[dave]

http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?n=51978

[Bubba]

Horrendous  :cry:  Poor bastard didn't have a chance with a rock that size.

I sat next to my mate after the car had crashed on the way to the crag and had to sit there holding a huge flapper that had his ear on it back onto his head in the vain hope it would help, but of course it didn't and he died that night. It was a long time ago now but it still hurts to think about it in any detail.

I don't think anything can prepare you for violent death of a friend, especially when it come out of the blue like that - as you say Dave, all you can do is hope it never happens to you.

[Mike_H]

It is certainly a very sobering thought, reading the guys words really put things in perspective.

I refrained from posting on the thread, as I didn't really know the guy but I certainly raised a glass to him over the weekend.

[dobbin]

That is rough. Condolences to his family, friends and anyone else who knew him. The guys he was with must feel awful.

[Bubba]

Not to mention the guys in the other party who pulled the block off, though they are completely blameless - I think they set up a belay on Darius, weighted a wire and the block it was in just split and detached.

[dave]

just makes you realise even the most sound limestone crags can shed bits. None of us are imortal. I pulled off a large block on the first pitch of Highlight (granted not the best rock at the crag) and that went right down to the river.

Which darius stance was this block pulled from then?

[Bubba]

I put a rock into the side of a car at the bottom of Winnat's Pass when I was cleaning a prospective new route up. Driver wasn't happy  

I'm not sure which stance they were on - one of the guys who was on Darius posted this on CT:

The protection was arranged in a flake at a belay ledge (that was tested) and when weight was placed on the gear it split the flake in half. The rock fell passed the climber cutting his ropes. The rock hit the belayer who could not move as he was anchored to the ground and killed instantly. The climber was finally rescued from the thread.

[Adam Lincoln]

I put a rock into the side of a car at the bottom of Winnat's Pass when I was cleaning a prospective new route up. Driver wasn't happy  

I'm not sure which stance they were on - one of the guys who was on Darius posted this on CT:

The protection was arranged in a flake at a belay ledge (that was tested) and when weight was placed on the gear it split the flake in half. The rock fell passed the climber cutting his ropes. The rock hit the belayer who could not move as he was anchored to the ground and killed instantly. The climber was finally rescued from the thread.

The leader was a friend of mine and is absolutely devestated. I dont know how you would get over something like that...

[Bubba]

I'm not surprised he's devastated - I'd hate to be in his position poor bastard. The only consolation is that it was an accident and he didn't do anything stupid or negiligent to cause it. Hopefully in time he'll get over it and be able to forgive himself  :cry:

[dave]

i suppose you've got to just chalk it down to pure chance and bad luck, not as if anything could have been done to avoid it by the sounds of it. I feel sorry for everyone involved, even though its no-ones fault its still a horrible event to have to remember for the rest of your life.