UKC

It's something we all like to talk about, so come on, that moment where you've got yourself in a bit of a situation.
I had one a year ago on Hargreaves at Stanage. Due to my inexperience I placed one cam low down on the route (which wouldn't have held my hat) and then effectively soloed the rest of the route.
I did consider shouting for a rope but made it to the top without resorting to rescue.
When I topped out I just lay there with my hands cramped up in a weird claw like action (probably some sort of weird shock reaction).
Last week saw someone have one on the sloth - no gear from the cheese block, a momentary wobble on the lip, but then perfectly recovered - we did ask him if he had actually shat himself.

So let's have your stories (you know you want too) and has anyone actually shat themselves with fear

In reply to Ciderslider:

I don't know about fear, but some mornings I can push out 2 or 3 before I actually get on the lead in earnest. Most frustrating for me and my climbing partners. I now carry wag bags whenever I go climbing, and can't wait for the man nappy to be invented.

In reply to Ciderslider:

I think the above title was suggested as a step up from Plas y Brenin's Touching Rock, pretty apt I reckon

In reply to Ciderslider: I know someone who shat themselves due to a particular high rockover move somewhere on the Ben in winter.

Ben

In reply to Ciderslider:

Most recently was on Castle ridge in about February I think. I got to the point where there's the traverse right to the blocky groove and I didn't traverse far enough. I found a groove and it looked hard, but I'd been led to expect that. Anyway I found it desperate and with very little gear. The final moves were basically hanging from a pebble wedged into a crack, a lot of scrabbling and no foot placements that I can remember. The pebble didn't look trustworthy, and I remember a quote from Tom Patey just flashed through my mind: "I never gave it another thought; It had to hold and it did."

Thing is I remember that I was scared, in an abstract way, but the actual fear is something I can't recall. I do remember the feeling of absolute clarity regarding the wedged pebble. It looked as if it would pop with the slightest pressure, but it was all there was. I didn't trust it, but I had to use it, and if it went I was going to break bones. Most of the time I'm paralysed by any kind of choice, and I'm not by nature submissive, so BDSM is out, which is why I find moments like this incredibly liberating. Also it has to be said that the joy you get when to your surprise, you don't get mangled, would make someone incredibly wealthy if it could be bottled

In reply to csw:

I just googled BDSM.

I'm not sure what you mean!

In reply to Ciderslider:

Not While actually Climbing. But had bad guts one Sunday morning at Wintours Leap. Friend and i just Geared up for another attempt at getting over the initial big block on King Kong (never did by the way).

Harness buckle doubled Back, check. Tie on. On belay. Next thing had that bad guts Imminent unstoppable explosive Squit moments. Couldnt get harness undone quick enough. Had to burn my grots and Shorts. luckily friend had pair of waterProof trousers in car. spent rest of day in them. friend didnt want them Back.

How we Laughed.

In reply to Ciderslider:

You're not the first in modern times to have that experience on Hargreaves: lots of medium to large cams useful and if you lack such, certainly don't use them all low down. I've never shat myself from fear, I have come close when risking climbing with mild diarrhea (good weather is more important than constitution at times) and I do find some of my best climbing happens in 'oh shit' moments.

In reply to Oceanrower:

Well - Somebody who's more into it than me might be able to put it better, but as I understand it, there's a certain comfort in surrendering the power of choice. I've heard one woman give an account of feeling scared in a dentists waiting room, so she put herself in "sub mode" I guess you could call it, and then [she said] the fear and trepidation ceased to be her problem.

In my case, I find choice problematical in day to day life. For every possible action I might take I can usually think of ten or twenty ways it might go wrong. Anyway, sometimes life leads you into situations where there are no alternatives. Like abseiling from an anchor you wouldn't hang washing from, because it's all there is, or prusiking up a rope with a leg that bends sideways because there's no other way to get back to the belay.

Anyway There's a quality to moments like these which is both scary and tremendously liberating. Choice is someone else's problem. I suspect that someone better adjusted to life in general, might see it differently.

