I was climbing in Arthur’s Pass National Park on the third pitch of a five pitch route. After traversing some easier terrain, I started climbing again and was looking for a place to put in some gear. I placed a cam that I knew wasn’t great, but it was something while I figured out my next move.

As I shifted my weight to the left looking for a better placement, the rock I was holding suddenly pulled out. It all happened fast, but I remember the rock breaking free, glancing at the cam as it took weight and then popped, and then bouncing off the wall before rolling backward. I slammed onto a ledge with all the air forced out of me and then tumbled backward over another ledge.

When the rope caught, I was hanging upside down about two meters below the belay. I could hear myself gasping and groaning while trying to breathe. I managed to get upright and looked up at my partner on belay. His eyes were huge and my helmet was shattered and hanging around my neck.

I climbed back up to the anchor so we could secure ourselves before doing a better injury check. I suspected broken ribs and knew I had hurt my back. With weather expected to move in later that afternoon, we decided to activate the ACR beacon and call for help.

The Alpine Cliff Rescue team flew in from Christchurch and positioned me for a winch extraction. Scans later showed a compression fracture in one of my vertebrae and a suspected concussion based on the damage to my helmet.

All things considered, I was incredibly lucky and grateful to still be walking. Huge thanks to the rescue helicopter crew and the rock rescue team for getting me out safely.