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davcro
climber
San Francisco
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jun 24, 2011 - 12:03pm PT
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My partner broke his leg while climbing Fairview yesterday. We self rescued and I left some gear up there. The earliest I can get back to retrieve it would be on Monday (or sooner, I just need to find a partner). If anyone climbs it this weekend, would they please please please return the gear. I left a note with my contact info. Will reward you with beer and karma.
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, CA
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Jun 24, 2011 - 12:07pm PT
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That sucks...
Heal! (nice job on the self-rescue too)
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le_bruce
climber
Oakland, CA
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Jun 24, 2011 - 12:10pm PT
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Pulling for you. If you left a note letting people know it was an accident/self-rescue situation and anyone halfway decent is next up the route, you'll get the gear back.
Cheers for the self-rescue with broken leg, more to your partner really!
Where was the fall?
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Mike Bolte
Trad climber
Planet Earth
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Jun 24, 2011 - 12:10pm PT
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bummer! Regular Route?
And, what happened?
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Jun 24, 2011 - 12:32pm PT
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People who break bones on climbs and don't call for SAR, deprive the rescue monkeys of much-needed NPS cash. :-)
http://www.supertopo.com/tr/El-Capitan-Zodiac-a-rite-of-passage/t11041n.html
Hope your partner heels well, and you get all your gear. It would be nice if we get somebody to put a note at the trailhead or at the store bulletin board, has not everyone is going to see this before the weekend.
best wishes
Karl
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davcro
climber
San Francisco
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 24, 2011 - 01:09pm PT
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The accident occurred on the Regular Route. Partner was starting to follow a 200 foot pitch. Climbed about 5 feet and fell back onto the belay ledge (the one with a tree). I heard the leg break from above, it made a hollow popping sound. He screamed for a few minutes then anchored to the tree. I rappelled to him. The leg was clearly broken, foot twisted, pointing in the wrong direction. Fortunately we were 200 foot from the base so I was able to lower him. The guy was super tough and we hopped, crawled and slid through the snow back to the road. X-Ray showed a broken tibia and fibia just above the ankle. I'm still impressed he hiked out.
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Jun 24, 2011 - 01:32pm PT
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Hope your partner heals quickly and completely. Anyone who self-rescues deserves the best of karma -- and certainly deserves to get their gear back.
John
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Friedo
Trad climber
South Lake Tahoe
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Jun 24, 2011 - 01:35pm PT
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Also wishing your partner a speedy recovery. My first thought was "How do you fall on Reg Route? It's super chill". But then I realized how wet it probably is, so disregard my initial thought...
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Jun 24, 2011 - 01:37pm PT
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Horrendous! Good work, men!
Though I gotta say you guys are as bad as Karl & Riley! At least Hudon respects and supports the local economy!
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matisse
climber
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Jun 24, 2011 - 01:41pm PT
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You Guys Rule! I hope you get your gear back.
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Jun 24, 2011 - 01:55pm PT
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As much as I appreciate heroics as anyone else posting, I think you should have gone for help and your partner should have stayed still. Why compound the risks of permanent damage for bragging rights?
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nutjob
Gym climber
Berkeley, CA
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Jun 24, 2011 - 02:37pm PT
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Mental note to self: bring tube chocks not just for wideness, but for femur splints.
Heal quickly!
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pumpkineater
Trad climber
California
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Jun 24, 2011 - 02:40pm PT
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Hey, Post your contact info on the thread. Also, put a note up on mountainproject. Good luck.
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Jun 24, 2011 - 03:00pm PT
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Glad to hear you and your partner got down and out
safely. I hope you heal up fast, and that some good
soul returns your gear.
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Gal
Trad climber
a semi lucid consciousness
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Jun 24, 2011 - 03:02pm PT
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wow, what a freak thing to break a leg in such a scenario. They always say to break is better than to sprain-heals better. Good luck to you both in healing and getting gear back. That sounds like some major pain to get out of there with a broken leg, YIKES!!!!
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Jun 24, 2011 - 03:34pm PT
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Im sure they weighed the risk ---dont see it as bragging rights at all..I see it as the way things should be for climbers...Tough enough to get up there, then tough enough to get yourselves down. Commitment to the adventure no matter what it holds, is the name of the game.
I'll tell you that the biggest thing pushing me to self rescue, was the fact that I could just do it right then and there, instead of waiting for team to mobilize and come get me.
And then there would be pressure to get in a $2000 ambulance ride to Fresno.
That, in some peer male ego about just not liking being rescued.
peace
Karl
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towerofpower
Trad climber
sacramento, ca
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Jun 24, 2011 - 05:34pm PT
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Nice belay dude
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Jun 24, 2011 - 05:46pm PT
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200' of rope from belayer to second. 6% stretch under 80 kg = 12' or more stretch. Not including perhaps a bit of slack, and/or a tiny fall. Even if the rope was snug, the belayer still might not have felt a thing. And the leg might well have broken on some intermediate thing, before hitting the ledge - it doesn't take much.
Good work on the self-rescue, and hope you get your gear back. Did you splint or otherwise protect the leg before descending?
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Gene
climber
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Jun 24, 2011 - 05:49pm PT
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Agree with MH in regards to stretch, self rescue and return of your gear.
Heal up!
g
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the Fet
climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
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Jun 24, 2011 - 05:59pm PT
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I'm not going to second guess anyone's decision to self rescue or not, unless someone did something really stupid and put the rescuers at risk.
I'll also concur with Karl. I'd want to get down asap. I trust myself more than anyone. And I wouldn't want to put anyone else at risk. I badly sprained my ankle skiing one time and there was no way I wanted to be strapped into one of those sleds, so I skied down on one foot. I took my boot off and couldn't walk at all, so I put it right back on and wore it until I got home.
However I once tried to be brave and hop out on a broken foot (motorcycle not climbing) and I believe it made things worse. I'd probably try to get to the ground on my own, then give the SAR team a paycheck by having them carry me to the road. I could crawl out if needed, but I wouldn't if I thought it would make the injury worse.
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