We headed straight for Avalanche Wall (HVS 5a) for Snell to lead which he did. He'd actually commented on the walk in that he wanted to start on something easy and then work his way up. I don't think he'd led HVS before that day. He lead the route well, placing less protection that I'd have put in but I'm not critising him for that. At the end of the day he got up, so good job. I then went to lead Pea Pod, but someone was already on it. I say already on it when in reality he'd thrown his rope at the base of the route so no-one else could lead it, then decided to get on his gear (slowly) while making others wait. Instead I went and lead Maupassant (HVS 5a). When I compared this to Avalanche wall, I'd say it was much much easier, but what do I know. It's described on UKC as a thrutchy jamming crack but it's all actually on nice jams and good bridging. The final layback is awesome as well because it just doesn't look like it'll go, until you commit to it that it, then... boom! you're at the top!So 2 routes down and we could see Toaf, Tim, Ronnie and the rest playing on the boulders below the main edges. Infact Tim came up too see how we where getting on and to head off for a short routes past avalanche wall. It was not Stu's lead, and his first on grit for a while. He picked L'Horla (E1 5b) part of three routes all together (the others being Maupassant and Insanity). I actually looked forward to having a crack at insanity afterwards because when stu got up that would have been 2 of the three done. Clearly a gaunlet if I ever saw one. #
But Stu didn't get up it. Infact we didn't do anymore climbing for the rest of that day, or that weekend. Stu was climbing well down on the Limestone and confidently jumped on L'horla with no apprehension what so ever. There was the usual discussing of rackage and laughing and joking below the route. Snell even took up the mantle of camera-man to film Stu's climbing.
From the get go Stu was shaky. I'll appreciate that the small holds and lack of decent footholds didn't do much for an easy start but it was a while before a rest and his first piece of gear. Needless to say he carried on up, I would have. As he got higher ne managed to get another small wire in but when he move out left, the shorter runner pulled the wire into a different angle. I could hear some of the panic in Stu's voice. I'd heard that before with various partners when I've been climbing. I've also been in the same position myself. I was just waiting the exhausted yelp and then the slump onto the gear.
But that top nut was crap, not worth waiting and Stu was panicing more now. I started talking him down the route, getting him the place some gear the only piece I could make out was a slot for a small yellow cam he had on his harness. He got that clipped but wouldn't come down instead making it up to the jug by the route. He was doing so well but I could see the effort was starting to take it's toll on him. Hanging from the jug he was scrabbling with his feet to get purchase, his left foot swinging helplessly beneath him. Then he was off.
I locked off the plate but it was no use. The gear didn't really do much when he fell. He just hit the fall, back first. He immediatly rolled over and groaned before trying to get up. I pinned him down and yelled to Snell to get Tim. I knew we needed more people to help with this. Deep down I knew that he'd done something bad to himself. So we covered him up, bivi bag and all. Removed most of his gear and kept him awake and talking. I felt his back, ribs, pelvis and legs but there wasn't anything I could feel. There was no blood, but he didn't exactly get up and walk around after 10 minutes so we called MRT. By this time a very nice chap up was a surgeon or a urologist had come over and taken charge of his pulse.
In the end it took about 2 hours from the fall, to get him choppered out. MRT turned up and gave him oxygen and morphine. Then as one massive team, (MRT, Stu's mate and anyone else who came to help) all carried the stretcher out and loaded it onto the waiting chopper. Me, Toaf and Ronnie spent the rest of the day at Northern General in Sheffield. In the end they said he'd fractured a vertebrae in his back. We got to bed at 0130 that night, after Ronnie cooked me pasta, veg and chinese prok chops.
I guess it wasn't the best day out climbing ever, but it happens I guess. Even with the best will in the world sometimes bad stuff happens. Anyway my weekend of accidents wasn't over as monday night saw me in A&E for 6 hours after tripping up walking off the astroturf pitch after monday night football. I'm now on crutches, with a torn deltoid ligament.
Paula at redpoint point just said "you're crap on the flat" apparently.
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