I was a volunteer at the 24 Hours of Horseshoe Hell and saw many climbers ignore basic safety and common sense. With that amount of blatant disregard for safety, the clock is ticking and time will run out.  Hopefully this article will teach you how to not die at 24 Hours of Horseshoe Hell.  (Don’t get injured either.)

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Before you stop thinking and knee-jerk yourself with the standard: “Jason, you’re just a party pooper.” Keep in mind, I witnessed these dangerous actions over and over while I was a volunteer.  And, I am not the only one.  Many other climbers who have volunteered have stated the exact same thing: “I saw someone at the third bolt and the belay wasn’t on!”

Today’s Article Will Encourage You To Stay Safe And Help You NOT DIE (or get injured) At 24 Hours Of Horseshoe Hell.

This article is for new climbers, who have never “endurance climbed” and who are psyched to test their limit.  To you I say, “Good luck!”  and  “Stay safe.”

This article is not for those of you who already know everything about climbing because you climb 5.12ish (a few times, indoors) and FA’ed a bunch of stuff near Acapulco.  If you have been climbing for 10+ years, and you are important because you just might be the one F-level celebrity in your community; you can go pour yourself a nice tall glass of I-don’t-want-you-on-my-website.  To you I say: “Go eat a soft boiled egg.”  and “Tick tock.”

(* And yes, I have met many very strong and famous climbers and most are cool, kind, and easy going.  Not all of them are bad eggs.)

You Will Be Climbing At Your Physical Limit While Dehydrated, Sleep-Deprived And In The Dark

Remind yourself, right now, about all of your personal limits and how strictly you will adhere to the very basic rules of climbing.  This will help you avoid injury.  

Don’t skip bolts.  Don’t allow your climbing partner to skip bolts.  Wait to hear that, “Belay is on!”  Then climb.  (Is it too harsh to think that if a climber skips bolts or doesn’t wait for their belay to be on – and they get injured – is it too harsh to think that they deserved it?)

1. Know your limits – there is no shame in stopping if you don’t quite have the energy.
2. Stay hydrated.  The year I volunteered, they banned the competitors from stashing water.  One of my 6-hour shifts I spent the entire time filling the competitors water bottles.  (Yeah, I know – what a dumb restriction for the competitors.)
3. You should have done a trial run by now so that you know if you can climb, safely, for the 24 hours – I hope you did
4. Don’t get caught up in the party (doofus) aspect of the competition while your and your partner’s life and safety is on the line.  Stay focused; stay safe.
5. It is okay to break any stupid competition rule that allows you to climb safely.
6. Have someone check your belay form.  Don’t allow your ego to hurt you.  If your hands meet, fully extended, to take or feed slack, you are in trouble.
7. Replace your worn gear immediately.

You Have To Be Smart Enough To Know That Climbing Gear Wears Out

I saw the Failed Trango Cinch with my own eyes – worn down so that it would not catch the rope. 

Two guys I used to climb with don’t like that they have an 24 HHH injury story, so let’s call them Captain Kirk and Candy.  Without a doubt, they would have set a record at 24HHH that year.

They trained like mad men.  Almost every weekend they were climbing in Arkansas, on sandstone*.  Every weekday that they weren’t climbing outside, they were in the gym.

Captain Kirk and Candy were prepared, strong, psyched and sponsored.  They had the entire Climbing Community in Kansas City behind them.  It was going to be an epic event for them!

Unfortunately, their Cinch failed.  Captain Kirk received serious rope burns similar to the rope burns pictured above.  Candy was dropped, knocked senseless, bit his tongue or inside of mouth so that it looked like he was gurgling blood.  Those who were attending to him, thought he had brain damage.  A nasty cut on his elbow required stitches.

Game Over!  It’s Over Man!  That was the end of their competition.  I don’t think they climbed but a few routes before that accident.  A sad tale that SHOULD CAUSE YOU TO REGULARLY CHECK YOUR CLIMBING GEAR!

(*Climbing in sandstone puts wear on all of your gear, very fine sand is absorbed by your rope and wears away at your hardware.  Replace often.)

Alligator Belay Technique Is Gonna Get Someone Killed

That new The American Alpine Club Club Universal Belay Standard Video misses a VERY IMPORTANT and SUBTLE point.  SEE THE VIDEO at 2:10. Meeting the two hands in the upward move, as the model does it, (I call it alligator belaying), is EXACTLY where the rope will zip through the device, and your hands, if your climber falls right then.

I despise that very few climbers are keen enough to understand the physics of the belay device and that IT CAN FAIL if you are holding the rope in parallel – especially when lead belaying!

Here’s My Recollection Of That Accident:

In my memory, I see that climber free fall. Time doesn’t freeze. It happened in a blink. A yelp. Terrified. Angry. Body tumbling out of control. Ragdoll.

Thud.

It is crazy to think that I was just staring at a belayer, struggling with the rope, performing so poorly with that alligator belay technique.

My eye caught the climber falling.  I watched the body fall and hit the ground.

The climber popped right up, seemingly uninjured, and angrily to his belayer: “WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO!”

The belayer, not quite yet realizing the seriousness of the rope burns on his hands, had turned paled.  His words did not escape; choking on his own shock.

Again: “WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO!”

Belayer was using that damned, dangerous “alligator-style” belay technique that is unfortunately taught in too many climbing gyms.

I think to myself:  Damn.  That looks bad.  I hope he’s not seriously hurt.  Oh, this is bad.  I hope there is an EMT nearby.  Why am I nauseated?

The climber keeps repeating that he’s fine.  Two different “first aid/EMT” people look the climber over.  He only has a slight red mark on his back.  I’m looking for signs of shock or the adrenaline dump.  Dude takes it in stride.  I can see his anger is dissipating.  He is one lucky rock climber.  (Maybe the luckiest climbing accident I have ever seen with my own eyes.)

Dude is going to be okay.

I walk up to the climber and ask him, “Do you mind if I take a quick look at you?”  “Tell me how you are feeling.”

This climber is going to be okay.  He actually continues with the competition!

His belayer is out.  Belayer’s hands are all white with rope burns.  His face matches.  (End of a friendship perhaps?)  Belayer is in pain and wants help.  Someone volunteers to help him walk to the Trading Post for some additional care.

Photo Credits:

Rope Burn: http://earthworksclimbing.blogspot.com/2009/07/no-such-thing-as-beginners-belay-device.html

Trango Cinch Failure: https://www.mountainproject.com/v/trango-cinch-use/108385550__2

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Learn a whole lot more about staying safe in the  HCRBeta Injury Prevention Section.

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Jason Clements is the founder of and writer for HCRBeta, Hike Climb Relax:  How to…  Jason has served as the President of the Kansas City Climbing Club where he grew the club from 100 members to 1000 members.  Jason lives in Shawnee, Kansas and runs the cell phone recycling company, Cells for Cells, which recycles cell phones to raise money for families battling cancer.

You can follow Jason on Facebook or on Twitter @jasonclements.

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