Just realized my foot slip on a cedar climb made me rethink safety checks
I was up in a big cedar tree last week when my boot slid off a limb. I swung hard and banged my knee on a branch, and my helmet tipped over my eyes. For a second, I was just dangling there, pretty shaken up. After I got my grip back, I finished the job but kept thinking about it. The next day, I went through all my climbing gear piece by piece and found a worn strap I had missed. Now I do a full gear check before every single climb, no shortcuts. It was a dumb mistake, but it pushed me to be more careful, which feels like a win.