Accidents Happen

      When you climb outside, you start to hear about unfortunate incidents happening.  Sometimes fatal, and sometimes not, accidents can happen among the newest climbers or the most experienced climbers.  I have heard stories of friends on climbs realizing their knot isn't finished, ropes being cut on quickdraws, and people decking (falling to the ground) from high points up on the rock.  Ben and I had never been involved in anything like this until this past weekend.
       I have always felt safe climbing with Ben. I trust him and he trusts me. It helps that he has been a paramedic for over 5 years now.  He always keeps a medic bag in the car in case of accidents, which I have complained about taking up too much space on trips.  He is extremely good at what he does and knows how to act in extreme situations.   
      We made a day trip to Red River Gorge on Friday and climbed at the Motherlode, a cliff known for having high routes, some topping out at 130 feet.  After warming up, we headed over to put the quickdraws up on a mini project we had started working on.  Upon finishing the route, Ben quickly lowered me and let me know that he thought a climber had fallen near the Madness Cave area and he was going to check it out.

The Motherlode at Red River Gorge

      I untied from the rope, grabbed the keys in case the medic bag was needed and followed behind him.  I hadn't heard anything. Since I was up on the route and focused, I was unsure about what we would find.
      When I finally reached the area, I saw a familiar face. An experienced climber within the Red community was laying on the ground, conscious, but in pain with climbers surrounding him.  The climber had been lowering from a long climb and was lowered off the end up of his rope into a steep ravine.  By the looks of the rope on the belayer's end (towards the rock), it appeared the climber had fallen somewhere between 30-40 feet, but the actual distance was unknown.  The local EMS crew had already been called via a climber's cell phone and they were on their way.  Ben assessed the situation, and sent me along with two others running down the trail to get the medic bag from the car.  Upon receiving the bag, Ben was able to wrap a broken wrist and help keep the patient comfortable.  He did further assessments and determined there had been no loss of pulse, motor or sensory in his legs, a tool to check for spinal injury. Also, no abnormal findings in his pupils when shined with a light, checking for a head injury. There was tenderness in the back but not on the spine, and the climber was having no trouble breathing which lessened the chance of tension pneumothorax.
      When the EMS crew arrived, they brought a backboard and a litter which would be used to carry the climber out on the steep trail back to the ambulance.  Once ready, 8-10 climbers, Fire and EMS came together and carried the patient, packaged in the litter back down the trail.  The path was slick and narrow, but we took turns, switching in and out to get the patient down safely.  Once we reached the bottom, 4 members from the Fire and EMS department got into the small creek so we could safely transport the patient over the narrow bridge to the parking area where the ambulance was located.  The patient was safely in the ambulance and the climbers stayed to make sure no more help was needed.
      After the ambulance left, we all stood in the parking lot, first debriefing about what had just happened, and then breaking into more personal conversations, getting to know one another better.  It was incredible to see the way that 8 climbers from all over the country came together to help out one of their own in a critical situation.  Each person brought something different to the table: some having big wall experience, making a haul system to help get the patient out of the ravine, fast runners to get supplies quickly from the car to make the patient more comfortable, everyones strong arms to carry the patient down from the crag, and Ben's skills as a paramedic allowed him to control the scene until the local crews arrived.  Ben and I got to know most of the climbers well throughout the day and I don't think we could have asked for a better group to help out.  We even enjoyed dinner at the Rockhouse with two of them later that evening, one of which went on to send his first 13a Hoofmaker later that day. Congrats Tim!
      Reflecting back on this situation, I have so much respect for my husband and am so proud of him for what he does.  I have seen him work on multiple medical mission trips and he works full time as a firefighter/paramedic, but to see him in action out at the crag was indescribable.  He was patient, calm, and knew exactly what needed to be done. He checked to be sure nothing serious was happening on the inside of the patient, not just what appeared on the outside.  Also, he is one of the most humble people I know and wouldn't take credit for anything that happened.  He denied doing anything more than the rest of the 8 climbers who had helped.

Ben working at a near fatal car accident in 2010

         Accidents can happen, regardless of your climbing ability, and they can be fatal.  We were very lucky to have such a great group and crew that helped out with this situation and can only hope that climbers will continue to step up when their fellow climber is in need.  Things can happen when you least expect them, so be safe. No matter how many times you may have climbed a route or been to the area.  Please be cautious, be sure to double check yourselves before going up a route and always knot both sides of your rope.  Be friendly to the climbers around you, they could be the ones coming to your rescue.  We are a community of people who share a common passion, rock climbing.  Let's be a community who helps each other without a second thought, especially during those times of deepest need. And, I will never complain about the medic bag taking up too much room again!



   

A Competitive Side

      Competition.  It motivates us and drives us.  I will admit that I am a very competitive person.  Can you relate?  Ever since I can remember, everything has been a competition to me. No matter what it was or who I was up against. Growing up I played lots of different sports and always wanted to be the best in all of them.  I was competitive in tennis, playing since I was four and varsity all through high school.  I was competitive with skiing, wanting to go down every double black I could find regardless of what my skills were, even if that involved sliding all the way down on my butt.  I am competitive in school and am always checking my test grades as soon as they are posted to see if I had the highest grade.  And of course, I am competitive in climbing.

      I'm not sure when I got to the point of being so competitive.  I am told how much I am like my father, who is a six time ironman competitor, has run 30 plus marathons and always times his training sessions on his watch to see how fast they are.  I imagine at some point from growing up in an athletic family I picked up the idea that I wanted to be the best at whatever it is I do, no matter how unrealistic it might be.

Winning second in my first triathlon circa 1990's

      When Ben and I began climbing together, he was a stronger boulderer than me but we were very similar in the routes we were able to do.  As we kept climbing together, we were improving at about the same rate and projected all the same routes.  Ben might send something first one trip and vice versa the next .  It is wonderful to be able to climb the same routes and work on things together, but it does lead to a little competition.  I am always happy for Ben when he sends a route, especially something that he has been working on for awhile.  It is difficult, however, when it's something I still have not done.  The pressure kicks in telling me I need to do it now, or the frustration that if he did it why I have still not done it?  

      I think this leads to a good point. When does competition and a competitive mindset become too much?  I am very guilty of comparing myself to others.  It can be comparing myself to people I know, or someone I just see out climbing on a trip or in the gym.  It can be a girl or guy, but it is definitely more prevalent with girls.  It is one of the worst things you can do to yourself to improve and reach a goal that YOU are trying to make.  However, time after time I continue to watch people and compare myself.  I have improved some with this, although there is still work to be done.  

      I have been trying to teach myself recently that focusing on myself and my own goals is most important regardless of what others are doing.  This applies to climbing or anything in life.  I am never going to be the best female rock climber in the world, an olympic gymnast (as I had hoped when I was young) or the smartest person in every class I take.  It doesn't matter how hard another girl climbs, what grade someone else gets on a test or who else I see going down a double black bowl run.  As long as I am trying my hardest and doing my best, that is all I can do and that is what should be most important to me.

Finishing the Pike's Peak Half Marathon Ascent in 2000