Freeing a stuck knee

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Messages 1 - 31 of total 31 in this topic
GOclimb

Trad climber
Boston, MA
Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 26, 2012 - 06:25pm PT
Hey folks,

This weekend I had a friend who got her knee stuck in a knee-sized crack. She had good #5 above her, and she was only 30 feet off the ground, so it wasn't an immediate emergency. But when, after 1/2 hour of struggling she was unable to do anything better than fix it further and further, she started getting a wee bit spooked.

Eventually, we got it out, but the only thing that worked was me climbing up next to her, cutting off the pant leg, liberal application of sunscreen, and then me physically pulling *hard* at the leg in the direction it looked like it needed to go, while she relaxed that limb completely.

So this got me wondering - I felt like I was reinventing the wheel up there while I was helping her - anyone have any good tips to share?

Thanks!

GO
Joe

Social climber
Santa Cruz
Mar 26, 2012 - 06:27pm PT
Steve, this one is for you...
WBraun

climber
Mar 26, 2012 - 06:28pm PT
Dish soap.

That's what we had to use one day for a woman on Mungenella.

It took 3 of us 1 hour to free her stuck knee .....
'Pass the Pitons' Pete

Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
Mar 26, 2012 - 06:29pm PT
Bwah-ha-ha-ha!! That was one of the most famous near-misses in British mountaineering history - Martin Boysen got his knee stuck on Trango Tower when climbing with Joe Brown, Moe Anthoine and others.

Maybe someone can find a link to the epic - unforgettable.
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
Mar 26, 2012 - 06:30pm PT
Gordie Smaill or Al Givler got a foot stuck on the Salathe and the other
had to climb up and cut the back of the other's boot open to extract the
offending and, presumably, offensive foot.
Ghost

climber
A long way from where I started
Mar 26, 2012 - 06:32pm PT
And then there was Jason Kruk on "Boogie til you puke"

Of course his problems went further than a stuck knee...
michaeld

Sport climber
Sacramento
Mar 26, 2012 - 06:34pm PT
Don't sh*t your pants. It only makes matters worse.
GOclimb

Trad climber
Boston, MA
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 26, 2012 - 06:34pm PT
Werner wrote:
It took 3 of us 1 hour to free her stuck knee .....

So what was it that did the trick - aside from the lubricant?

For me, it was kinda like freeing a stuck cam, I had to really think hard about what had to go in which direction to find the path out of the rock. But then she was physically unable to do it herself, and I had to have her relax and pull her leg myself.

GO
WBraun

climber
Mar 26, 2012 - 06:38pm PT
It took us a while to make the woman relax.

I was with Jesse the climbing ranger and another ranger.

Her knee was horrendously stuck.

We thought after a while we would need to drill away some of the rock around her knee.

But it finally came out after much effort of pushing from below and pulling from above.
SteveW

Trad climber
The state of confusion
Mar 26, 2012 - 06:43pm PT

I can only think of Martin Boysen. . . on Trango.
'Pass the Pitons' Pete

Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
Mar 26, 2012 - 06:44pm PT
Ha - the story is already posted right here on McTopo:

http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=553289

I would love to read the article, but as always, Steve's scans are too low res with the print too small to read. I don't understand the point of scanning something that is virtually unreadable when it is easy enough to increase the size and resolution of the scan. It's not like there are any restrictions in bandwidth here.

Oh well.
Tony Bird

climber
Northridge, CA
Mar 26, 2012 - 06:46pm PT
on the second ascent of yellow brick road, a climber got his knee irretrievably stuck in the offwidth right off the first belay. his partner rapelled to base, ran to the lookout tower and got a plastic squeeze bottle of salad oil, which was used to lubricate and free the leader's knee. the squeeze bottle is still in the crack at the belay. it is recommended that this section be liebacked. always climb safely and avoid the need for rescues.

from the needles guidebook (1992)
Jaybro

Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
Mar 26, 2012 - 07:05pm PT
Woohoo, one of my favorite topics! Lots of related threads here on the taco. One was last week I think and has a link to a thread about the fissure Boysen, And Jillian in generator crack. I'll look it up in a while, if no one gets there first.
cintune

climber
Midvale School for the Gifted
Mar 26, 2012 - 07:21pm PT
Just hit ctrl and + if you have a Windows machine. There must be something similar for Macs too. [This will not free a stuck knee, however.]

Americans would call it an off-width crack; I called it something else.
Prod

Trad climber
Mar 26, 2012 - 07:28pm PT
Gotta love a hands free rest?

What were you on Gabe?

Prod.
Ghost

climber
A long way from where I started
Mar 26, 2012 - 07:43pm PT
I would love to read the article, but as always, Steve's scans are too low res with the print too small to read.

