Clove Hitch Fail
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I made several mistakes at the top of a climb as I prepared to belay my partner and took a huge fall as a result. Posting this in the hope that no others will do the same! |
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Holy crap, glad you're ok!! Yea it seems like all those mistakes added up, can't imagine the feeling you had when you weighted it and leaned over the ledge! |
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Hey Stan- glad to hear you reporting this and I'm not reading about this happening to you..! |
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That does not look like a properly "tied" clove hitch. I am imagining sliding that half of the hitch down to the other half and it doesn't look right. Glad you're ok. |
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Shit. That was lucky as hell. |
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Looks like the gate is "camming" better than the gri gri II in another post. |
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Somehow the un-tightened clove hitch had opened the gate...... |
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If more climbers had the guts to post their mishaps on the internet with as much detail as you - there would be fewer accidents. Thanks for posting, who knows, you might have saved future-me's ass! |
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Thank you for sharing and the analysis. |
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This is why I do not use clove hitches. I use figure eights only |
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"I hadn't backed up the clove hitch." "I always do this before going off belay." |
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Benjamin Chapman wrote:"I hadn't backed up the clove hitch." "I always do this before going off belay." Obviously, you don't ALWAYS back up the clove hitch or this unfortunate situation wouldn't have occurred. Glad you're okay and lived to share. Do be more diligent, please.He was still on belay when the accident occurred. Thank you OP for posting. I agree with Andy P that stories like this are well worth reading. |
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Glad your ok. |
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I use clove hitch when I come up to the station but back it up with my PAS and always with a locker. I like having 2 points at the station for redundancy. |
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Joan Lee wrote:I use clove hitch when I come up to the station but back it up with my PAS and always with a locker. I like having 2 points at the station for redundancy.Somehow, I believe you. Even though the PAS is completely unnecessary if you're cloved to a locker. |
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If you don't tie your clove hitch to a locker you're gonna have a bad time! |
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Stan, |
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Thanks for posting! I have probably done the same thing in a rush also. I won't anymore. |
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Paul Hunnicutt wrote:Thanks for posting! I have probably done the same thing in a rush also. I won't anymore.I would never do it. It would not cross my mind to put a piece, extend it with a long sling and a non locking biner and clove hitch my rope into it . Its very odd why someone would do that. Besides the station with chains was apparently just there. Very strange. |
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FrankPS wrote: Somehow, I believe you. Even though the PAS is completely unnecessary if you're cloved to a locker.I clip PAS first and use a clove hitch with a locker for redundancy. I am a firm believer in 2 points of contact at the station both for the leader and all the rest of the party at the station. Also, having a PAS with a particular color clipped into a master point is helpful so you don't accidentally unclip yourself or get unclipped . When starting a pitch my routine is to unclip PAS last while I am already on belay and have my first piece clipped off the deck. |
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tooTALLtim wrote:Stan, it takes a lot of balls to tell the community of a personal fuck up. Much respect to you, and thank you for sharing so we can learn from the near-misses of others!This is exactly how I feel. Good luck throughout whatever recovery procedure might follow. |