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Upperlimits
Jul 29, 2009, 3:31 PM
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Registered: Aug 23, 2007
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Me and my partner were climbing White Whale at Lumpy Ridge in CO on 7/15/09. It's a Trad 5.7. The second pitch is very long.
My partner was doing the 3rd and final pitch. I was in a semi hanging belay for her pitch. She got up there and apparently followed a 5.8R/X crack off route. I hadn't done the route before and neither had she. She got up to a little ledge then took off on a nice crack up the wall.
She yelled "watch me" a couple of time which I was. When she fell the rope went very slack. She caught her foot on the ledge and then fell off that. I caught her about 3 feet below the ledge probably. I was only able to get about a foot of slack out of the system when she fell. I was much more concerned with catching her.
No pieces pulled. Her last piece she put in caught her fall.
She didn't say much and then followed the ledge on out to the tree for the regular belay station for White Whale.
She hurt her foot but I had no idea how bad it was. She walked out with a walking stick but still insisted on carrying her pack. She drove herself back to Boulder and stopped at the hospital.
Turns out she has a Lisfranc fracture.
The Lisfranc fracture is a fracture and dislocation of the joints in the midfoot, where a cluster of small bones forms an arch on top of the foot between the ankle and the toes. From this cluster, five long bones, the metatarsals, extend until the toes.
She broke the two middle metatarsals and she lost the lisfranc tendon which she had to have surgery to reattach.
She is in a non weight bearing cast for 6 weeks now.
Some lessons learned....
Stay on route. Try to take the easiest route when given the choice. The easier route is usually right.
When climbing trad be ready to down climb something as much as you are ready to up climb it. You may not find the protection that you expect above your current position.
Take a good look at your pitch at any rest spot and have a plan to put your next piece of pro in.
(This post was edited by Upperlimits on Jul 29, 2009, 3:32 PM)
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Bats
Jul 29, 2009, 4:07 PM
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Registered: Dec 27, 2007
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Its scary going off route...I agreed...luckily I always climb with a more experience climber who b!tch me out when I am off. Many of friends who have gone off route has some scary stories, but still alive.
And if your friend was walking on the injury, she could have made it worst.
(This post was edited by Bats on Jul 29, 2009, 4:08 PM)
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theotherguy
Aug 1, 2009, 5:22 AM
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Registered: Sep 28, 2004
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Wow, that is quite a story...I think it would be interesting to hear this from the climbers perspective...just sayin'....
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onceahardman
Aug 2, 2009, 2:21 AM
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Registered: Aug 3, 2007
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Thanks for sharing.
A surgical Lisfranc should recover pretty well, but the road is long. Encourage her to keep the NWB (non-weightbearing) restriction until the surgeon says it's cool, especially with the metatarsal fractures. She will literally need to learn how to walk all over again.
I think you mean Lisfranc ligament, rather than tendon. If you have specific rehab questions, let me know. I usually hang around the injuries forum, or you can pm me.
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doubledare
Aug 3, 2009, 12:10 PM
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Registered: Nov 2, 2004
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The situation you described must be common on White Whale because I have a friend who had the same experience on pitch 3--got off-route into steep unprotectable territory took a long leader fall and broke his ankle.
Last summer I went back there with him to repeat the ankle-breaker and p3 is actually very easy--if you go the right way--which is left BTW, not to the right.
The book I have actually says watch out for the 5.8X black water groove or something like that.
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rightarmbad
Aug 3, 2009, 1:25 PM
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Registered: Mar 22, 2005
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You say that the Lisfranc ligament was reattached.
I haven't heard of this being done before. It has always thought of being impossible in the past. Usually they just screw the things together or fuse the bones.
I have a detached Lisfranc so I'm pretty interested if this is true.
The fact that she could walk out is a great sign, I certainly couldn't bear any weight let alone walk.
Hopefully it is just partially torn. It's been three years for me now and I don't think I will ever run again.
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malcolm777b
Aug 3, 2009, 2:36 PM
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Registered: Jun 9, 2009
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Glad to hear your partner isn't hurt worse.
Upperlimits wrote: Some lessons learned.... Stay on route. Try to take the easiest route when given the choice. The easier route is usually right.
Upperlimits wrote: When climbing trad be ready to down climb something as much as you are ready to up climb it. You may not find the protection that you expect above your current position.
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shockabuku
Aug 3, 2009, 2:59 PM
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Registered: May 20, 2006
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A good lesson learned would be to be aware of obstacles in your fall path and either place gear to account for them/remove them from your fall, don't fall, or retreat.
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