A ground fall for Michele Caminati

by Laurence · Published 31 March 2017 · Updated 31 March 2017

Italian climber Michele Caminati climbed Elder Statesman at Curbar Edge on Monday 27th March. The following day, Michele went back on the route for photographs after top roping it again twice. Unfortunately, he fell from the crux and the resulting fall severed his rope, causing him to hit the ground.

A neighbouring climbing group which included a paramedic arrived to offer help and The Edale Mountain Rescue Team were on the scene shortly after, who got him to the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield.

After his ground fall, Michele suffered a badly broken wrist and a broken heel. And he is currently recovering in hospital. His belayer suffered a concussion. But was discharged on the same night. Michele is no stranger to hard gritstone routes and boulder problems, having made several trips to the UK in the past.

Fall without a helmet

Commenting on the accident Michele said: “I went up in the European style, with only one 10mm rope and without a helmet. This time I fell off the crux and the rope, whilst getting tense shore off against the corner. I thought I would have been safe. Perhaps I could have used the half ropes but the outcome could have been the same.”

Luckily Michele Caminati did just fracture his wrist and heel. But this story should be a good lesson to the whole climbing community.

John Allen who was at the scene described a moment when Michele expressed his concern about having a lack of insurance, to which one of the Mountain Rescue team replied “don’t worry, mate, you’re in England.” Speaking to planetmountain.com from hospital , Caminati explained: “I saw everything live, I totally remember the accident, I was completely aware what was happening …

As I fell I got ready to hit the wall, but then the rope broke and I fell onto my belayer and then hit the ground, probably first with my wrist. Fortunately I’m fine, I’ve got multiple fractures in the wrist, but the operation went well and my tendons are unaffected … My heel is broken in several places, but they’re compound fractures and I’ve been told it won’t need operating… all in all it should take four to six months to get back to normal… yeah!”