Discussion Topic |
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karen roseme
Mountain climber
san diego
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Topic Author's Original Post - Oct 28, 2013 - 10:17pm PT
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I am sorry to say Ammon had a serious base jumping accident yesterday.
He is in a hospital in Grand Junction where they are trying to save his foot.
I don't know the details of the accident. It was a jump off the Moab Rim. I think he hit the wall somehow.
I am sure he would love some support right now from his friends.
Hang in there Ammon you are strong!
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Oct 28, 2013 - 10:18pm PT
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DAMN.. sh1t sh1t sh1t
OK Pirate.. a fecking pegleg isn't THAT COOL.
Best wishes and lotsa OE man.
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FrankZappa
Trad climber
Hankster's crew
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Oct 28, 2013 - 10:20pm PT
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Ouch. That sucks. Hope it heals up well dude.
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kunlun_shan
Mountain climber
SF, CA
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Oct 28, 2013 - 10:22pm PT
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That's terrible! I sure hope everything works out well, and you heal up completely Ammon! Best wishes.
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T2
climber
Cardiff by the sea
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Oct 28, 2013 - 10:23pm PT
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Awe shucks!!
Be well buddy
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thebravecowboy
Social climber
Colorado Plateau
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Oct 28, 2013 - 10:23pm PT
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my stomach just dropped out.
I am in GJ and if there is anything that I can do to help, I am willing and able.
You are in my thoughts, brother. This too shall pass.
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Spider Savage
Mountain climber
The shaggy fringe of Los Angeles
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Oct 28, 2013 - 10:26pm PT
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Get well soon! I imagine there will be some time to heal. Always love to hear from you here on this forum.
EDIT: Saw your photo on facebook.... Bad Ass injury. Glad to hear prospects are positive.
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micronut
Trad climber
Fresno/Clovis, ca
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Oct 28, 2013 - 10:27pm PT
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Hoping for as good of an outcome as possible. Seems like a hard dude. It will serve him well in the coming hours. Dude's an icon. May strength and endurance come your way Ammon.
Scott
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Big Mike
Trad climber
BC
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Oct 28, 2013 - 10:29pm PT
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Sorry to hear this Ammon!! Having a foot that doesn't work is no fun! Hoping they put you back together good!
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Rudder
Trad climber
Costa Mesa, CA
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Oct 28, 2013 - 10:33pm PT
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I am sorry to say Ammon has had a serious base jumping accident yesterday.
Cringe, sh!t, sh!t, sh!t... hoping for the best possible outcome over here! Get well soon Ammon!
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guido
Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
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Oct 28, 2013 - 10:33pm PT
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Sending good vibes for you Ammon!
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GhoulweJ
Trad climber
El Dorado Hills, CA
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Oct 28, 2013 - 10:33pm PT
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Get well soon Ammon!
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whitemeat
Big Wall climber
San Luis Obispo, CA
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Oct 28, 2013 - 10:34pm PT
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hope you get better soon dude! I have never met you but hope I will in the future. stay strong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Fritz
Trad climber
Choss Creek, ID
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Oct 28, 2013 - 10:35pm PT
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Yowl!
Best wishes for a speedy recovery ----from one of the old farts on ST-----who thinks you're Granetic & Gneiss!
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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Oct 28, 2013 - 10:40pm PT
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Awful news. He is "strong like bull" though and will prevail one has to think.
What a wonderful character you are Ammon. And the best to you now when the rest of us tremble with you.
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labrat
Trad climber
Auburn, CA
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Oct 28, 2013 - 10:49pm PT
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Good thoughts going your way. Heal up soon!
Erik
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Oct 28, 2013 - 10:51pm PT
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Take care, Ammon and heal up!
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Dirka
Trad climber
Hustle City
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Oct 28, 2013 - 10:52pm PT
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Best wishes pirate!
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SCseagoat
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Oct 28, 2013 - 10:53pm PT
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Oh this is not nice.
Heal up fast as you can
Susan
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Delhi Dog
climber
Good Question...
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Oct 28, 2013 - 10:53pm PT
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Sending positive vibes too!!
Stay strong there are many here that a pulling for you.
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grover
climber
Northern Mexico
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Oct 28, 2013 - 10:53pm PT
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Stay strong Ammon!
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Mark Hudon
Trad climber
Hood River, OR
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Oct 28, 2013 - 10:57pm PT
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Best wishes, Ammon.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Oct 28, 2013 - 11:05pm PT
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Finally! I guess no one wanted to be the first to talk about it... Healing vibes!!!!!!
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pud
climber
Sportbikeville & Yucca brevifolia
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Oct 28, 2013 - 11:05pm PT
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Sorry to read this.
Best wishes for a speedy and complete recovery.
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Mark Rodell
Trad climber
Bangkok
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Oct 28, 2013 - 11:11pm PT
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Pulling for you from Thailand, Ammon. As Peter said, "strong like bull."
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rlf
Trad climber
Josh, CA
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Oct 28, 2013 - 11:12pm PT
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Heal up soon. Hope to see you in Josh this season!
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The Larry
climber
Moab, UT
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Oct 28, 2013 - 11:18pm PT
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Just saw the pirate today. He's doing well and is in good spirits.
Aarrrrgggg!!!!
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Oct 28, 2013 - 11:18pm PT
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get well Ammon!
best wishes going you're way!!
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Scott McNamara
climber
Tucson, Arizona
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Oct 28, 2013 - 11:20pm PT
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Ammon,
Many of us have been busted up. We made it back.
Go with it. Learn from it. Allow it to teach without recrimination, without self castigation.
Your body is a 1,000,000 year old healer.
I will be inspired by you again--- before long.
Scott Mc
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McHale's Navy
Trad climber
From Panorama City, CA
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Oct 28, 2013 - 11:24pm PT
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OK, I'll jump in here. As a fellow climber that just trashed his right ankle pretty badly, but no where near as badly as yours, hang in there and put your mind to work. I said in another thread I tried going back in time to reverse everything....that didn't work. Now, it's just my latest project or projection onto the canvas of reality. The injury is part of the climb or jump and you have to move through all of it to get to the exit ramp, whatever that is. We were just fooled into thinking things were going to be different! My surgery is in the morning. Best of luck to you!
Scott, I dig what you say about the body being a 1,000,000,000 year old healer. I'm totally there. I like fixing stuff when I have to.
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kunlun_shan
Mountain climber
SF, CA
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Oct 28, 2013 - 11:25pm PT
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Thanks for the update, Larry!
Good news that Ammon looks fiery and smiling!
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nita
Social climber
chica de chico, I don't claim to be a daisy.
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Oct 28, 2013 - 11:35pm PT
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Sorry to hear about your accident.
Good to see you didn't bang your head.
Best of luck with your foot..
I hope your doggie gets to visit you in the hospital...
Saludos
nita.
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thebravecowboy
Social climber
Colorado Plateau
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Oct 28, 2013 - 11:56pm PT
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YARRR! The man is intact enough! Thank you Larry for sharing with us the indomitable and enduring nature of the El Cap Pirate!
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Daphne
Trad climber
Northern California
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Oct 28, 2013 - 11:57pm PT
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Sending positive vibes from a fellow foot-injury survivor. You will get through this, let the support that is flowing to you in. We are all on your side!
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Wade Icey
Trad climber
www.alohashirtrescue.com
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Oct 29, 2013 - 12:04am PT
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Lambone
Big Wall climber
Ashland, Or
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Oct 29, 2013 - 12:07am PT
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Ammon the survivor! Heal strong bro.
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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Oct 29, 2013 - 12:10am PT
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Hope the Aaaaamon is okay. Any prognosis on the foot? Glad it wasn't life threatening. We might have lost the brother. Glad we didn't.
Get well.
JL
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Oct 29, 2013 - 12:10am PT
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Many of us here have been busted up pretty badly, and recovered to climb or jump again. Do the rehab with the same stoke you did the jumps and the climbs, and you'll be back in action before long.
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Nohea
Trad climber
Living Outside the Statist Quo
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Oct 29, 2013 - 12:16am PT
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Heal up Brother, way to keep on pushing the fun!
Aloha,
Capt Wild Bill
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ryankelly
Trad climber
el portal
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Oct 29, 2013 - 12:26am PT
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Get well Ammon!
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marty(r)
climber
beneath the valley of ultravegans
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Oct 29, 2013 - 12:37am PT
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Get out of that bed and into the red...
(just heal up first!)
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Lennox
climber
just southwest of the center of the universe
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Oct 29, 2013 - 12:50am PT
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Hang on to that yellow band they put on your wrist.
Hope you're back on the rocks soon.
Scott
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Wade Icey
Trad climber
www.alohashirtrescue.com
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Oct 29, 2013 - 12:58am PT
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It's all fun and games 'til someone loses an eyepatch...
HEAL!!!111666
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the Fet
climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
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Oct 29, 2013 - 12:59am PT
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Wishin` ye well. Hope ye be havin' a full recovery. Glad ye didna end up in Davy Jones` Locker.
