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If possible, it's best to try and downclimb (good practice) to your last bolt and have your partner pull tension on the rope. If you're beyond that and your arms are screaming for instant relief, let your partner know that you're coming down and gently kick off from the wall, looking down at your feet. Exhale as you start flying and try not to scream (looks bad). I prefer to keep my hands in a neutral position to brace for impact, but many tend to grab the rope feeding into their harness.

If there's a ledge below, or enough rope out to deck, the rule is simple: don't fall.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1-GpfLmnro&feature=related[/youtube]

A little inspiration for ya.

The Leave No Trace philosophy informs us we must 'Take only whippers; leave only craters'.

Above a bolt? You might as well just keep going for your next clip, assuming your not going to deck and there is nothing you're going to bounce off.

Now above a "mental" placement, I might concentrate real hard on that down climb.

Hahahaha to all the above!!!!

just relax & enjoy the flight!

mattski wrote:what for you are the best options when you are 2 or 3 meters above your last bolt and you are about to fall off?

Man up and go for it.

How do you know you are going to fall?

Better get out there and drill some more bolts. It's the only solution.

http://www.amazon.com/Rock-Warriors-Way ... 521&sr=8-1

I highly recommend this book. It doesn't work for everyone but I find it's a great book on the mental aspect of climbing (and the author talks a lot about how to fall) even though of its kinda cheesy title.

mattski wrote:

How do you know you are going to fall?

good point most times you dont. Other times you do no and it is not a fun thought when your 2/3 meters above a bolt witch climbs are like if there not retro bolted

Retro bolted! oh f--k.....

What's with the use of the metric? This is America damn it.

2 to 3 meters is only a body length or length and a half. That hardly a "whipper." If it's a slabby climb, your belayer might be able to yard in a little if you're looking at something that might mess up your ankle. I'd advise against on a steeper climb since suddenly yarding in might change the angle of the fall and slap the leader into the rock. I saw someone bust her ankle at Williamson when her belayer did that. Lucky for her there were about 8 or 9 of us who pitched in to carry her out on a litter.

At Buoux, Patrick Edlinger established routes that have bolts a mandatory 6 meters apart. Fall just short of your clip there and that would be a whipper.

Put in some gear or clip the next bolt and grab the draw/gear. Down-climbing is a great skill to practice and use when appropriate.

fatdad wrote:2 to 3 meters is only a body length or length and a half. That hardly a "whipper."

Six to nine feet above your last pro = 12 to 18 fall. Account for slack in the system and rope stretch and that's definitely a whipper in my book.

fatdad wrote: If it's a slabby climb, your belayer might be able to yard in a little if you're looking at something that might mess up your ankle. I'd advise against on a steeper climb since suddenly yarding in might change the angle of the fall and slap the leader into the rock. I saw someone bust her ankle at Williamson when her belayer did that.

Good advice. The tendency is for the belayer to pull in slack right as the fall begins. This can prove helpful sometimes but will definitely result in a harder catch which can be ugly. Keep it soft if possible.

Good point Jason. The biggest fall I've ever taken was 25'. That shook me up a little, given I was only 35' off the deck. It's interesting to watch the rope coil up in front of you as you fall. Anyway. I think anything over 10' total falling distance is a little bit of a whipper. But I tend to not stress to much until I'm 10' past my last piece. Even at that it still depends on what the fall looks like.

mattski wrote:

At Buoux, Patrick Edlinger established routes that have bolts a mandatory 6 meters apart. Fall just short of your clip there and that would be a whipper.

this is what almost a f2 fall[/quote

Guess that depends on how much rope is out. To much hang time for me to...umm...hang.