UKC

Due to the covid thing I've been out solo bouldering in the Peak over the late summer. As someone whose outdoor climbing was all trad before, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this. I tend to choose very easy problems, mostly because I'm a mediocre middle-aged punter, but also due to (perceived) increased risk due to being on my own. The main risk seems to me to be head injury.

So far I haven't worn any head protection, but I'm interested in people's perspective on this subject. I know its not common, and I'm not not enthusiastic about looking "special" while bouldering, but I also quite like keeping the contents of my skull intact.

One objection could be that wearing head protection might make the wearer over-ambitious and increase the likelihood of falling. There is some (contended) evidence of this with bike helmets, but this doesn't seem to stop me wearing one for cycling though.

I have a Petzl Elias helmet that I use for trad, but this seems like a poor choice for bouldering - its designed for different impact profiles, and there is presumably the risk of it catching on the rock in a fall with a non-trivial risk of neck injury. A few cursory searches hasn't revealed any obvious specialist bouldering helmets - just a few mentions of using bike helmets, which seem equally poor and also kind of ridiculous looking. Also lots of people ridiculing the general idea.

Like I said, I know its not the done thing - but then nether was wearing helmets for trad when I started back in the early nineties. I'm not advocating for or against head protection while bouldering, just wondering what other people do and what options there are.

Constructive thoughts anyone?

In reply to Andy Johnson: If you feel like wearing a helmet, wear a helmet.  I don't think it's ridiculous.  I don't really think that being over-ambitious is a problem as you should expect to push and fall off anyway, though how hard you push is your decision.

Interesting to think if the type of fall is more typical to a bicycle accident.

In reply to Andy Johnson:

The beanie is the traditional boulderer's head protection, non?

In reply to wbo2:

Ultimately I don't care about looking ridiculous. But I'm not convinced that mountaineering or cycling helmets are good solution. Are there any other options?

In reply to Andy Johnson:What do you think is different to falling off a bike?

In reply to wbo2:

If I fall off my bike, I tend not to fall vertically very far. And I don't tend to have jagged rock parallel to the direction of fall. All I can think of right now.

In reply to Andy Johnson:

I just wouldn't boulder on my own if the landing wasn't safe. Far too easy to tumble off the back of the pad and crock yourself on something. 

In reply to Sean_J:

I'm probably the wrong side of fifty for the authentic beanie look.

And more seriously, they don't offer much protection.

In reply to Andy Johnson:

Piss pot helmets such as those worn in bmx or canoeing have a lower profile, many of the specific climbing helmets look to have flared edges which could get in the way when getting close to the rock. Cover it in climbing stickers and you'll have started a new trend.

Edit to add: I used to wear pro tec helmets when skating, always felt cool as a cucumber at the skate park.

In reply to Andy Johnson:

Do many people get head injuries when bouldering,?

In my experience it's foot or back injuries.

In reply to Removed User:

Most people bouldering have spotters though, where the primary aim is to keep the faller upright. Without a spotter it's very easy to land fine but tumble backwards with your momentum and that's when you trip up and smack your noggin. 

In reply to Removed User:

You're probably right, but I'm specifically thinking of solo bouldering (due to covid).

In reply to Andy Johnson:

I've always wondered why people don't wear helmets whilst bouldering (even started a thread about a few years ago, which didn't yield any convincing results).

Do you think there's a bigger chance of this happening bouldering than if you fall whilst roped climbing?  Doesn't feel very likely to me, but prepared to be convinced otherwise. 

In reply to Andy Gamisou:

Its probably unlikely, but the consequences would be similar to it happening on trad lead: no supporting rope you take your weight. My local wall specifically forbids helmets of autobelays for this reason. Not that I'd personally ever want to wear a helmet on an autobelay, but people do while leading and they're encouraged to remember to remember take them off.

In reply to Andy Johnson:

depends on the type of problem also - if you are climbing vertical to maybe 15-20 degrees overhanging, you are pretty unlikely to hurt your head (more ankles!)