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briham89
Big Wall climber
san jose, ca
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Oct 29, 2013 - 01:07am PT
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Best wishes Mr. Pirate sir
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tonesfrommars
Trad climber
California
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Oct 29, 2013 - 01:31am PT
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Aaaaagh! Bummer dude.
Wishing you a fast recovery. I second CMac's suggestion. Stick to the rocks.
Get well soon!
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Oct 29, 2013 - 01:34am PT
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Frick Ammon, as if jumping out of redwoods wasn't enough for your foot.
Super sobering news. Hoping the magic potion works and you get back to high-steppin' soon.
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LuckyPink
climber
the last bivy
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Oct 29, 2013 - 01:45am PT
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sorry to hear you got nabbed by the troll under the bridge, but I'm glad you got away with head and heart. Best wishes for strong healing and that the foot gets on straight extending and flexing as it should.
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10b4me
Ice climber
Bishop/Flagstaff
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Oct 29, 2013 - 01:50am PT
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Hope it isn't too bad, and that you are back outside soon.
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Oct 29, 2013 - 01:51am PT
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Yur Gonna Die!!!!!
If you keep eating Chef Boyardee in the hospital...
Sending Love Bro. Make the best of whatever it is and keep grooving
PEace
Karl
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Fletcher
Gym climber
The great state of advaita
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Oct 29, 2013 - 01:59am PT
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Like that photo. That's the Ammon spirit... can do matey! But Chef Boyardee... isn't that a form of juicing? No worries, if it gets the job done... carry on matey and heal well.
Eric
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Porkchop_express
Trad climber
Springdale, UT
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Oct 29, 2013 - 02:15am PT
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Sending good vibes your way--hang in there and heal up soon!
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Vegasclimber
Trad climber
Las Vegas, NV.
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Oct 29, 2013 - 02:15am PT
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Got a message from Sir Pirate a while ago. Had a cliff strike in Moab but he says he will fully recover. He will probably share some details soon.
Get well fast my friend! Blue skies.
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Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
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Oct 29, 2013 - 02:41am PT
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Get well dude.
And Chef Boyardee is a patch on hospital food.
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H
Mountain climber
there and back again
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Oct 29, 2013 - 02:41am PT
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When I heard you were in the hospital I new it had to be serious! Brother, hang in there.
Sending you good vibes. Nothing but respect for a fellow pirate.
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cuvvy
Sport climber
arkansas
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Oct 29, 2013 - 03:23am PT
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Sorry you are dealing with this accident. I hope you have many more flights. And continue to enjoy from life!
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Oct 29, 2013 - 03:35am PT
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hey there say, ammon... keep getting well, we are in your corner...
is there a room address to send cards?
we are here to help you with the good cheer part, :)
glad that someone started the get well thread and glad to hear things
seem stable now... :)
and last:
i am very thankful you are still here for your loved ones, family,and
for us, too!
god bless... and prayers for recovery and all it entails...
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Reno, Nevada
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Oct 29, 2013 - 07:13am PT
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*Warning: very graphic below*
Well, I was really trying to delay posting anything publicly until the surgeons could predict the outcome better and I had time to inform my family and close friends about this incident... but, I guess the cat is out of the bag.
Let me fist start off by thanking everyone for the well wishes. I truly appreciate it.
Second, I take 100% of the responsibility for this, and all other, accidents/injuries both in BASE jumping and rock climbing.
BASE jumping is a very hard activity to explain to those who have never experienced the sensation and freedom of leaping off a cliff. Just like rock climbing it's something that you have to be very passionate about to except the risks that come with the amazing feeling you get while following your dreams. For those who think climbing is any safer than BASE jumping are in complete denial of how dangerous rock climbing is. But, like climbing you can choose the risks that you take before you jump and decide if that is in your level of capabilities. I like to think of myself as a 5.10 trad BASE jumper with reasonable pro. Obviously, I'm not flying the 5.14x routes in Europe that is taking a lot of jumpers these days. That being said, we are not perfect and slipping on a 5.6 is still possible.
A little background information for those who don't know or are unclear of the days leading up to the Moab accident. Most of you know of my troubles with jumping in Yosemite. Back then I had three BASE rigs, two modern canopies and one old school Fox with a velcro container. My first time getting busted in Yosemite they allowed me to "buy" back my gear for 1,500, plus the 2,500 fine that went with being a "criminal". I figured I was just unlucky and continued jumping in the park. I ended up selling one of my rigs to help pay for the fine I had acquired. The second time, yes there was a second bust, they took my gear without the option of "buying" it back, gave me a $5000 fine and sent me to prison for 38 days.
I guess you could say that I learned my "lesson" after that. I was done jumping in National Parks and continued following my climbing and jumping passions elsewhere. That just left me with a very used old school velcro rig to play with, until I could afford some more modern gear. I adapted and learned to jump this older gear with precision and confidence. But, I started to notice that one of my brake settings was getting a bit frayed and needed replaced. This is where I should have been a lot more cautious about something new, but with 1000+ jumps, felt quite confident. Just like in climbing, it's best to experiment with singular differences rather than a handful, or even a couple of new variations. In this case, new brake lines and an exit that I had never experienced before. I should have taken them back to the bridge in Idaho or jumped an exit that I was very familiar with.
So, I was down in Moab mentoring my friend Dave who had 50+ jumps and hadn't been off a cliff, yet. He was doing all the right steps and I took him under my wing. We did a jump in Northern Utah and went down to Moab and hucked a couple of cliffs in Mineral Bottom, which he did great. The day of the accident, after picking up my repaired gear, we ran into Andy Lewis and came up with a plan for a sunset jump.
We were with one other jumper who was new and I voted that Andy goes first, the two new guys go in the middle and I go last. They had perfect exits, great openings with no wind. I jumped, probably took a tad longer delay than I should have, being it was a new exit with new brake lines and immediately had a 180 degree opening. I struck the cliff with my left foot and continued rag dolling down the cliff where I finally came to rest on a sloping ledge. I knew I was banged up but to my utter surprise my foot was flipped on its side looking very similar to a nalgene bottle with just a sliver of skin keeping it on.
My first thought was, I want to wiggle my toes, because this is the last time I will ever feel that sensation. Blood was squirting everywhere and I knew my only option was to somehow tourniquet it to stop the bleeding. I used my bridal (a flat piece of webbing) that attaches my pilot chute and canopy to wrap the ankle just above the open wound. I then used a stick and propelled it tighter and tighter until the spurts subsided. I yelled down that I needed a helicopter ASAP and that I lost my foot and might bleed out.
This is when Andy, Brent and a few other Moab locals jumped into action, also, Dave who is an EMT. It took about 45 minutes before they could get to me, drilled a three bolt anchor and had fixed lines set before SAR even got there. Setting up the lines saved the rescue a couple of hours of them getting me back to the road and most likely my life. I lost nearly three pints of blood and was very close to leaving this world by the time the helicopter got me to the hospital.
I was absolutely prepared to wake up the next morning, minus a foot. I joked about going full pirate mode with a peg leg but knew it could be a reality and was very sad about it. Somehow, they saved it. I'm not completely in the clear at this moment, due to possible infection... but, I survived.
Here is a link from a jump Dave and I did that shows how absolutely amazing BASE jumping can be:
http://vimeo.com/77666314
And here is the carnage... the dark side of BASE jumping:
[Click to View YouTube Video]
Images of the injury (graphic):
image 1
image 2
image 3
So, the question is; Do we stand up and take the risks and have a blast enjoying your passion? Or, do we hide in the shadows, being afraid of what might happen if we are so bold to follow our dreams?
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steveA
Trad climber
Wolfeboro, NH
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Oct 29, 2013 - 07:31am PT
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Ammon,
I had an injury which looked almost as bad as yours, in the same area.
Happened in Vietnam, and thought I was going to lose the foot.
One year later, I climbed the Nose and the Salathe.
You will be back at it for sure. Guys that have the drive to do what you do
will pull thru better than the average coach potato!
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mcreel
climber
Barcelona
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Oct 29, 2013 - 08:31am PT
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Whoa, I'm very sorry about that injury, and I hope you heal up well. The clip showing the good jump is great, and your happiness when landing by the truck explains everything.
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Norwegian
Trad climber
dancin on the tip of god's middle finger
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Oct 29, 2013 - 08:34am PT
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im sorry, sir.
now, on to the next chapter.
it's entirely yours to author,
and based on your story thus far,
i'm certain it will be remarkable.
[Click to View YouTube Video]
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Lasti
Trad climber
Budapest
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Oct 29, 2013 - 08:35am PT
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Applying bridal tourniquet
Taking pics for our viewing pleasure
Joking about peg-leg
All while looking at your own bones and tendons and muscles 'n stuff.
And then actually SMILING in the hospital.
Totally Badass.
Pirate, I salute you!
May you heal soon and go up and down walls they way you were meant to.
Lasti
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John Mac
Trad climber
Littleton, CO
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Oct 29, 2013 - 08:36am PT
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Thanks for sharing and all the best for a good recovery!!!
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Don Paul
Big Wall climber
Colombia, South America
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Oct 29, 2013 - 08:49am PT
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Damn, that's gross. You acted quickly to stop the bleeding, and it sounds like the rescue was like clockwork. Some people would have just fainted there and bled to death but I guess you're good at handling pressure. It sounds like a story from the Vietnam war. I hope you get well soon and please save up and buy a new parachute for next time.
