Whipper of the year.

[SNORT]

Whipper of the year. Willem Le Roux fell near as dammit 20 -22mm when a hold broke on easy ground topping out on the "Wake-up" Fountain Ledge Table Mountain.

The rope was a skinny shiny quite new 7.8mm Mammut and I was belaying him using an Edelrid Mega Jul fortunately as it locked to some extent but a metre of rope still ran through my hand. I have no doubt that any other non-locking tube device would have resulted in a longer fall, rope burns and more danger with him actually striking me.

WIll definitely use the micro Jul next time.

I also got launched up about 1.5m which made the fall quite dynamic but got bruised and battered and abraided with a small muscle tear of my left thigh that whacked against the rock. Walking down was slower and more challenging than normal.

Brutal but safe.

He missed two ledges after falling almost the whole length of the pitch. He got some minor scratches

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[Logic]

Sjoe

[Brussel]

glad you're both OK
you got to climb with smaller partners. Willem is a huge lump of muscle

[crazyflyinggecko]

Wowzers. Glad you're both okay! Agree with Brussel – Willem is not exactly a small person! Thanks for the useful info. I have the same diameter ropes and was in two minds about mega jul versus micro jul. You've sold me on micro jul

[SNORT]

Couple of important points.

1. Even Skinny ropes don't break so easy.

2. Always made the point that trad climbing requires skills of climbing grade 21 or so to keep relatively safe. In so being able you are on steeper rock. Funny thing though is that Willem was off the actual pitch and on the scrambly bit above where climbers usually exit about 8m left but he kept going straight on grotty rock. Fortunately it was steep enough for him to avoid any ledge strike.

3. He could have/should have put in more gear once on at the grotty stuff. But in any case he was fine when he fell.

3. Multipitch trad is by and large safer in one way than single pitch. Deck falls are less likely.

[The Jimmy]

For interest sake, what piece held the fall? Did anything rip?

Bet the whiskey tasted just a bit better that eve !

[SNORT]

It was actually a threaded sling and the thread was not completely closed and one of this very light weight DMM biners.

[mokganjetsi]

Is Willem's undies OK?

[SNORT]

Not sure. But he ended just above me and there fortunately was no leakage.