UKC

Hi, this may have been covered before but google is letting me down.

What is a safe height to fall onto a single bouldering pad, in this case a DMM Highball. I know that there is no 'safe' height as an injury can occur by dropping a single meter but at what height do you start wanting more than one pad? (this is also assuming a good landing base with no rocks etc.)

Next - how did you build up to this height? Being honest I am currently struggling to get more than 2.5 meters up without being very spooked and either climbing back down or only going for the move if I know I can make it. I haven't taken an outdoor fall higher than 3m...

In reply to BoulderyDave: Just found a bit of info on the Alpkit website which suggests height of 6-7 meters. I also just checked the height of the boulders I climb and the fall is about 4 meters - but I still don't think I have taken one over 3m

In reply to BoulderyDave:

I've come off of a couple of big boulders before (most notably Clach Ceann-Feadhna in Coire Lagan, Skye - which is pretty highball at 40ft!)

Normally I'm not even thinking about hitting the mat once i'm above a few metres, getting away from the rock and into a space when i can roll/flop/smack out is higher up my list of priorities! I doubt I'm controlled enough to hit a pad from 7m anyway!

I'd be interested in any real world experience of people hitting mats from 7m. Do they stay put?

In reply to BoulderyDave:

I should probably add that I don't really do any outdoor bouldering now, it just seems like a really easy way to hurt myself! I wouldn't solo a climbing route anywhere near the grade I climb at, but for some reason I'm happy to boulder at my limit. Quite like some of the lower problems, but highball stuff is no longer on my list of stuff to do at the weekend.

In reply to professionalwreckhead: 40ft, wow, that is much higher than I would be willing to boulder!

Interested in what others say about hitting a mat from 7m up? Hadn't thought of that but considering you would be going for a move when you fell how much control would you really have on your landing

In reply to BoulderyDave:

It is probably very subjective depending on the person also, and the landing. 7m is a route in the Peak!

In reply to Paul Twomey:
Agreed. It would depend on
- Strength of the legs for absorbing the fall
- How good you are at landing technique
- Thickness / quality of the pad and number of pads
- Whether you have a spotter or not
- Landing area flatness
- The position you're in when you fall off
- What planet you're climbing on

In reply to BoulderyDave:


As ever this is very subjective and there is an obvious source of confusion in so much as a stretched out human being is ~2.5m long so is 7m actually 7m or is it 4.5m? Either way it's bloody high, nearly 2 shipping containers high. Would you jump from sitting atop 2 shipping containers? Carefully onto a deep mat with a spotter maybe. Would you choose to fall onto it? I wouldn't, there's a good chance of getting hurt and a really good chance of missing it without a bit of luck and a spotter.

Personally I'm not happy falling/jumping more than about 1.5m onto a mat when bouldering alone. If the landing is flat and soft maybe 2m for feet first slumps but no more. That's me, I'm soft and my feet really suffer for it.

There is no safe height, I've fallen awkwardly from sit starts and hurt myself badly enough to end the session. I've also missed the mat into rocks from the top of NTBTA and hobbled away with nothing worse than scuffs, bruises and crushed toenails. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don't.

The bigger the mat the more chance of hitting it. The deeper the mat the less it hurts when you do. Too big and you'll not want to drag it along the edge with you.

jk

In reply to BoulderyDave: In reply to BoulderyDave: Above a certain height, the problem is not just one of cushioning, it's of hitting the pad at all! When I was younger and braver / stupider I used to go quite high above single pads (though I did also break an ankle this way). Now as soon as I get a few metres up they start looking postage stamp sized and thin. I also worry about what repeated wear and tear of falling is doing to my hips etc in the long run.

I personally don't normally do anything at all that feels at all highball (to me) with less than four standard sized ones these days. Typically this is one big metolius taco style mat laid over the top of two normal ones. I really rate the big taco as it leaves you no horrid gaps in the stack to land in. Obviously this quantity of matting requires money and friends but it does keep you a fairly safe.

With less you either stay lower to the ground and/or roll the dice really, your choice. I personally like my bouldering to feel as safe(ish) and I'm a wimp so others may be different but good matting is important for me if I know I'll be falling (a lot).

In reply to jkarran:

I was thinking this too.

I think that over about 3m (from your feet to the ground) a 2nd pads is required, even a hefty pad will bottom out beyond this.

vimeo.com/42206160 This was done above a 3 foot deep pile of pads!

In reply to BoulderyDave: Also, think that it is rare to fall off out of control doing a highball, I have taken a few big falls on to a pile off pads (3 or 4 pads deep) but it has always been a controlled drop rather then a arms flailing, might miss the pads kind of fall!

youtube.com/watch?v=O4rgMyThtWI&

...love this highball by Dean Potter, nice controlled drop onto the pads (way higher then I would have the balls for!!)

In reply to jkarran:

Having struggled carrying a moon saturn in high winds last night, I can vouch for this.

In reply to BoulderyDave:

I've done 4m before, off a slab onto an Alpkit Phud.As it was a slab I could do the whole turn around and try to run down.

I landed on my mat safely, but then kinda pinged off into a bush unharmed. My head was only 3 cm away from a boulder though.....

In reply to BoulderyDave: Some excellent advice in this thread. V much appreciated. Now it looks like I need a bit of MTFU and also not to get too hung up as I am already approaching the upper limit for one pad.

Going to push a little bit harder but also get another pad

In reply to Beardyman: F*cking 'ell that's big!