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Chockstone Forum - Accidents & Injuries

Report Accidents and Injuries

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Lucky 28-Apr-2008 At 5:50:32 PM oyccos

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I'm glad things worked out ok everything considered. It's a good reminder of how quickly things can go
pear shaped.

As for myself i've never taken a serious blow to the head (whilst climbing), but have been saved by my
helmet in an unlikely manner.
Myself and three friends were climbing on Mt Roland in Tassie when we had to abandon it after a few
pitches due to bad weather. The escape involved rapping down gullies which is often a messy affair of
going through branches and scrub on the way down, finding yourself grateful for the occasional sheer
drop. On about the second abseil I was the third one down of our group. I was going fine and as I hit
some branches I looked over my right shoulder to see how far I was. I turned my head just in time for
a branch (that had been previously been broken to a point by another's passage), to come over my
shoulder and go straight into my neck, just above and to the right of my adams apple. Luckily it hit the
strap of my helmet and while far from comfortable, stopped it actually going into or through my neck.
After several seconds flailing and gasping I managed to pull it out and continue down with no
permanent effects. Never lean on something with your neck, trust me on that, it's really not good.

So helmets! Occasionally good for what comes up, not just down.