I have boulders to try alone (with 3 well placed pads, which can normally avert most risks) & boulders to try with other people (steeper, higher, rocky landings)

In reply to Andy Johnson:

I boulder a lot on my own.  My risk mitigation includes having 4 pads (most venues I visit are <10mins walk in, often just roadside) mostly low stuff or if I want harder then usually a bit of a traverse.  I avoid high heel hooks unless there happens to be someone I know at the crag to give a spot. With a bit of thought you can usually work out roughly where you'd land from a particular move and pad that area, just needs a bit of thought before pulling on.

In reply to Andy Johnson:

Probably me being thick, but I don't have even the slightest clue what you're trying to say here.

In reply to Andy Johnson:

Bouldering for me has always been a solitary activity.

I've cracked a bone in my heel, twice on the same problem a year apart, and hurt my back but never came anywhere near hurting my head over the thirty odd years I've been doing it. I guess if you're going to land in boulders there's a chance of it happening or if you're on a roof but otherwise you generally hit the ground feet first and don't really have the distance to turn over.

Interesting to see if many others know of cases of head injuries sustained while bouldering.

In reply to Andy Gamisou:

A fall while bouldering on (say) vertical rock could snag the helmet on protruding rock, resulting in the wearer being shock-suspended by the neck.

Regarding the autobelay digression:

"Firstly, helmet or no helmet? In simple terms - generally no helmet, the reason for this is that the auto belay relies on it being weighted for it to operate, should someone descending the wall snag their helmet on a hold then the autobelay will be unweighted and the climbers weight taken by the helmet and, more importantly, the helmet strap which could cause panic and a strangulation hazard."

https://www.mountain-training.org/membership/ami/news-and-articles/auto-bel...

In reply to wbo2:

I think in a bouldering you are much more likely to fall on the back of your head.

Maybe skating helmets?

In reply to Andy Johnson:

As far as I know a climbing helmet is mainly concerned with stuff being dropped on it and for not strangling you if they get caught on something. These tend not to be the problem in bouldering.

In my experience the second good reason for wearing a helmet climbing is that the swing incurred in a fall can be uncontrolled for many reasons resulting in bashing you head against (a vertical) rock face which also tends not to be a problem in bouldering.

Head vs ground in climbing does occur and I do know people who have sustained head injuries this way (not wearing a helmet) but they were niche problems that were arguably better solved elsewhere (lowering/abbing off the end of the rope).

In my experience head injuries in bouldering are fairly uncommon and massively out numbered by lower limb injuries.

So while I wouldn't bother myself and opt for a decent spotter and mats you probably want to look for a relatively low profile but fairly all-around helmet.  The most suitable I recall are those made for white water kayaking which are generally designed to protect from knocks in any direction and generally designed to survive constant bashing around (unlike bike helmets which are essentially one use).  Caveat is these don't require no strangling straps and probably don't pass the rock climbing helmet penetration test (often because they have a small ventilation / drain hole at the top). 

In reply to Andy Johnson:

If you are willing to take a chance on the risk to your brain by not wearing a helmet, don't wear a helmet.

If you are not willing to take a chance on the risk to your brain by not wearing a helmet, wear a helmet.

In reply to Removed User:

I've witnessed head injuries where someone has fallen off the start of a trad route before having gear in, landed fine, and proceeded to fall backward and knock themselves sparko. 

In reply to Andy Johnson:

I can see how this might happen indoors, but my personal opinion, is that I wouldn't worry about it outdoors where the holds are much less sticky out.  Sport climbers take heaps of falls on vertical ground without this happening (I know I have) - unless I've missed reports of this occuring.

In reply to Andy Johnson:

I think the risk of head injury while bouldering, even on your own / without spotters is low. Although there is obviously a chance you could bash your head and that could potentially be more serious than injured limbs I think the slim odds of it happening mean it's not something to worry about unless you're doing some pretty serious highballs.

You're far more likely to injure ankles, wrists or limbs from bouldering falls which may impede your ability to walk out from the crag. But if you feel better wearing a helmet then go for it, I doubt it'll be much hindrance on low grade stuff.

Personally I think if you're going bouldering then you're best going with others. The increased risk of a covid infection is more than offset by the decreased risk of hurting yourself. 

In reply to Andy Johnson: catching the helmet on a protruding rock seems very unlikely to me.  In contrast thus year I have managed to pop off , land awkwardly and roll off the mats in a manner akin to a mountain bike crash .  Ergo .y thoughts on helmets. I went between enough rocks to feel lucky..

