Male (30) from Nottingham, whilst preparing to climb, was hit by a loose rock from above, dislodged by another climber on Middle Fell Buttress, Langdale. He received head, neck and shoulder injuries. The team conveyed him down the fell assisted by the South Ribble team, and he was taken to the County Hospital, Kendal.
Footnote; This rock climber had not even started his climb and was sorting his gear out when the rock hit him. He had no helmet on at the time, but the climber who dislodged the rock had no connection with this man.
Helmets
Helmets... usually a contentious and much debated issue.
Climbing helmets are designed primarily to protect your head from falling rocks, rather than from a fall. They're certainly worth considering when summer and winter climbing, gorge scrambling, canyoning, off-road cycling.
If you're organising a group of novices or children then they should be considered essential. Otherwise it has to be an informed decision.
More information is available from the The British Mountaineering Council (BMC) in this article about climbing helmets.
