Thriftiness can often be an admirable quality, but that's not the case when your activity involves the reuse of a piece of rock climbing equipment of unknown origin—and reliability. That was the situation recently at New River Gorge National River when a climber decided to trust his fate to a piece of climbing hardware he found on the face of cliff. 

The park website notes New River Gorge National River has "over 1,400 established rock climbs" and thus has become "one of the most popular climbing areas in the country. The extensive escarpment that rims much of the gorge is composed of Nuttall sandstone, renowned among rock climbers as some of the finest quality climbing rock in America. These hard cliffs range from 30 to 120 feet in height, with an abundance of crack and face routes."

One of those popular sites is dubbed the New River Gunks route, in what is known as the Junkyard area. According to a park report, a visitor from Ohio was climbing this route, "supported by a top bolt, when he lost his grip, fell from 12 to 14 feet, landed in the sitting position, then fell backwards and hit his head."

"Fellow climbers reported that the injured man used an old cam device someone had left on the route," that report continued. "No one knew where the old device came from or how long it had been there. The climber clipped into the device about ten feet above the ground and continued to climb up the route. He then lost his grip and fell. The cable attached to the device broke and failed to arrest his fall."

Other climbers in the area called 911, and the call was routed to the Fayette County 911 center. Park Rangers, an ambulance crew, and local first responders were dispatched to the accident site, and rangers determined that the man had a possible broken wrist, back injury, and a minor head injury.

Two low-angle belays were set up to support the rescue team, and rangers, climbers, and first responders used a litter to carry the victim out the steep trail to a waiting ambulance. He was transported to Raleigh General Hospital for further evaluation and treatment.

If you're considering a climb at New River Gorge, the park has some helpful information posted on its website. Also included on that site is a list of common-sense safety tips for rock climbers. The number one item on that list? "Make sure all of your gear is in good, working condition."

Sounds like some pretty good advice.