That was with others..  surprising things happen..

In reply to Andy Johnson:

I've always done a fair amount of solo bouldering, and love it, but I'm relatively cautious about what I'll do on my own. Some problems I pass by and make a mental note to come back at some point when I've got a spotter and some more mats.

The major risks for head injury in bouldering would seem to be problems where you might fall from an awkward position (e.g. with a foot hooked up high) or where you have a nasty pointy rock behind your landing that you might fall into, and personally I wouldn't be doing those when on my own anyway.

In those cases, a helmet might protect your skull, but wouldn't save your neck from bad things happening to it.

I wouldn't rule out the idea of wearing a helmet for bouldering -- John "Inventor of V-Grades" Sherman has done it sometimes when he thinks it's appropriate for a particular problem, and no-one can impugn his credibility!

But you probably want to think about it as one option within a bigger picture of risk assessment.

In reply to Andy Johnson:

I have injured my head whilst out bouldering. I was at Brimham on the Anchor. I put my shoes bent down facing out from the crag turned round and nutted the edge of the roof. However this has not resulted in my wearing of a helmet. I’m out on my own most of time, I take 2 pads and avoid stuff if it looks risky.

In reply to Andy Johnson:

Myself and all my friends have been “solo” bouldering, for up to 50 yrs plus outdoors wearing beanies in the winter and some at quite a high standard. The only time I,ve been injured bouldering is at a wall where once I ended up at hospital with a wrecked knee trying a totally weird and contrived move on plastic that didn’t resemble any rock type or form I’ve ever encountered. Mind you several of the team have also soloed up to E5/6, so solo bouldering wouldn’t scare them, even without a helmet.

In reply to Removed User:

A couple of months ago I had a bouldering accident which resulted in a head injury and a visit to A&E, still got a lump on the back of my head

In reply to Somerset swede basher:

Yes, all this. 
 

I have one mat, most of my bouldering is on my own, and I have a penchant for marching across moors, mat on my back, far from the road. As a result I don’t really boulder very hard, or very high. Unless you feel confident that a helmet will save you, then just do problems that visually appeal (flat, clear landing, not high etc) rather than problems that are well known etc just because you want to do them. I always find that if I were to wear a helmet it’d be Sod’s law that the time I did fall badly, I’d crack my neck on a rock just below the helmet and it’d be curtains 🙃

In reply to mrphilipoldham:

Similar, 1 mat, on my own, but only doing relatively easy stuff and I would be very wary of problems where I was getting horizontal or high heel hooking.

But, I'm coming from a background of having soloed lots of easy gritstone (still do) so in one respect having a mat is making it safer.

In reply to Michael Hood:

Yes same here, had solo'd more than I'd seconded on grit routes up until the pandemic hit and sensibilities took over. Agreed, anything that requires a move where falling off would result in a landing on your head/back is generally best avoided.

In reply to Andy Johnson:

I like solo bouldering - especially highballs miles away from anywhere with no one around, brilliant! It is a bit risky though.

I've never considered wearing a helmet because it's just not what I'm worried about. Any problem that involves any kind of fall with any non-negligible risk of head injury is not for me. What I do to reduce the risk is basically be careful. Today, I did some proper highballs in a remote location, at my top grade, with just a single pad. I did a fair bit of jumping off onto the pad, but no uncontrolled falls. When I did top out, I did it in exactly the same way I would when soloing: being damn careful not to fall off!

Bouldering in this style is a lot like bold-ish trad: you've got protection from the pad but there's still risk to manage. But when you cock it up, hesitate or just get scare, up you can jump off, have a rest and start again, making it probably safer than trad (that's my personal judgement on it), with or without a hat on. I doubt a helmet would do much for the risk of breaking an ankle, which is what I'm worried about.

In reply to Andy Johnson:

I'd guess the risks of head injury without are far greater than the risks of injury through wearing a helmet. When seat belts became mandatory some people were worried about being trapped and burnt alive in the event of a crash etc (doubtless this has happened occasionally but on the other hand there must have been thousands of deaths and injuries prevented by seatbelts).

In reply to Andy Johnson:

Thanks for all the comments and perspectives. Very interesting!