UKC

After watching the fall on YouTube I've got to say I'm clad I'm not one of that nobs climbing mates. I would never climb with him, he had no idea how he was going to rescue his mate, luckily some complete stranger was close by to assist.
Two good things that standout are the kit works and you know who your mates are.

In reply to Lloydy:

"the fall" any link?

In reply to gethin_allen:

Seems to fit the bill

youtube.com/watch?v=awORVMs_4d0&

In reply to Bobling:

I did the La Clusaz via ferrata this summer with my son, and that's not it I'm pretty certain. So they can't even get where they are right! The second time he falls off I guess he has ripped the shock absorber part of the kit already - doing it again would be really pushing your luck. His mate might not have been so jocular if he watched the belay loop snap and the climber fall to his death! Quite worry to watch. :-/

In reply to Bobling:

this was painful to even watch, propper blown

In reply to Bobling:

That guy looks to be well on his way to making an appearance in the Darwin Awards http://www.darwinawards.com/ sometime in the near future!

In reply to TobyA:


Do you think so? The first fall is probably not much more than a factor 1, and it certainly looks more or less intact afterwards. In fact, it still looks intact after the 2nd fall! I guess this is maybe making the point that test falls are much tougher on the gear than real ones. A factor 1 fall with a test rig would be more than capable of ripping the shock absorbed (I think).

In reply to TobyA:

I'm not convinced the shock absorber actually deployed - maybe there was enough give in the cable (or maybe it was a recalled one).

In reply to TobyA:


I'd go further and say downright terrifying to watch. I've done a couple of steeper VFs and was always pretty keen not to test the system - big fall factors, cross-loaded krabs, projecting metalwork.... yuk! Practicing a system for taking rests might have paid dividends here, or maybe just a better route choice...

I'll be kind and suggest that the commentator doesn't realise how much trouble his mate is in, but a bit more gratitude to the bloke that does help would have been good. Not entirely sure what was going on with the "rescue", it all looked a bit improvised and probably not entirely safe either. If anything the whole clip demonstrates the value of taking at least a short length of rope and being prepared to belay on some of the tougher VFs.

In reply to MarkJH:

Looking at the position of the V on the lanyards, it looks to me like a short section *may* have deployed, but certainly not all of it - a fully-deployed one is something like a metre long. That said the "inside" bit is white and all you can see is black lanyard, so possibly you're right and none of it deployed.

In reply to Jamie B:

That's shocking, and as others have said nobody seems to have a clue what to do to sort it.

It is frightening the stuff you see on VF's, we were in Switzerland in September and were the other side of a cable bridge which was about 20 meters long, two guys coming up behind so we moved onto the next section to wait for them to pass as they seemed to be moving fairly quickly. I spotted tags on the VF set like they had just come out of the shop and took a closer look, to my horror i noticed both of them (both on the bridge by this time) had their VF lanyards clipped with a crab to the GEAR LOOP !!

I beckoned them over grabbed them both and made them safe with a couple of slings, sorted it and set them on the way again, i am not sure who was shaking more after i set them of again, them or me.......

In reply to TobyA:


The one in the videos is at Thones. I didn't watch the fall.

I've done this very steep optional section (it's fairly long as well). And it is pretty scary. We opted to clip rungs and the cable to reduce fall distance potential.

In reply to Lloydy:

However fortunate this incident turned out, no one should accept falling as normal on VFS. Consequences a re far more likely to be dire and I would advise participants to make NOT FALLING a priority. Don't think 'cheat',think self preservation. Ethics went out of the window as soon as you decided to set off on the cable. This is not rock climbing for beginners.

In reply to Jamie B:

Yes, I'd say poor route choice having watched bits of the video.

I think that sequence in that video is on a Via Ferrata at Thones (not La Clusaz). I did it last summer.

Seemed like the hardest single sequence on any VF I've done in France. I'd say the overhang is so sustained and severe that if it were on a free rock climbing route its difficulty would be rated Euro sport 6a (at least).

I've seen a report that someone once died on that sequence. Nowadays they provide an alternative less steep to the right side of it, in the form of a metal ladder -- so it's just optional to choose to climb the very strenuous sequence shown in the video.

I have a third (much shorter) leash-with-karabiner on my harness which I use to rest on sequences like that by clipping to one of the metal rungs and then hanging off it. The advantage of having a shorter leash/lanyard is that I know the rung will still be easily within reach when I'm finished resting.

Yes I agree that aking a fall while relying on a Via Ferrata kit is a bad idea - (though falling on an overhanging section might be less bad than some other situations).

Taking a _second_ fall on the same kit without having replaced (or at least somehow adjusted?) key shock-absorption component(s) is a really really bad idea.

Ken

In reply to Lloydy:

Gobsmacked is the word.... I can't believe the absolute ignorance and the lack of self awareness of the idiot with the camera.

Laughing at his mate, the situation, and so on...... But he still thinks its highly humorous when a stranger (the frenchman?) patiently encourages him, gives him directions and so on with absolutely no pause in his giggles, hoots and laughter...... he's got absolutely no self awareness.

In reply to Dave Perry:



Very sobering viewing. I agree it's the cameraman with his stupid laugh and comments who is the real knob here. He has absolutely no idea as to how serious the situation is. That's obviously why he wasn't too ashamed to post his video on U Tube

In reply to kenr:

FWIW if it's a very difficult section, he could still have attempted it with a belay if they had had the sense to carry a rope with them.

In reply to Lloydy:

Always worth carrying a quick draw on hard VF's. Exactly what I did this summer on the same VF. Rested on the stemples at every changeover of the gear. It IS strenuous.

In reply to Darron:
It's also a nuisance when you forget to move up and get to full lanyard stretch - the ability to rest then before fixing it is very valuable.

In reply to Lloydy:

Hardly sustained. Just a short section before it returns vertical again. Surprised the guy struggled so much. Clearly doesn't climb much.

In reply to Lion Bakes:


To be fair, some of the routes are fairly long and tires you off nevertheless.

In reply to Neil Williams:

It definately is and I quite happily clipped most rungs and had a break!

In reply to Lion Bakes:


Quite a lot of folk who you see on VF don't - it's seen as an easy access alternative by many. I wouldn't underestimate what a big undertaking that section may have been for a non-climber.

In reply to Lion Bakes:

I disagree. It's the longest overhanging piece of VF I've ever done (and I like overhanging climbs). It's overhanging for about 30ft. Of course it's not just a case of pulling on the stemples, you have to stop, hang on with one hand and pull the lanyards up one by one to clip over. Resting at the changeover seemed sensible to me.

In reply to Darron:
I suspect VF Grand Diedre (by Crolles) overhang crux sequence is longer, but the Thones sequence is more radically overhanging. Both have some non-small moves between rungs.

. . . (I heard someone say VF Grand Diedre was closed recently due to rockfall).

Ken