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happiegrrrl
Trad climber
www.climbaddictdesigns.com
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Oct 29, 2013 - 08:50am PT
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Woah. That must take some steel to see your foot in that condition and remain present enough to take the actions you did. Also glad you were out there with a set of skilled friends who helped you get through the preparation for hand-off to the medical teams. I think that old saying "Hey - what are friends for?" would be an understatement here.
Hope the foot and leg heal up well, and glad that you are here to talk about it!
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BASE104
Social climber
An Oil Field
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Oct 29, 2013 - 08:53am PT
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Damn, Ammon,
You are who I want to be if I croak and are re-born! Sorry about the foot, but in the old days, nobody made it to a hundred without spending time in plaster. Me included.
What you need is a little speech from Fight Club:
God damn it, an entire generation pumping gas, waiting tables; slaves with white collars. Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy sh#t we don't need. We're the middle children of history, man. No purpose or place. We have no Great War. No Great Depression. Our Great War's a spiritual war... our Great Depression is our lives. We've all been raised on television to believe that one day we'd all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won't. And we're slowly learning that fact. And we're very, very pissed off.
Heal up and keep fighting the war for us.
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L
climber
California dreamin' on the farside of the world..
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Oct 29, 2013 - 08:54am PT
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Aaaarrrgggghh Ammon...you are One Tough Pirate Dude!
Caught enough mangled-foot-through-squinting-eyes to be seriously horrified...and then figured that if you could deal with this trauma as well as you are right now, by god you are going to do what it takes to heal yourself.
In the meantime I'm sending you healing vibes and a vision of your leg and foot working perfectly again one day.
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Brandon-
climber
The Granite State.
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Oct 29, 2013 - 08:55am PT
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Sh#t, man. Bummer to hear this. Hope you get put back together correctly.
Edit; just watched your video. You're tough as nails, dude.
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Oct 29, 2013 - 09:10am PT
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Wow you are one tough dude. I am sure your level-headed ness saved your life. You are an inspiration to many of us here. Good luck with your recovery.
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justthemaid
climber
Jim Henson's Basement
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Oct 29, 2013 - 09:24am PT
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Whoa.. just whoa. Amazing how everyone kept their heads.
Wishing Ammon a speedy recovery.
Well, we know who's getting the Burt Bronson award of the year now ;)
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drljefe
climber
El Presidio San Augustin del Tucson
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Oct 29, 2013 - 09:27am PT
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Gore!!! Glad you're alive! F*#king A!!!
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Crimpergirl
Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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Oct 29, 2013 - 09:39am PT
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Best wishes to you. Rough injury. :/
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T2
climber
Cardiff by the sea
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Oct 29, 2013 - 09:58am PT
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Glad your still with us ammon. Hoping to bump into you at the base or the summitt of the capitain again soon
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Oct 29, 2013 - 10:00am PT
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Holy Moley! I'd heard there was a rough film ....
Nice poise and clear head in the face of disaster!
A tip of the bandana/patch to you!
Happy healing!
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Crack-N-Up
Big Wall climber
South of the Mason Dixon line
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Oct 29, 2013 - 10:02am PT
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This sux, but think he will get through this ok.
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Port
Trad climber
San Diego
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Oct 29, 2013 - 10:07am PT
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Get well soon. Total Gnar.
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5.samadhi
climber
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Oct 29, 2013 - 10:08am PT
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hey Ammon,
We've never met but I'd like to be on the load welcoming you back to base jumping after you recover...I've always admired you through your posts.
peace brother, heal well,
PM/email me if you need help sourcing some GH releasing peptides which will speed recovery drastically.
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Heisenberg
Trad climber
RV, middle of Nowehere
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Oct 29, 2013 - 10:14am PT
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Ammon.
You know the answer to that last question you asked. We both do as we talked about it yesterday. It's part of the process of healing and finding answers.
The sails just had a little wind taken out of them that's all. You will be full steam ahead sooner than later.
Even at the bottom of this page as I type these words it states "Climbing is dangerous, Climb at your own risk"
When it should read " Life is dangerous, live it at your own risk"
See you again today.
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BASE104
Social climber
An Oil Field
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Oct 29, 2013 - 10:16am PT
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Ammon has been living the life non-stop for sooooo long. I don't know anyone with his caliber of accomplishments other than Dean Potter, who also climbs and jumps.
Yeah, the foot is bad, but if they can save it, great. Modern prosthetics are also very good, and wouldn't slow him down much.
If you watch that video and how calm he was, well, that is pretty f*#king amazing. Totally calm. I really liked the "Sorry Mom...."
Let's all hoist one for the pirate.
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can't say
Social climber
Pasadena CA
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Oct 29, 2013 - 10:16am PT
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Whoa dude, all the best in your recovery. That you seem so cavalier about it is a bit of a mind blower. All the best to you.
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Powder
Trad climber
the Flower Box
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Oct 29, 2013 - 10:22am PT
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To world's toughest pirate,
Best wishes , heal up, and have a full recovery!!
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Brandon-
climber
The Granite State.
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Oct 29, 2013 - 10:25am PT
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I think it's a given that Ammon gets the most G.N.A.R points of all time.
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nature
climber
Boulder, CO
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Oct 29, 2013 - 10:26am PT
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Whoa.... that's gnarly. Heal up quick brother!
Arrrrgh!
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MisterE
climber
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Oct 29, 2013 - 10:28am PT
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Heal fast and well, Ammon!
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tinker b
climber
the commonwealth
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Oct 29, 2013 - 10:29am PT
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when i first started to read this, i was hoping it was last years accident until i saw the date.
shit bro. i am so glad to hear you still have a foot. remember that you are super human and have healing powers beyond comprehension.
sending healing thoughts from sardenia.
big love,
jo-lynne
and i guess i can no longer call you too domestic for a pirate.
and give us an address to send cards and grogg
i just watched the video (turning away when your foot apeared). you are the toughest mother f*#ker i know. unbelievable.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Oct 29, 2013 - 10:32am PT
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Yuck!
Hang in there. If you are looking for a good orthopedic surgeon PM me.
That was Mineral Canyon?
It is haunted by Earl Redfern's ghost.
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Oct 29, 2013 - 10:53am PT
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Thanks for the update Ammon. That you even took the time during this to answer so many questions you knew folks would have is a very cool thing. I'm as impressed by your consideration for others as I am by your ability to keep it together. Badass on a lot of levels.
Really sucked reading the first lines of the OPs post last night..kind of stuff you dread hearing.
You know we are all pulling for a fantastic recovery.
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Oct 29, 2013 - 10:55am PT
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Also have not met you, but would not mind meeting you in one piece! Good luck with recovering and stay safe!
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the Fet
climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
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Oct 29, 2013 - 10:57am PT
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This has pushed you over the top to be officially the most badass dude on the planet.
Most people would be screaming and freaking out and the most we get out of THE pirate is a quick "it hurts".
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ionlyski
Trad climber
Kalispell, Montana
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Oct 29, 2013 - 10:59am PT
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Geez! I just met my new hero. You are tough and calm at the same time. I can't believe you weren't just freaking out and crying like the baby I know I would be. But you also seemed to know exactly what was going on. I don't think you have too much to learn from this; rather we are all fortunate to learn from you. You'll do what you do which is live an extraordinary life I'm sure.
Take care,
Arne
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WBraun
climber
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Oct 29, 2013 - 11:09am PT
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Holy sh!t !!!!!
That one is baaaaddd!!!!
I've seen a few like that.
One guy with both like that after a ground fall.
Ammon you're tough m'fuker though.
Those doctors did a magnificent job putting you (Humphrey Dumphrey) back together again.
Best wishes to your complete recovery .......
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crunch
Social climber
CO
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Oct 29, 2013 - 11:11am PT
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All the best Ammon. Hope the foot heals up okay.
Sorry the desert treated you so bad!
Crusher
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kaholatingtong
Trad climber
Nevada City
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Oct 29, 2013 - 11:12am PT
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Ammon, we never met and I often just lurk but in this case I feel compelled. I know everyone is saying this here but I cant help myself. You are one BADASS MOFO, and that calm head might have saved your life. without hearing specific details on your surgery, let me be the first to welcome you into the world of metal enhanced bionics. Welcome to the cool club. Just do your PT and you will be doing your sh#t again all in good time.
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High Fructose Corn Spirit
Gym climber
Potemkin Village
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Oct 29, 2013 - 11:22am PT
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So, the question is; Do we stand up and take the risks and have a blast enjoying our passion? Or, do we hide in the shadows, being afraid of what might happen if we are so bold to follow our dreams?
You ARE a modern day Teddy Roosevelt. Respect to you, big time. You exemplify human strength.
Best wishes for a full recovery.
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canyoncat
Social climber
SoCal
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Oct 29, 2013 - 11:26am PT
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Dude, if there are men out there who are harder than you, I'm not sure I want to know about 'em. Totally hard core and bad to the bone ;)
Best wishes for a complete recovery!!!
