A woman who fell about 9ft to the ground and shattered her ankle while learning to rock climb at a climbing centre has sued in the High Court.
Monica Luba (35) told the court she had gone rock climbing at the Dublin Climbing Centre to get over her fear of heights.
Opening the case on Thursday, Michael Byrne SC said that at the end of her second induction session, Ms Luba was brought bouldering − climbing without ropes or harness.
Counsel said it was their case that the wall where Ms Luba was climbing was “the most difficult wall in the building”. He said that an instructor had brought them on a smaller wall first and showed them how to climb and drop down to a mat.
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Counsel said it was their case that bringing Ms Luba bouldering at the end of the session was “too much too soon”, and Ms Luba was ill prepared for it.
Ms Luba from Tyrellstown, Dublin, sued JCN Adventure Ltd, the owners of the Dublin Climbing Centre, Belgard Square East, Tallaght, as a result of the accident on July 4th, 2023.
All of the claims are denied in the case.
It is contended by JCN Adventure Ltd that there was alleged contributory negligence on the part of Ms Luba. It is claimed there was an alleged failure to follow instructions and that she had undertaken rock climbing that she knew carried a risk of injury.
It is further claimed that the wall where the accident happened was not the most difficult wall in the centre and that it was the most appropriate one for beginners and the instruction at the time was how to hang and fall safely.
In evidence, Ms Luba said she was on a second induction day with a friend when the accident happened. She said they had an instructor and were using ropes and she had a harness.
She said 20 minutes before the end of the session the instructor brought them bouldering.
They were shown how to climb the wall and drop down to a mat. She said the instructor climbed and dropped down and her friend followed.
“I was a bit afraid but I tried it. I was stuck. It was not straight, so I couldn’t see. I didn’t expect to be on a wall like this, a spider wall. It was much higher than the other wall,” she said.
She claimed that she had to jump and her feet twisted when she landed.
”There was a terrible pain,” she said. She said she later had to have surgery.
Cross-examined by counsel for JCN Adventure, Moira Flahive SC, she agreed it was her fourth visit to the centre. She said she thought she would always be on the rope and she had done the bouldering because she wanted to finish the course.
David Browne, engineer for Ms Luba, told the court that she suffered an uncontrolled fall. He said in his opinion the woman should have been instructed not to go so high.
The case before Ms Justice Carmel Stewart continues.
