That Day at the Crag
So, let me tell you about this time we went climbing, aiming for this route everyone talked about. Called it ‘The Classic’ or something. Sounded straightforward enough.
We got there early, gear sorted, sun was out. Felt pretty good, you know? Started up the first pitch, everything felt solid. Placed a few cams, slung a horn, usual stuff. Felt confident.
Then came this tricky section. Looked like the best spot for protection was this old piton sticking out of a crack. It looked rusty, ancient really. I hesitated for a second. Should I trust this thing? But the next good placement looked far off.
So, I clipped into it. Tested it lightly, seemed okay. Made the next move, putting weight on the rope connected to that piton. And bam! That thing just ripped out. A horrible scraping sound, and suddenly I was airborne.
Luckily, the piece below held. It wasn’t a huge fall, maybe ten feet? But man, the shock. Seeing that rusty spike just fly out past me. Heart was pounding like crazy.
My buddy lowered me a bit. We just hung there for a minute, catching our breath.
- Checked the gear below – thankfully solid.
- Checked myself – just a few scrapes, nothing serious.
- Looked at the empty slot where the piton was – just dust and broken rock.
After calming down, we had a choice. Bail or keep going? The fall shook me up, not gonna lie. But we were halfway up. We decided to push on, but way more carefully. Found a spot for a good cam a bit higher up, bypassing where the piton was.
Finished the climb, but it wasn’t the same triumphant feeling I expected. More like relief. That incident with the piton, that ‘piton fall’ moment, stuck with me. Made me really think twice about trusting old, fixed gear. You just never know what condition it’s really in, right?
It’s a good reminder: always check, double-check, and if it looks dodgy, find another way. Better safe than sorry, especially way up there.