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Leggs
Sport climber
Tucson, AZ
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Oct 29, 2013 - 11:38am PT
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Whoa...holy sh#t balls.
Ammon... heal up fast...keep that fine spirit up!
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rwedgee
Ice climber
canyon country,CA
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Oct 29, 2013 - 12:07pm PT
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Wow !! I thought Largo's was bad. Way to keep it together in a bad situation. I hope you have a fast and full recovery.
Just curious...are you insured and what does something like that cost ?
My old GF had a bad break to the tune of $36K, no insurance.
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A5scott
Trad climber
Chicago
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Oct 29, 2013 - 12:10pm PT
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Please get better soon man! prayers and mojo sent! I wanna see you riding the high seas of granite! heal fast, like you always do!
scott
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jonnyrig
Trad climber
formerly known as hillrat
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Oct 29, 2013 - 12:15pm PT
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Hope you have a fast and full recovery.
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Brian
climber
California
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Oct 29, 2013 - 12:16pm PT
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Wow. Great reactions from everyone involved in the response to the accident (Ammon and his friends and the SAR folks). Glad to hear that a solid recovery seems possible. I first met you years ago when you were running the JMT. Hope to see you healed and able to run again soon!
Brian
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SatanBunny
Trad climber
Valparaiso, IN
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Oct 29, 2013 - 12:19pm PT
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Arrrg Ammon, let me know if some Pirate's PIls will help...
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, CA
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Oct 29, 2013 - 12:22pm PT
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Holy!!! That's a nasty wound!
Quick action and calmness on your part probably saved the foot, and yer life. Nice rescue on your buddies' parts too.
Glad to hear you're doing (somewhat) better. Now, heal up!
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Morgan
Trad climber
East Coast
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Oct 29, 2013 - 12:22pm PT
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Way to stay cool under pressure, Ammon. I'm sure all the stuff you have done over the years helped prepare you for this moment. Glad you had a solid crew along, too. Heal well and quickly!
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The Larry
climber
Moab, UT
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Oct 29, 2013 - 12:24pm PT
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Ron O, the jump was really close to town below the Moab Rim Trail.
Ammon is so bad ass. Living life on the lunitic fringe.
Nice job on the rescue guys and way to keep it together Ammon.
Cheers Bro. See you soon.
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GhoulweJ
Trad climber
El Dorado Hills, CA
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Oct 29, 2013 - 12:28pm PT
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Ammon, you'll "walk it off" in no time.
Heal strong.
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radair
Social climber
North Conway, NH
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Oct 29, 2013 - 12:32pm PT
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Badass is right. Great job to you and your bros to get yourself out of there alive. I am sure you will be back strong with or without that foot.
Best wishes on your recovery.
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Skot433
Big Wall climber
Corona CA.
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Oct 29, 2013 - 12:35pm PT
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Good vibes sent your way. Heal quick, I'll be looking for the motivation your sends give all of us.
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
sawatch choss
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Oct 29, 2013 - 12:37pm PT
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Good luck there cap'n! Do the PT like it's your job and don't be afraid to ask for help...could be a long process.
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dirt claud
Social climber
san diego,ca
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Oct 29, 2013 - 12:41pm PT
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Damnmed!! that think looked gnarly. Glad the accident was not worse and hope you can get back out there soon. Best of luck on recovery.
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Curt
climber
Gold Canyon, AZ
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Oct 29, 2013 - 12:44pm PT
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Geez, that looks nasty. Best wishes for a full and speedy recovery.
Curt
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John cameron
Trad climber
Park City, UT
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Oct 29, 2013 - 12:51pm PT
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thanks for posting an update. that injury is high gnar. best of luck on the recovery.
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Rankin
Social climber
Greensboro, North Carolina
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Oct 29, 2013 - 12:58pm PT
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Ammon, that is some gnarly sh#t. I wish you all the luck in the world in your recovery.
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John M
climber
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Oct 29, 2013 - 01:03pm PT
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Whoa.. You are one tough man. I agree that most folks would have just bled out. My hats off to you. You are a serious inspiration of what the human spirit is capable of when faced with adversity. I am completely blown away.
I pray that you heal up soon. Keep your head up. You are definitely an inspiration.
You aren't this body. You are more then this body. A body is just a tool for the human spirit. Face your fears and keep going. You have certainly shown that you are capable of that.
John Musgrove
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Oct 29, 2013 - 01:36pm PT
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Well its good that he was close to town.
Hope he has a good doc.
39 years ago this month I got hit by a rock that crushed my ankle.
The doc then said I was never going to climb again.
The following July I put up Pervertical Sanctuary.
Just keep up the positive attitude.
Hell, look at Linsey Vonn, healed up for the Olympics a hundred days from now.
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JohnnyG
climber
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Oct 29, 2013 - 01:48pm PT
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wow Ammon! Glad to hear you are still breathing. Hope you heal fast.
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PAUL SOUZA
Trad climber
Central Valley, CA
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Oct 29, 2013 - 01:54pm PT
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Hope you have a fast recovery Ammon!
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TYeary
Social climber
State of decay
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Oct 29, 2013 - 02:08pm PT
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Good to see you're in one piece, more or less. Ditto what Werner said. Heal well Mate.
TY
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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Oct 29, 2013 - 02:09pm PT
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Bad as that looks, and it looks horrendous, it's amazing what they can do to repair busted bones, even compound fractures. I suspect you are looking at some muscle grafts to fill in those holes but with any luck the tib and fig can be bolted and plated back together and the tendons reattached.
If by chance you also blew out the joint, like I did, you're in for some pretty heavy lifting. I have a lot of nerve damage and I suspect you do as well, but you can get better over time. At worst, you'll be on a prosthetic but guys are running in the Olympics with those these days so it's not game over by any means. The worst part is the accident itself. Very sorry you had to go through that one, my brother.
You have a great attitude, Aamon, and that's half of it. But this one will test your patients.
I hope you don't have to have too much plastic surgery to fill the hole left by the compound fracture, but they are very good with that procedure these days. Mine looked like this:
You'll come back from this, Aamon. I'll call you later.
JL
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looking sketchy there...
Social climber
Latitute 33
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Oct 29, 2013 - 02:14pm PT
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Very sorry to hear (and see) about your accident. Glad your friends facilitated a relatively quick rescue and transport. Best wishes with your recovery.
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Heyzeus
climber
Hollywood,Ca
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Oct 29, 2013 - 02:18pm PT
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You know Ammon, I haven't seen you in a long time, but I've followed along on you a little bit nonetheless, and from BITD when you first showed up in the Valley, till this moment, I've always been very impressed with you as a human being. I'm not really talking about your toughness and mental fortitude that you have in spades, but it's these other qualities that you possess that really blows me away. I don't know if I can describe it, it's just a certain embodiment of human that you express in your life. You have more than my respect. You'll be in my thoughts and prayers. I so wish I could offer you more.
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pyro
Big Wall climber
Calabasas
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Oct 29, 2013 - 02:18pm PT
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hope you have a fast recovery!
stay safe bro!
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deuce4
climber
Hobart, Australia
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Oct 29, 2013 - 02:35pm PT
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Ammon, chief badass bigwall base pirate of all time. I was sickened to read the first post, but glad to read on and see things are healing well. Stay hungry, take care, and remember there are always new ways to be badass! Cheers.
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nopantsben
climber
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Oct 29, 2013 - 02:39pm PT
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heal up well, Ammon!
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Double D
climber
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Oct 29, 2013 - 02:41pm PT
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Best wishes and prayers for a complete recovery...
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dindolino32
climber
san francisco
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Oct 29, 2013 - 02:42pm PT
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I would love to make him a prosthetic leg (he would beat the sh#t out of it and put our industry to the test), but hopefully it heals up and the ankle isn't all jacked up.
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Wade Icey
Trad climber
www.alohashirtrescue.com
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Oct 29, 2013 - 02:45pm PT
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that's a hell of a way to get more art time...best to you.
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covelocos
Trad climber
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Oct 29, 2013 - 03:02pm PT
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I'M CALLING BULL!!! HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!!!!
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michaeld
Sport climber
Sacramento
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Oct 29, 2013 - 03:03pm PT
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He was so calm. What a bad ass.
Speedy Recovery.
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mucci
Trad climber
The pitch of Bagalaar above you
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Oct 29, 2013 - 03:07pm PT
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Yowza!
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jTaylor
climber
North Shore Massachusetts
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Oct 29, 2013 - 03:10pm PT
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Heal well, yarrg
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adrian korosec
climber
Tucson
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Oct 29, 2013 - 03:16pm PT
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DO NOT look at this FB pic. Good to see you smiling Ammon...you are strong and brave. Good luck.
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JayMark
Social climber
Oxnard, CA
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Oct 29, 2013 - 03:41pm PT
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Best wishes and a speedy recovery Ammon.
John Moore
C3344
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bixquite
Social climber
humboldt nation
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Oct 29, 2013 - 03:45pm PT
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knee boarding Jaws still an option...
get well soon bro, much love from the humboldt massive
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couchmaster
climber
pdx
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Oct 29, 2013 - 03:46pm PT
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Ammon said: "It was a jump off the Moab Rim." Another Classic Rim Job.
