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I’ve been climbing for three years and I almost never see anyone wearing a helmet at the crag. The only exceptions are out-of-towners who happen to be visiting, and a couple of members from the Rockrats - namely Lelek le Grunt, Simian Boy and myself. Yup, despite being aware of the importance of wearing a brain bucket (as Holdbreaker calls it) not even all the Rockrats own one.

Rock climbing in Malaysia isn’t a regulated sport so there are no licences to obtain for us to be “climb-worthy”. As such, there is no stipulated regulation that all climbers have to wear a helmet. The only reason one would wear one is common sense.

So why don’t more climbers in the local scene wear a helmet? Is it because it is an added expense that we can’t afford? Well, you only have to get hit in the head once for it to pay back its weight in gold. Isn’t your brain worth the added expense? I know mine is.

And don’t even bother telling me that the reason is because it doesn’t look “cool”. If that is really the case then you probably haven’t got anything worth protecting in that head of yours anyway.

I read an article called “The Choss Factor” which talks about coping with bad rock. It was written by a climber going by the name of hanschlorine on the Rock Climbing forum. Below are some important excerpts from his article:

“No matter how careful you are, if you’re at the wrong place at the wrong geological time, you’re number’s up. Your odds of getting tagged go up tremendously if you’ve got a bunch of idiots climbing around on the rocks above you.Rule One: Wear a helmet!Rule Two: See rule one!Generally, it’s unusual to have anything break loose while you’re climbing on a well-established route, in a climbing area that’s seen lots of traffic. Pretty much everything than can come off will have been removed by somebody. As long as people are careful with ledge rubble (don’t count on that!), loose rock is not a huge issue at many crags. Just remember, the freeze-thaw cycle is the main force at work to bring rock down, and it happens every winter. Few areas see more traffic than Humphrey’s Head at Seneca Rocks,

West Virginia, but last year a refrigerator-sized chunk decided to come off, nearly crushing a climbing guide who was teaching a class.”Although Malaysia doesn’t have a cold climate, it’s worth being aware of this if you intend to go climbing overseas.”If you’re climbing on a more obscure route or you’re at a newer or less-trafficked area, you have to be thinking loose rock all the time. If you’re leading, think about the position of your belayers and bystanders if you should pull something off. Is there any way to move them to a safer position? How about your rope - is it stacked in the safest possible spot at the belay? As you climb, test your holds! Before committing, tug on them, thump on them and listen for any sound of movement, any crunching or creaking.

Having identified suspect rock, what next? Obviously you avoid using it and warn those below. If it seems like it’s about ready to come off, it’s a judgment call as to whether to try to get rid of it, or let your second try to. NEVER throw rock upslope from people on the ground! It can send high-speed shrapnel down on them.

What if you’re one of the vulnerable folks below? Obviously, you want to find the safest spot you can, out of the likely fall line and shrapnel zone. If you’re belaying, it may be impossible to find a totally safe spot. Do the best you can, and always have a plan in mind. When she yells “rock”, what are you going to do? Is there a cave, an overhang, a big tree or a rock you can dive under? To look or not to look? Some people say, never look up for rockfall, you’ll get hit in the face. Plenty of people have dodged the bullet, though, by looking and jumping out of the way. Try to develop the instinct to know whether there’s time to look and dodge, or only to duck and cover.”

Simian Boy has had this experience twice. In the first instance, he misheard “rock!” and thought the leader was falling. He turned to help the belayer and saved his head from the path of the falling rock. The second time, he looked up and he got hit just above his eye. He must have an angel looking down over him because he walked out of both incidences with only a few minor bruises and scratches.

“If you’re belaying and there’s no good place to hide, plan on being able to hug the face of the rock, in a depression if possible. Many times, rockfall will hit the face above at some point and bounce outward, so the closer you are to the face the safer you should be. If you’re exposed, don’t duck your head! You don’t want to get hit in the spine. Stand up straight and shrug your shoulders hard. This reduces your profile and helps support your cervical spine in case of a shot to the helmet.

Don’t let that brain bucket give you a false sense of security. Rockfall can generate huge forces. If you have a second or two, think about grabbing a pack and hoisting it over your head. Anything to deflect and cushion the impact.”

But that doesn’t mean you don’t need to wear a helmet either… Moral of the story which is really a no-brainer: “Wear a brain bucket at all times and always be on the alert when climbing”.

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