Uh, it's perfectly clear on my screen. Maybe you need some Windex and a paper towel. Or new glasses.
Dr.Sprock

Boulder climber
I'm James Brown, Bi-atch!
Mar 26, 2012 - 09:55pm PT
liquid wrench

for the real tough cases, liquid plumber.

etches the outer layer of epidermis, which you don't need anyway,

it was left over from the cave man days,

propane torch- not to expand the rock,

heat the guys foot til he rips out the knee from shear pain,

PAUL SOUZA

Trad climber
Central Valley, CA
Mar 26, 2012 - 10:24pm PT
How about some Astroglide?

Hahaha
Dr.Sprock

Boulder climber
I'm James Brown, Bi-atch!
Mar 26, 2012 - 10:35pm PT
yes cosmic, we know,

welcome back to vegas,

jus call me dantanna,

got weed?

john hansen

climber
Mar 26, 2012 - 10:36pm PT
Hey Pass the pitons pete,,,,,

Try holding down the "ctrl" button on your computer and then hit the + key.

It will enlarge the page so you can read the print. Then hold down "ctrl" and hit the - key and it will go back to the original size.
Jaybro

Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
Mar 26, 2012 - 11:53pm PT
So one day shortly before the turn of the century, up at broken tooth, we decide to do that .10d wide crack just before the main crag as a warmup while waiting for Rock Lobster. I lead it and get my knee, stuck, more than I have before, but in a few minutes I'm able to wiggle the bruised joint out, set up a sling shot and lower. The woman I'm climbing with goes up quickly and gets her knee stuck, for a long time. Ace wanders by and we start telling fissure Boysen jokes, laughing robustly. Only then stop, because it's not funny anymore. It's been a long time, like 20-30 minutes. But with much effort and torn flesh she gets her damaged joint out, and soberly, we limp over to Rock lobster.

Shortly there after, I'm climbing up there with Rev Mike of Vail, and I retell that story, lots of laughs, haha.. We head down to the Super Bowl and there is Donini with a group of international climbers, mostly from Cuba and Germany. He makes introductions. When he comes to the last guy he says, "oh and this is Martin Boysen" I shake his hand, look him in the eye and ask;

"Of the Fissure?"
He looks me in the eye and says;
"Piss off!"
Hilarity ensued!

Okay, to complete the stuck knee cannon;

http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/688099/Generator-Crack-is-a-Cruel-Mistress-A-Facelift-Tale
Clint Cummins

Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
Mar 27, 2012 - 03:39am PT
on the second ascent of yellow brick road, a climber got his knee irretrievably stuck in the offwidth right off the first belay. his partner rapelled to base, ran to the lookout tower and got a plastic squeeze bottle of salad oil, which was used to lubricate and free the leader's knee. the squeeze bottle is still in the crack at the belay. it is recommended that this section be liebacked. always climb safely and avoid the need for rescues.

from the needles guidebook (1992)

I think I've seen that bottle. Our solution was not to lieback the wide, but to climb the easy 5.6 face out to the right.
Willoughby

Social climber
Truckee, CA
Mar 27, 2012 - 04:26am PT
Please stop lubing up all the offwidths. Thank you.
Fluoride

Trad climber
West Los Angeles, CA
Mar 27, 2012 - 04:33am PT
ekat, I've heard Crisco/vegetable oil is the trick as well.
Dr.Sprock

Boulder climber
I'm James Brown, Bi-atch!
Mar 27, 2012 - 04:52am PT
what about Pepsodent toothpaste?





Decko

Trad climber
Colorado
Mar 27, 2012 - 05:00am PT
I hear say on Ruper them that free stuck folks also used a form of cooking oil.......

Maybe that is why the wide section of that route is so damn greasy
Delhi Dog

climber
Good Question...
Mar 27, 2012 - 07:06am PT
Nightmare...getting stuck in the squeeze on Steck/Salathe.

As I'm breathing in then out inching my way up all I could think of is how long my body would take to finally fall out of there if it did get stuck.

Oh, and fat knees suck:-)

cheers
GOclimb

Trad climber
Boston, MA
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 27, 2012 - 10:38am PT
Prod wrote:
What were you on Gabe?

My wife was belaying her friend up an unnamed crack at Reservoir Wall at the Creek. I was racking up to get on something else nearby when I noticed my wife's friend's predicament and went over to help.

GO
frisbee

climber
{this page left blank intentionally}
Apr 25, 2013 - 09:56pm PT
Vedauwoo eats knees, too:

The “responding community climbers” gathered items they believed necessary to help separate Lane from Cornelius, including rock drills, chisels, hammers, painkillers and lubricants.

http://www.laramieboomerang.com/articles/2013/04/24/news/doc51775c3ccfcca590352066.txt
kennyt

climber
Woodfords,California
Apr 25, 2013 - 10:13pm PT
Is a stuck knee an old aid route somewhere?
rgold

Trad climber
Poughkeepsie, NY
Apr 25, 2013 - 10:52pm PT
I once (unwittingly) climbed the crack on Ruper the day after the RMRG had poured motor oil down it to free someone's stuck knee. Man that thing was slippery.
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