Add me to the long list of well-wishers and hope for a speedy healing up process.
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bergbryce
Trad climber
South Lake Tahoe, CA
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Oct 29, 2013 - 03:53pm PT
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Quite a story. I'd like to give you and your buddies props for your role in what sounds like a well executed self rescue.
Best of luck to you and your recovery.
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phylp
Trad climber
Millbrae, CA
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Oct 29, 2013 - 03:56pm PT
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Hey Ammon, thanks for posting that photo of your foot. That's really going to help me with my diet today - I completely lost my appetite.
Seriously though, I'm sorry you are going through this and I wish you all the best for a complete recovery.
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SCseagoat
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Oct 29, 2013 - 04:38pm PT
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Ammon-- i LOVED the comment to your Mom
Can't believe it, the man is made of sterner stuff than mere mortals....I saw with my own eyes Ammon WIGGLE HIS TOES ON THE INJURED FOOT!
How could someone have just gone through everything he did and be so "with it"?
Extra special props to his Mom....cool, calm, collected...clearly the apple didn't roll far from the tree!
Heal fast, heal well!
Susan
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Deekaid
climber
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Oct 29, 2013 - 04:40pm PT
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Steve A thank you for your service in Vietnam ....Mr. McNeely, Wishes for a full recovery
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GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
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Oct 29, 2013 - 04:42pm PT
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the Fet
climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
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Oct 29, 2013 - 04:46pm PT
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^^ LOL.
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NutAgain!
Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
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Oct 29, 2013 - 04:49pm PT
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Good luck healing up dude. Good job with the tourniquet and keeping it together.
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Fluoride
Trad climber
West Los Angeles, CA/Joshua Tree
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Oct 29, 2013 - 05:08pm PT
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Nothing short of remarkable Ammon.
I can't believe how calm you are in that video.
You are officially the hardest hardman ever.
Heal up well. SO glad they were able to save your foot...and your life from how much blood you lost.
Beth
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the Fet
climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
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Oct 29, 2013 - 05:18pm PT
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I guess I'm an optimist because when I saw the thread title I thought great he's done something cool or gotten some well deserved recognition.
Speaking about pain a little anecdote:
In my teens I smashed my foot/ankle up colliding with another dirt bike. Something like 4 or 5 broken bones.
You know when they ask you in the hospital what pain level are you at on a scale of 1 to 10? I always thought a 9 was multiple broken bones like my ankle, and 10 would be one step worse. But then I got appendicitis. Ho man, that's pain. I waited until my temp was 105 before I went to the hospital (waited too long) I checked in, then I lay down on the floor of the ER so they'd take care of me right away. The pain would come in waves each worse than the last. It got to the point where I was blacking out, full on tunnel vision, watching the blackness creep in from the periphery, then receding as the pain went away.
They sent in a intern with another guy telling him how to give me a shot for the pain and I was like "you know normally I'd be all for helping someone learn something, but I need the meds NOW!" They asked "what's your pain level" and I said "10! and now I know multiple broken bones is at best a 7"
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Deekaid
climber
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Oct 29, 2013 - 05:38pm PT
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I actually just watched the video and all I can say is son of a bitch... your badassness brought tears to my eyes
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StahlBro
Trad climber
San Diego, CA
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Oct 29, 2013 - 05:52pm PT
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You warned us but....
Duuude! If I never seen one of those again it will be fine with me.
Talk about grace under pressure. Truly a hardman response. Really impressive.
Best wishes for speedy recovery.
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Stevee B
Trad climber
Oakland, CA
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Oct 29, 2013 - 05:52pm PT
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The human body is an amazing thing. Heal up man!
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JLP
Social climber
The internet
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Oct 29, 2013 - 06:16pm PT
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Good on your partners for getting you out of there quickly.
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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Oct 29, 2013 - 06:16pm PT
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Burly! Glad you made it. stay strong.
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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Oct 29, 2013 - 06:25pm PT
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Great you have friends to visit and that you can wiggle your toes. A very good sign. Looks like you have a Wound Vac hooked up to that rig, just under the external fixator. Man, I feel you on that, buddy. You're doing great and we gotta love the Jolly Roger.
JL
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Deekaid
climber
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Oct 29, 2013 - 06:30pm PT
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thank you also for your service the chief there are really some incredible old timers on this site... oldtimer definitely being a compliment especially with the state of the youth today
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Gary
Social climber
Desolation Basin, Calif.
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Oct 29, 2013 - 06:33pm PT
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Best of luck for a full recovery, Ammon. You've got some golden partners.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Oct 29, 2013 - 06:38pm PT
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The mom shot!
Great stuff Susan & Mike wish I could have joined you today!
Man Ammon, you're one tough blackbeard!
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WBraun
climber
|
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Oct 29, 2013 - 07:48pm PT
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There is a funny story in BASE jumping lore about this.
A girlfriend was filming her boyfriend do a building jump.
He jumps off and has the same situation as this guy, so he hits the building busting threw the window.
The pressure change blows the canopy and him back out of the building spinning up and sending him flying across the street.
Then he impacts another building, finally getting every thing situated and landing normally.
When he lands he immediately starts screaming at his girlfriend to see if she got it on video.
Alas she dropped the camera after the first impact :)
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labrat
Trad climber
Auburn, CA
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Oct 29, 2013 - 08:14pm PT
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"open heart surgery at the age of 12"
Chief....Shouldn't this be first instead of last?
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The guy above
climber
Across the pond
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Oct 29, 2013 - 08:16pm PT
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Oh man, that's sucks donkey's arse..
I'm just going through the healing process of the same injury minus the open wound from another BASE jump gone bananas, and still have fresh in my memory the waiting for SAR with the foot just hanging there and all the thoughts, doubts and uncertainty racing through my head.
5 weeks down the line now and it's amazing what the body can do with the help of a bit of metal and some tlc, and i'm now looking at putting my foot back on the ground for the first time some time this coming week.
Heal fast dude, some down time and the right attitude will see you through it before you know it.
For what is worth, here is some encouragement SOFPIDARF style. Get your address in to claim your free t-shirt ;-) http://www.facebook.com/groups/sofpidarf/permalink/10151828157563778/
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east side underground
climber
Hilton crk,ca
|
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Oct 29, 2013 - 08:21pm PT
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wow ! hope the doctors can save your foot, truly inspiring , the level of calm with such a burly injury, heal up well .Cheers
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RP3
Big Wall climber
Sonora
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Oct 29, 2013 - 08:23pm PT
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That video is one of the gnarliest things I have ever seen. Good luck with the recovery!
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perswig
climber
|
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Oct 29, 2013 - 08:23pm PT
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Nobody has summoned Monty Python?
"It's only a flesh wound!"
Props and wishes on full recov from us on the East coast.
Dale
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GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
|
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Oct 29, 2013 - 08:28pm PT
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Front page of Reddit, heal fast bro! :)
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Oct 29, 2013 - 08:47pm PT
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Just stick him back together with Original Equipment Manufacturer parts:
duct tape, toilet paper, empty O.E. cans, and a bit of ingenuity.
Good as new by next spring! See you on the bridge, may-tee! Heal well!
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Russ Walling
Social climber
from Poofters Froth, Wyoming
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Oct 29, 2013 - 09:15pm PT
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It really doesn't look that bad......
((((((((((((((( HOLY F*#K DUDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ))))))))))))))
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Don Paul
Big Wall climber
Colombia, South America
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Oct 29, 2013 - 09:33pm PT
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It's true, not everyone would have thought to make a go pro video about this for their friends.
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Gilroy
Social climber
Bolderado
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Oct 29, 2013 - 09:36pm PT
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We are here to laugh at the odds and live our lives so well that Death will tremble to take us.
 Charles Bukowski,
You set the standard. Much respect.
Keith
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Oct 29, 2013 - 09:42pm PT
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I am in awe, Ammon
you really are one extraordinary person, keeping it so together...
Glad to hear that you've got that chance to mend.
Once again, my best wishes going your way. Hope to see you in the Valley in the not too distant future.
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Ferretlegger
Trad climber
san Jose, CA
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Oct 29, 2013 - 09:59pm PT
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Hey Ammon,
Seeing you today was an amazing experience. Your attitude and affect after such a horrendous experience were truly awesome. All props to your mom, too. She seems like a powerful woman, and it was very nice to meet her. You are blessed to have her!! But you got off easy. I was all pumped up to grill you on several walls I want to do. The prospect of having you captive, with no way to run away while I hassled you for details of the 10th pitch, or the pin rack was quite intoxicating. Only pity stayed my hand... It's a real pity that Susan was there and threatened to cut me up in little pieces if I wasn't on my best behavior that stayed my hand.
Hang in there. We are all rooting for you, and I am sure that as the spring wall season rolls around that you will be gearing up for another good one.
All the best,
Michael
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Oct 29, 2013 - 10:01pm PT
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Holy crap, I just watched the video! Oh my gosh....
Ammon, you are Bad to the Bone! Do you have any bones you haven't broken yet??
