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Incident
Two experienced climbers stopping by for some quick cragging on their way further West. Belayer was unaware of bolted anchors at top of (not bolted) climb and with the road noise mistook take for safe as that was their usual system. Luckily climber checked before weighting rope. Scary near miss from complacency.
Lessons
Communicate plan before leaving the ground, even with your regular partners.
Always check before weighting a rope.
Don’t be complacent.
Consider using ‘off belay’ instead of ‘safe’ like the Americans do.
Activity
Trad rock climbing
When
Descending
Injury
None
Causes
Abseil or rappel failure or error, Belaying failure or error, Mis-communication
Anonymous?
Yes
Reported By
Participant
Wearing Helmets?
Yes
Rescue Services Involved?
Thankfully none
Author
11 February 2020 at 16:20:53
For more advice and guidance on good practices visit BMC skills
All reports are self-submitted and have not been edited by the BMC in any way, so please keep an open mind regarding the lessons and causes of each incident or near-miss.