There are other things too. People talk about being in the moment, but unless you spend years meditating in a dark room to the light of a candle flame, I think one of the few ways you can achieve that is to be in a situation where you believe you might cease to exist in the next moment. It's a feeling that you can only appreciate in retrospect, but there's no doubt it's intensely life affirming. the thing I love so much about climbing, is that you can feel that way without gunfire

In reply to Ciderslider:

youtube.com/watch?v=1dJLN43G6KA&

Been posted before but definitly touching cloth!

In reply to Ciderslider:
The last time I really scared myself was on a route called Puffrisset in Lofoten. I found myself 3 pitches up on a dirty and lichenous granite slab, way above my last gear and with no more gear available, unable to downclimb the friction moves I'd just made but too scared to make the next moves. I was frozen with fear and sobbing, completely convinced that I was going to die. It was horrible, even when I managed to force myself to move I didn't feel any more confident and it probably took me an hour to climb about 8m, crying pretty much the whole way up. The only saving grace is that when we looked at the updated Rockfax supplement the route had been upgraded from HVS to E2 - made me feel a bit better anyway, I thought I'd just been climbing like a total fanny!

It's weird, previously I'd enjoyed slab climbing and I'm usually fairly calm above gear but this was horrific. Shows how importance confidence is on slabs, as soon as it goes you're in for a proper wobbler.

In reply to Ciderslider:

Someone posted a hilarious story on here about 3 years ago about soiling themselves with particularly runny faeces in the middle of a multipitch, and removing the offensive trousers to try to at least scrape off the majority, only to have them blow away and land on the belay ledge of another route (thankfully unoccupied) and having to finish the route (and the rest of the day I think) in their pooh-stained shreddies

In reply to Ciderslider:

Top pitch of Right twin. Beautiful blue sky day but it hadn't occurred to me what the effect of several hours of sunshine would have on the open snow slope at the top. The snow was soft and weak and the ground underneath was poor too. There is a big prow of rock half way up the pitch, stood on it having just excavated a bomber #11 nut placement I found the thought of stepping back onto that awful dripping slope absolutely petrifying.

In reply to Ciderslider:

Third time lucky at meadfoot. Comedy gear, long run outs , shoddy rock in places, I had no micros and I was pushing my grade. And a rotten top out. Nearly cried

In reply to Ciderslider:

Re Hargreaves (my favourite route) I've seen so many people throwing massive wobblers on it, shaking their way up it with the most iffy protection imaginable. Jim Perrin's superb essay in 'Classic Rock' pronounces judgement; probably more than any other route in the book, this is the one with most power to take your life.

Re the other:

As a mere youth (yes, there was a time!) I was told that Poetic Justice, in the Mournes, was thus entitled because, on the top pitch, the previous night's curry abruptly caught up with one of the first ascentionists. I never dared ask him!

Re the other (not quite):

Great quote from the early 1980s (when the mantra was, 'If in doubt, run it out). "Lee, Lee... I'm sick with fear!"

Moments later and 200 feet lower, feet nearly brushed the ground.

Mick

In reply to Choss:

I tell you what mate, so far you are the winner (for pure funniness ) I laughed out loud - thanks.

In reply to Offwidth:
Just down to pure inexperience - what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I must get back on it on lead now I know how to properly place the right size cams (most of the time).

I came very close on a couple of visits ago to Stanage - having had a good fry up and proper clear out, I had just started the walk in, thought oh I've got one brewing - started to crack it out, only to suddenly panic - thankfully only a bit wet and warm - very close !

Wouldn't have been a very good start to the day

In reply to Mick Ward:


Shit, that last line is chilling - I shall have that thought in my mind next time I lead it

In reply to Ciderslider:

Ill tell you one thing, it makes me Appreciate modern quick lock one pull buckles a whole lot more. Would have been safe if they were around then.

And if you go Climbing with gutrot, pull your leg Loops real tight. If the worst happens youll at Least stay Clean From the thighs down.