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deeski
Trad climber
North Carolina
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Oct 29, 2013 - 10:20pm PT
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Sending positive thoughts and energy to you from the mountains of North Carolina!!! I am so sorry that this happened Ammon and I am so glad that your Mom is there with you!!!
Dee
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johntp
Trad climber
socal
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Oct 29, 2013 - 10:36pm PT
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Almost FUBAR, but not quite. Good on you for keeping the shee together and cheers to those that got you down.
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BrassNuts
Trad climber
Save your a_s, reach for the brass...
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Oct 29, 2013 - 10:39pm PT
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Way to keep it together in a really gnarrrrrrly situation. Glad you got out of there quickly, good work to all involved. Best wishes for a full and speedy recovery, so you can get back to where you usually rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr :-)
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BASE104
Social climber
An Oil Field
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Oct 29, 2013 - 10:39pm PT
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John Hoover (RIP) was the guy who flew through the window and landed on a one story building across the street. Like Hankster's similar incident he needed only a ton of stitches. They drove around for an hour and ended up going to an ER across the street from the building. I missed the jump by a day driving down from the valley.
John was my bro.
That video will go down in history. Sorry mom.....Classic...
No whining.
I'll PM you an address to send all of those unneeded pain meds to for proper disposal.
edit: I have a poor but useable copy of Hoover's building strike. I need to figure out how to burn it to something digital. It is pretty wild.
When things go really wrong in BASE, sometimes even the best can't fix it in time. A blown brake setting will throw you into a hard spin, and my guess is that he hit the wall very hard and took it on that foot. All of us have had our parachutes open facing the object. You gotta be quick for that, but doable. A spinning malfunction like a blown break setting is nigh impossible from that low height. Those are mainly short cliffs around Moab.
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selfish man
Gym climber
Austin, TX
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Oct 29, 2013 - 10:43pm PT
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Heal quickly and well, Ammon. Met you once at JTree and thought: how can a guy be so solid and so fuc..n nuts at the same time?!!!! Hope to see you on the rock in no time...
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Brunosafari
Boulder climber
OR
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Oct 29, 2013 - 10:49pm PT
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Well, this is one of the most impressive examples of film/video journalism I have ever seen or can imagine.
Ammon, I am so glad you survived this! Eat your spinach! Bruce
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Oct 29, 2013 - 10:52pm PT
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Oh so glad you are wiggling those toes.
Heal up Ammon, you'll be doing it again!
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gunsmoke
Mountain climber
Clackamas, Oregon
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Oct 29, 2013 - 10:55pm PT
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Ammon, simply unbelievable. Nothing to say that hasn't been said. Wishing you a full recovery.
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justthemaid
climber
Jim Henson's Basement
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Oct 29, 2013 - 10:56pm PT
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"sorry Mom"
I'm guessing this is neither the first, not the last time those words have passed Ammon's lips :)
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BooDawg
Social climber
Butterfly Town
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Oct 29, 2013 - 11:05pm PT
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I sure hope you heal up quickly and thoroughly, Ammon!
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Risk
Mountain climber
Olympia, WA
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Oct 29, 2013 - 11:10pm PT
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You made it to this side of the story. Hoping for a fast and full recovery!
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Michelle
Social climber
1187 Hunterwasser
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Oct 29, 2013 - 11:11pm PT
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So I guess this is the new HTFU video.
Heal up soon!
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Kalimon
Social climber
Ridgway, CO
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Oct 29, 2013 - 11:18pm PT
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Hey now Mr. Ammon! Sorry you are going through a rough patch . . . nothing a man of you caliber can't handle. Please feel free to contact me if you need any additional support. Ridgway is not too far from GJ. Seriously Brother, we are all here to help one another.
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TheTye
Trad climber
Sacramento CA
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Oct 29, 2013 - 11:25pm PT
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Bump because that video is F-ing crazy and Awesome (I don't mean that it is awesome that he got hurt).
All wellness to you man. Anybody that can weather an injury like that so well deserves a 100% recovery!
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elAndy
Trad climber
El Portal, CA
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Oct 29, 2013 - 11:30pm PT
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All of us are hoping for a speedy recovery brother! You have inspired countless wannabe climbers (myself included) with your endless spirit and we are all here with you.
Best of luck bro and next time you're in El Portal, you got a beer and a couch.
ae.
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Lambone
Big Wall climber
Ashland, Or
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Oct 30, 2013 - 12:16am PT
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Add me to the list of folks that almost lost their lunch at the sight of Ammon's foot today.
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john hansen
climber
|
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Oct 30, 2013 - 12:18am PT
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Wow , amazingly calm.
You said you took a 180 degree turn. I take it that means that your shute swung you around into the wall and that was the impact that broke your leg.
So was this an equipment failure? Not completely familiar with BASE....
How far did you "tumble" after you struck the wall. or did you re- gain control of your chute? Trying to picture the movie..
Incredible what doctors can do these days.
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westhegimp
Social climber
granada hills
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Oct 30, 2013 - 12:18am PT
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Good job being alive.
Wishing you a full and speedy recovery.
Thanks for the pics and video. I am feeling real queezy now.
Wes
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Willoughby
Social climber
Truckee, CA
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Oct 30, 2013 - 12:21am PT
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As gnarly as the leg was, what broke my heart was the look of self-disappointment all over your face. I know that look. And one can imagine once you have the tourniquet on and have a little time to think, the wheels are spinning about what's next, how long, what's this gonna cost, will I ever again...? It's a terrible moment to face, but you faced it with impressive calm dignity, courage, and control. Well done, sir. Heal quickly and heal well!!
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Delhi Dog
climber
Good Question...
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Oct 30, 2013 - 12:21am PT
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Day time here, night time.
Glad this is looking better (certainly no pun intended there!)
Hang in there badazz lots of folks pulling for you
and certainly you have the power and strength.
Wild how they took that leg (1st photo) and straighten it out and cleaned it up (2nd).
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clinker
Trad climber
California
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Oct 30, 2013 - 12:22am PT
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That is one really tough MFer.
Get back to it soon.
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Andrew Barnes
Ice climber
Albany, NY
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Oct 30, 2013 - 12:59am PT
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Hope the leg feels better and you make a good recovery.
I can't imagine how painful it must have been, and am amazed that you made the video, and were shouting back and forth to the rescuers during the video. Best wishes for healing.
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Da_Dweeb
climber
|
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Oct 30, 2013 - 01:10am PT
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Praying for you, good sir pirate.
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shipoopoi
Big Wall climber
oakland
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Oct 30, 2013 - 01:38am PT
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wow, that is one gnarly video. ammon, you are a ten on the tough mofo meter, right up there with aaron ralston, the guy who cut off his entrapped hand in a slot canyon in utah.
umm, i guess i might be the first to say that maybe this is not the most sustainable sport for you ammon.
of course, this is from somebody whose only goal in life is to grow old with his wife.
i still do gnarly aid routes, but i consider this a lot safer than base jumping.
anyway, all the best ammon for your recovery from and the wife and myself, we love you bro
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Delhi Dog
climber
Good Question...
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Oct 30, 2013 - 01:44am PT
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Yes Ron amazing work our medical folks do on a daily basis!
Humans never cease to amaze me.
Edit: and speaking of medical folks, Riley I don't think I have ever thanked you for all the work you do day in and day out- people like you working to heal and mend and support those that are struggling- sincere appreciations to you sir and any other docs, nurses, etc out there that read this!!!!
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Fluoride
Trad climber
West Los Angeles, CA/Joshua Tree
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Oct 30, 2013 - 01:44am PT
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Well said Willoughby.
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shipoopoi
Big Wall climber
oakland
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Oct 30, 2013 - 02:04am PT
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to john hansen, i don't base jump, never have and never will, but i have been around it for years, have had two friends have wall strikes, and have had bone breaking luck myself with parapenting.
you asked if it was equipment failure. i would say no, that ammon is admitting that he did 2 things wrong
1) he did not test his new brake lines. he should have spent a day or two at the drop zone, a popular parachuting site near lodi california to check out his new lines. he was flying an old rig, and should have been taking every precaution possible to use it
2) he used a new exit...base slang for launch point. he might have gotten away with using a familiar site that was more forgiving.
i am using my intuition partly on base104's chiming in that it is hard to recover at low altitudes from a malfunctioning brake line. of course base 104 is the real expert here, i would defer to whatever he says on this thread.
of those two other friends that had wall strikes
one hit the face of half dome and broke his leg
another 180ed into the wall, but presumably at a lesser speed, and was able to fly backward(a very tricky thing to do) out of danger and landed unhurt
cheers, steve schneider
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More Air
Trad climber
S.L.C.
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Oct 30, 2013 - 09:11am PT
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Sorry about the horrible accident Ammon. I remember the first time I met you was at the Pizza & Noddle Restaurant in Zion. You and Flyin Brian had just escaped death on Angels Landing with that big block that pulled off. You showed us your badly bruised arm...with a smile. I think you actually took the next day off! Stay your usual positive self, prayers are with you.
Brian
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TwistedCrank
climber
Bungwater Hollow, Ida-ho
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Oct 30, 2013 - 09:29am PT
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Umm. Well, that'll leave a mark.
