solely teaching gear placement? I remember, as a youth, walking along the base of a crag on a rainy day (indoor walls weren't around then!) just practicing putting nuts in cracks. In the end I learned to judge the required size so well that I rarely needed a second go, and that was before friends. It's a skill, and just like many other skills, one better learned before your life really depends on it.
Pete.