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November 1987 my friend Harvey and I were in Arizona at Blue Ridge Reservoir camping, and by surprise Harvey pulled out a rope and said lets go climbing. We found a rock wall near the road and set up a rappel using a large tree for the main anchor, but had to wrap it around a smaller tree to keep the rope away from some sharp rock at the cliffs edge. I was first to rappel where neither of us really knew what we were doing. I started rappelling down the rope where suddenly the rope around the smaller tree slipped to the trees base, causing my feet to fall free from the rock wall. So to keep my face from suddenly hitting the rock wall, I put my hands out to protect myself from injury. I instantly was falling fast since I totally let go of the rope. But then time completely slowed, and I was aware of it!!!
I saw the blur of the rock wall but the rope whipping back and forth in front of me was completely in view in "total slow motion." It was like somebody else was asking me, "if you want the rope, just simply reach your hand out and grab it." So I gently and slowly reached my hand outward and the rope automatically went into it. Within a split second everything returned to regular time and I heard a sudden slap sound. I could hear Harvey yelling from the top of the wall, "Marty, Marty, Marty, Oh my God!!!!" My brain was still in the slow motion world as I started to assess what just happened. The rappel figure eight device had stopped my 40’ fall where my butt was only two feet from the ground. On the sudden catch my legs sprung downward and my feet hit the ground which created the slapping sound. I felt completely fine, not scared, and didn’t even really know that I was falling out of control. |
Harvey and Marty at Blue Ridge Reservoir
November 1987 
Harvey "Scott" De Los Reyes at Blue Ridge Reservoir
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Harvey was totally freaking out as I assured him I was ok. Then I looked at my hand and my thumb was twisted backward inside the figure eight rappel device with the rope slightly twisted around my thumb. That little rope twist around my thumb kept me from death. But next I was to climb back up the wall as Harvey top roped me from the top. However my pride didn’t want to show Harvey that I was not tough enough to be a climber, so I grabbed my thumb and snapped it back into place keeping my scream silent. I successfully climbed without a fall to the top of the unclimbed 40’ wall. Harvey afterwards gave me the rappel device as a gift. The rappel device is the first piece of gear I owned, and this is the first climb I used rock climbing gear with.
A few weeks later Harvey and I went climbing at Camelback mountain in Arizona. I led a route named “Fresh Air Traverse” which is a easy adventurous two pitch climb. Between the two pitches is a ledge with a two bolt wall anchor which I attached myself with to belay Harvey up to me. While Harvey was climbing and I was hanging comfortably on the anchor, one of the two bolts suddenly ripped free from the rock wall causing me to swing to the side. I said to myself, “Wow this climbing stuff sure is adventurous, and look the mountain just gave me a souvenir for me to take home.” That bolt anchor is what started the Karabin Climbing Museum.
A few weeks later Harvey and I went climbing at Camelback mountain in Arizona. I led a route named “Fresh Air Traverse” which is a easy adventurous two pitch climb. Between the two pitches is a ledge with a two bolt wall anchor which I attached myself with to belay Harvey up to me. While Harvey was climbing and I was hanging comfortably on the anchor, one of the two bolts suddenly ripped free from the rock wall causing me to swing to the side. I said to myself, “Wow this climbing stuff sure is adventurous, and look the mountain just gave me a souvenir for me to take home.” That bolt anchor is what started the Karabin Climbing Museum.