It'll be a cool scar. At least Ammon's got that going for him.
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WanderlustMD
Trad climber
New England
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Oct 30, 2013 - 10:56am PT
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Three cheers for modern medicine.
Get better soon, Ammon
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Blakey
Trad climber
Sierra Vista
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Oct 30, 2013 - 11:37am PT
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Eeek - That is quite something,
You are no less cool than your reputation suggests.........
Heal up and get back to it.
Bon Voyage,
Steve
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Heisenberg
Trad climber
RV, middle of Nowehere
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Oct 30, 2013 - 11:46am PT
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J. Hansen.
Various things can cause off heading openings.
PC occilation ( causing a double pendulum)
Body position
Brake setting being off (Deep brakes / shallow brakes)
Line set different length
Wind
Throw the PC too hard
It's the unknown when you exit. There are so many variables beyond a jumpers control on opening
There is a jumper here who might tell the story who had " the perfect pack job " ...... he had a gnarly 180
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AbeFrohman
Trad climber
new york, NY
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Oct 30, 2013 - 12:02pm PT
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Been a long time since I posted.
Get well fast dude! Eat some sausage. Does a body good.
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AlanDoak
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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Oct 30, 2013 - 12:21pm PT
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You've got a huge heart Ammon, you're one of the most enthusiastic and supportive people I ever met in the Valley scene.
Best wishes on a speedy and complete recovery.
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hellroaring
Trad climber
San Francisco
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Oct 30, 2013 - 12:41pm PT
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Ammon, my son wants to be you when he grows up...stay strong, heal up, lean on those many friends you seem to have...god bless, the future is unwritten...
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Brandon-
climber
The Granite State.
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Oct 30, 2013 - 01:43pm PT
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So I guess this is the new HTFU video.
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Don Paul
Big Wall climber
Colombia, South America
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Oct 30, 2013 - 01:47pm PT
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A lingering question remains, though. What's on that go pro before the aftermath scene? Didn't you get a video of the jump itself?
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BASE104
Social climber
An Oil Field
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Oct 30, 2013 - 01:50pm PT
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104 is an expert about everything regarding modern BASE jumping...
This is an inside joke. I am from the dark ages. A lot of things are still the same, though. I am way out of the modern scene, though.
Hank also likes to jump low objects. There just isn't time to deal with much of a problem at that altitude. The canopy rides can be super short.
I never had an object strike, but came close a couple of times. Anything spinning, such as a blown break line, takes a full second to realize. he would have had to cut the other one loose and use the risers, or one riser and one toggle. There just isn't enough time when you pull low. Object strikes can happen to anyone, depending on how overhung the object is. Hank still has the top all time object strike story in BASE.
I always preferred the long delays to the short ones.
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Oct 30, 2013 - 03:02pm PT
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Only the one living it can decide that. There is validity in pushing it knowing the odds are not in your favor forever and validity in going for the long haul.
YER GUNNA DIE. Are you gunna live? The balance of that equation is for the each to decide. The right answer is different for us all. Try not to have too many regrets.
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Oct 30, 2013 - 03:07pm PT
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Yer buddy left an amazing legacy behind Ron. In it's way an inheritance for his family that is hard to match in REAL value.
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Ottawa Doug
Social climber
Ottawa, Canada
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Oct 30, 2013 - 04:09pm PT
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Holy $hit. I know that I'm not tough enough to look at the video, so I won't, BUT I am wishing you all the best Ammon. Heal fast and heal well.
You are always psyching everyone else up for their adventures as you have done for me in the past. Now is the time to use that psyche on yourself. Wishing you all the best bro.
Cheers,
Doug
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Oct 30, 2013 - 05:18pm PT
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hey there say...
since the cat is out of the bag...
i think it is okay to share this...
ammon had surgery today, so keep him in your prayers...
and send out best wishes, etc...
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thetennisguy
Mountain climber
Yuba City, CA
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Oct 30, 2013 - 06:24pm PT
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Hope you recover quickly Ammon! I'm glad you are in good spirits. You are in our thoughts and prayers.
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T R
climber
Ca.
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Oct 30, 2013 - 07:41pm PT
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Holy sheit!!! GNARLY!! You are one Bad Ass Mofo. I hope your leg heals well, Ammon. -Ted
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
|
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Oct 30, 2013 - 07:51pm PT
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Ammon you have my respect and admiration. Hang tough!
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Studly
Trad climber
WA
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Oct 30, 2013 - 08:03pm PT
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Dang!
Ammon, you have inspired me and I have followed your exploits. Sorry to hear about this one, but could have been much worse. You will persevere and come back tougher and stronger I predict. Hang in there brother!
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BASE104
Social climber
An Oil Field
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Oct 30, 2013 - 08:13pm PT
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Studly,
Follow in his footsteps, but learn, learn, learn. BASE is something that has always been handed down directly from a better jumper.
My post earlier about the shorter, slider down jumps, like some of the ones around Moab, is that they are more dangerous....and by far the most common type of jump in the U.S., where the government feels it has to protect you from yourself. With the modern, BASE specific gear now, accidents are pretty damn rare even in Moab, where it is legal on the BLM side of the river.
Hankster, Ammon, hell even my fat old ass, could jump El Cap 500 times each without incident. Half Dome is even safer if you know the secret exit point. You open high and a blown break line would have only been a nuisance. At 200 feet, sometimes there isn't time to fix a problem. On the super tall terminal velocity jump, even a shitty track puts you 300 feet from the wall. It boggles my mind that people have actually struck El Cap. These were people who had no business being there.
The proxy flying wingsuit guys are dying almost every week in Europe right now. It has grown, and for any type of terminal jump that involves flying your body, even a simple track of half dome in your shorts, requires a certain minimum skill level. I highly advise skydiving constantly through your BASE career. You will learn more, and it will make things much safer.
I know most of the incidents in the U.S. (the older ones usually personally) and it is quite safe with modern gear and experience. You choose the risk you take. You know the object and you know how to do it. Yeah, there are things that can happen, but they are limited and known. Parachutes just "don't open" like most lay news stories say.
The wingsuiters are really pushing it, and this second generation of them are dying a lot by buzzing next to the object or flying ten feet off of the ground. They scout out these lines and get them wired, but from what I know about wingsuiting, it does take skill.
Chris Mac should chime in here. He was in on the first wave of wingsuiters.
I didn't know that Ammon spent 38 days in lockup after his second El Cap arrest. Dude! Go do Half Dome! They never catch anyone up there!
It is really too bad that a basic, well regulated form of jumping isn't allowed in the valley. It is stupid. It will never stop, and all the rules do is make it riskier. I've listened in on a couple of stake outs, and they spent many rangers hunting down a misdemeanor. I think that they should concentrate on drunk driving check points.
Ammon, the guy has the right kind of mind. He can handle anything. Good thing he didn't get recruited by the CIA to be a hit man or something.
BASE hurts nobody. Period.
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wesleystupar
Trad climber
Glendora
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Oct 30, 2013 - 09:11pm PT
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[The second time, yes there was a second bust, they took my gear without the option of "buying" it back,]
How is that legal? What was their justification for confiscating your kit? Its not like the kit itself is illegal. Don't they have to give it back at some point in the future (even if it is the way distant future)?
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blahblah
Gym climber
Boulder
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Oct 30, 2013 - 09:11pm PT
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BASE hurts nobody. Period.
You sure about that?
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jnaftzger
Social climber
Berkeley
|
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Oct 30, 2013 - 09:19pm PT
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Ammon heal fast and well.
I signed up for skydiving when the gun thugs in Yosemite tased you in the neck. Jumping this weekend!
A ship in the harbour is safe, but that's not why ships are built.
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splitter
Trad climber
SoCal Hodad, surfing the galactic plane
|
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Oct 30, 2013 - 09:57pm PT
|
Watched the vid, several times, and couldn't help but think, "Evidently, he ain't got no duct tape with him." Cuz, everybody knows that ya can, temporarily, stick anything back together with duct tape. Ya cudda patched that puppy up and been on yer way in no time. I mean, every wall rat, bitd, carried a roll of it with them up on the big stone. Dunno, but I suspected that base peeps would also. And you being a wall rat and a base peep,
and no duct tape...what up with that, brah?!?
For instance, what happens if ya get a tear in yer canopy after it opens, and its getting bigger and bigger by the second, and yer only half way down? (cud happen, eh)
Answer: DUCT TAPE!!!
And I can hear all the Taco noobs saying, "How are ya gonna get the duct tape up on the canopy, ya dumb shit?"
Answer: CHEAT STICK!!! (obviously, duh).
Regardless, get well soon, bro!
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go-B
climber
Hebrews 1:3
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Oct 30, 2013 - 10:09pm PT
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Ammon get back in the swing of things PDQ!
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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Oct 30, 2013 - 10:47pm PT
|
Talked with Aamon after his surgery today and he's hanging tough. He'll probably have to have some muscle graft work to fill in the hole from the compound and that means some pretty fancy plastic work, but standard stuff these days. Best of all is that as ghastly as that leg looked, he didn't blow out the joint, but just compounded the bones above the ankle, and those will be screwed and plated and should heal in time. From what I understand, the big eliptical cut was to reduce swelling (compartmental syndrom) - also standard stuff.
