UKC

http://dmmclimbing.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Life-Assurance-on-and-off...

Cool story, amazing effort, wave of the future, rope behind leg.

Why do people love ignoring the basics? Surely E6 is exciting enough?

We're all guilty of this kind of stuff i'm sure.

Philosophical insights welcome (no nietzsche).

In reply to coolbert:

Shame there's not a 4th picture to show us how they landed. might actually deny or confirm whether it was a bad idea.

In reply to coolbert:

He's only a young boy - experience and all that.

Just look at that Ben guy who decked it off a 9a He's only been climbing 4/5 but even at that its simple things that can happen to anyone despite us trying to minimise the risk to ourselves.

In reply to coolbert:

Its funny really because I was always told to put the rope over your leg, but of course it makes sense that if you fell off in this instance, you could probably amputate it on the way down.

That said, when you are in rope drag hell, over the leg gives you a bit more security.

In reply to coolbert:


Nietzsche definitely would have said the climber did not expect to fall off and was therefore unconcerned about the rope position.

In reply to coolbert:

Unless he gets that rope/leg out the way on the way down it's gonna leave a mark in the morning.

In reply to abseil:

Yes, but Nietzsche's ropework left a lot to be desired.

In reply to abseil:


Heisenberg on the other hand was uncertain which was correct.

In reply to higherclimbingwales:

Are you sure? I've done some pretty stupid things in life, got away with them, but that doesn't make them good ideas.

In reply to Hyphin:


I said bad idea. I know putting the rope over your leg isn't a good idea. doesn't necessarily make it automatically a bad one!

In reply to higherclimbingwales:

My apologies, I thought you'd said,


which I took to mean that; the wisdom of the idea could only be judged on it's outcome, ie the landing.

Now I am no where near good enough a climber to be in the situation featured in the photograph, but if that was my kid I'd be concerned that in the event of a fall the rope may flip him upside down potentially leading to a more serious outcome. May also lead to him laughing like a drain and saying, "that was a great swing". But that's a practical consideration, my observation was intended to be more philosophical; as suggested by the OP.

As another example, I had a fairly full on drink and drugs fuelled adolescence (that might belong on another thread), I survived, "got away with it"- but sure as hell ain't teaching my kids that that's "the way to go".

In reply to Stevie989:


What's the back story here??

In reply to DreadyCraig:

http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=6686

In reply to coolbert:

As he climbs harder than me...Does UKC etiquette allow me to comment?

In reply to coolbert:

http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=67583

13yr old, first trad lead on an E6. Ends up with rope behind leg, pretty run out too if you watch video.

Are we thinking

Informed Consent: given inherent dangers does a 13yr old have enough insight and experience to give informed consent to put himself in that position. If it all goes tits up, or heads down, could parent or other supervising adult be open to allegations of neglect, failing to protect/provide for the welfare of a minor?

Living Vicariously: is parent/coach whoever getting carried away and encouraging kid to push it for their own rather than the kid's benefit? (I'm not casting aspersions, nor do think I'm immune; I get a real buzz when my 14yr old leads stuff most others struggle to top rope. 6C at the moment, not that I'm bragging or anything)

Walk before you run: the boy obviously has huge talent, but should he have had a chance to lead a couple of easier routes first; to concentrate on good safe technique.

Final thought PURE BLOODY JEALOUSY, supposing I bust my arse in the gym till he's my age; I'm still never going to be able to climb like that. Go for it wee man, best high you'll ever get.

I've been climbing for a few years now, and would regularly have belayers (and even the odd guide/teacher) shout up to me, "Watch out for the rope there!" or "Watch the rope!" or just "Rope, Serena!"

I would vaguely shake my leg or alter my position, but never really knew what they wanted me to do, other than change what I was doing. And I didn't really know why what I was doing was wrong.
I think the guide at least said to me, in broken English, that it could be very bad if I fall, but that was a kind of given as far as I was concerned, wherever the hell the rope was!

A few more mature and concerned belayers had tried to shout helpful instructions over the years, but again, I didn't really understand what I was supposed to do - and as these things always happened at a time when I was under stress, I was not really in the mood to listen.

It wasn't until I saw an annotation to a picture just the other day that it finally clicked home. It simply said: ALWAYS KEEP THE ROPE BETWEEN YOURSELF AND THE WALL.
'Aaaaah', I thought. 'I see.'
And with that simple sentence I had it.

It is worth remembering that for people with very little knowledge or experience, the language used by people with a lot of knowledge or experience, can sometimes be baffling. Especially for kids.

Keep it simple - keep it safe.

In reply to BarrySW19:


Thank you, but look, once we get into that topic we're going to get all tied up in knots.