It'd be good to hear what an MD might say about all of this but most are frightened to comment lest they be blamed for something.
All told, Aamon should come out pretty well from this with a few spectacular war stories.
Rooting for you big guy!
JL
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Oct 30, 2013 - 10:55pm PT
|
Thanks for the update, there, JL!
Get better Ammon!
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
|
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Oct 30, 2013 - 11:12pm PT
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hey there say, largo... thanks for sharing... thank you very much!
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Matt M
Trad climber
Alamo City
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Oct 30, 2013 - 11:20pm PT
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Yer buddy left an amazing legacy behind Ron. In it's way an inheritance for his family that is hard to match in REAL value.
How bout his family having, oh, I don't know.... a Father?
"Yeah, my dad is dead but I have these amazing Masters of Stone Vids to watch..."
Sorry but as a Father these kinds of comments irk me. A good friend lost his parents at different times in his life. Trust me. ANY kid would rather have their parent than an "amazing legacy"
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T2
climber
Cardiff by the sea
|
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Oct 30, 2013 - 11:22pm PT
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Thanks for the update Largo
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John Mac
Trad climber
Littleton, CO
|
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Oct 30, 2013 - 11:46pm PT
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Thanks for the update. Get well Ammon and fly the Pirate Flag again soon.
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Wen
Trad climber
Bend, OR
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Oct 30, 2013 - 11:58pm PT
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I see a future in the inspirational speaker industry. Wow, your ability to keep your sh** together is incredible and inspirational. Thanks for sharing what must have been your most horrific of times.
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icegang
Big Wall climber
Seoul,Korea
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Oct 31, 2013 - 04:06am PT
|
Ammon..
very sorry to hear your accedent...
Get well soon..
you are strong man..
icegang
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Charlie D.
Trad climber
Western Slope, Tahoe Sierra
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Oct 31, 2013 - 08:14am PT
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Here's to your tough spirit AM and to those who helped get you out and into excellent care. Best to you in your recovery, wow there are indeed some fearless warriors in this tribe.
Charlie D.
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Capt.
climber
some eastside hovel
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Oct 31, 2013 - 08:48am PT
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Positive vibes to Ammon from this direction.!!! Just take it easy and get that healed right.Good luck bro!!
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Jay
Trad climber
Fort Mill, SC
|
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Oct 31, 2013 - 11:30am PT
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Sorry to hear about your accident Ammon. Get well and God bless you!
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
|
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Oct 31, 2013 - 12:53pm PT
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Ammon- That is one hell of a nasty break! YOW!
So glad that the Reaper didn't get you mate.
Mimi and I wish you a speedy recovery to get back up and sailin' again whether it is through the air or across the Sea of Dreams.
Lots of good folks pulling for you around here.
Cheers and patience in rehab,
S & M
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Rudder
Trad climber
Costa Mesa, CA
|
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Oct 31, 2013 - 02:22pm PT
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Thanks for the update JL! Glad to hear about the encouraging progress!
And, thanks for the video Brunosafari, looks like Ammon might have taken the real whacks near the ground, maybe, I don't know. Not that it matters.
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Heisenberg
Trad climber
RV, middle of Nowehere
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Oct 31, 2013 - 03:38pm PT
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Brunosafari....
That's not the jump. Two different exit points
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Brunosafari
Boulder climber
OR
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Oct 31, 2013 - 04:10pm PT
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Thanx H, I'll try and delete.
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Heisenberg
Trad climber
RV, middle of Nowehere
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Oct 31, 2013 - 04:49pm PT
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All I know is that's not the exit Ammon was on :)
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The Larry
climber
Moab, UT
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Oct 31, 2013 - 04:58pm PT
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Some Aussie jumper on the Tombstone. Ammon said that the dude limped out of there with 3 dislocated toes.
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AP
Trad climber
Calgary
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Oct 31, 2013 - 05:14pm PT
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A friend had a nasty paragliding accident about 15 years ago. He broke his back, pelvis, and ankle much like Ammon's in that video. Only soft tissue was connecting his foot to his leg. His right ankle was fused and the other breaks healed. He led his first 5.13 and onsighted his first 5.12c a couple of years ago shortly after turning 50.
There is hope.
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mdavid
Big Wall climber
High Springs, FL
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Oct 31, 2013 - 08:55pm PT
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Get better Ammon, Keep being rad.
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splitter
Trad climber
SoCal Hodad, surfing the galactic plane
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Oct 31, 2013 - 10:15pm PT
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it could have been a lot worse duh
edit: yep, he cudda broken both legs. or, he cudda broken both wrist along with his leg (in which case "duct tape" wudda been essential, eh?)!
why? cuz he would've had to first patch one wrist, with the duct tape, so he could then use it to apply the tourniquet that he, wisely, placed!
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dfinnecy
Social climber
'stralia
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Say hey Ammon, never met you but I've always enjoyed reading about your exploits so I've been following this thread with interest. The stoicism and level-headedness in your video is real inspiring. And hey, lookit this, your on the front page down-under
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MisterE
climber
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I sincerely hope that the present and future BASErs/climbers of the world watch Ammon and his presence in that video.
And decide that the steel resolve that he shows is the way of the future.
Thank you Ammon - for showing the higher path.
Rock on Brother.
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Kindredlion
Big Wall climber
4hrs too far from YNP
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ouch!
ARrrrghh!!
Brada ! you'll be sailing the seas with yer peg for a leg whether the wind blows up or down..
soon enough .. soon enough..
sending all the healing vibes and thoughts out to you brother!!
as you were..
OOH!
adam
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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It's fully Viral now... jeez in a few days CNN and stuff will be showing up. Deservedly so. I guess the world has found out about "our" Pirate.
Keep on healing up strong K!
[Click to View YouTube Video]
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justthemaid
climber
Jim Henson's Basement
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I knew it would go viral the minute he posted it.
Just reading the "Injured Reserve" thread.. I had totally forgotten that Ammon got another broken leg jumping just a year ago and was already back at it. We really should just send him an Evel Knieval outfit.
Again, well wishes. It will be a tough road ahead for a while with surgery and rehab.
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Don Paul
Big Wall climber
Colombia, South America
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It's a good news story. The camera work could have been a little better showing the wall strike, and the kiwis chickened out by blurring the gore shot, but still pretty gut-wrenching.
Used to be a TV show in Mexico called La Ciudad Desnuda. (the naked city) They would race to the scene of every violent murder and get a close up of the dead body, pool of blood, ask the crying family how did they feel. It was totally gripping. Medellin has a tabloid newspaper like this, called Q'hubo. It's kind of like pornography. I guess different people would draw the line in different places.
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Ammon, damn good thing you didn't hit that wall with your brass balls, you'd have brought the whole f*#kin' thing down on your crown.
You've given us a glimpse of the steel reserve that's gotten you to where you are in the climbing game. A5, how hard or scary can it be? Well, now I kinda know what it takes to high-step as ur camhook crumbles the flake. A calm look that says, "Wow, check that out."
Thanks Largo for the update, and thanks Ammon for having the peace of mind to hang through the ordeal and get your ass fixed up.
Go easy on those pain meds, and keep that spirit Alive. Hoist!
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Gunkie
Trad climber
East Coast US
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Hang tough, Ammon. My son, Elias, and I are sending good vibes your way.
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Holy Floppy Disc Batman!!
GUH-NARLY!!!
Heal up well Ammon, lots of folks here cheering for you.
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Rosamond
Trad climber
Truckee, CA
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Ammon, if you do lose that leg, talk to Pete Chausey (sp?) from Reno. He lost a lower leg a couple years back in an industrial accident, & before he was out of the hospital, he was designing his climbing foot to go on his metal leg. He's pulling damn hard still; did an astroman lap recently. Not bad for a guy without a foot.
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BASE104
Social climber
An Oil Field
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After Hugh Herr lost both of his feet to frostbite, he was climbing as hard as the best climbers in the country using his self designed prosthetic climbing feet. I remember one day in Eldo when we were trying something over our heads, and he pulled out feet for dime edges, thin cracks, smearing, you name it. Now, of course, he is a famous doctor who is a pioneer in this field.
He could outclimb all of us with his prosthetic feet. Sure, he was super gifted, but it didn't slow his top level free climbing skill down too much.
Next post: Fear
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BASE104
Social climber
An Oil Field
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There are many types of fear, and back in the day, your ability to control fear could really set you apart from the others in Camp 4. Some guys could do A5 day after day after day, and the rest of us would always have trouble controlling that fear. On a wall, it goes on for days, and if you finish one pitch, there are usually others that you are worried about as you fall asleep. Doubt can creep in and any plausible reason to bail starts crossing your mind, or at least mine, because I didn't do very many.
I call that a chronic type of fear. I suppose war is similar to that. The old saw about long periods of boredom interspersed in a background of boredom. On all of the really hard nailing routes, many people would just wither and come down, and we see it all of the time. That long term fear allows doubt to seep in, and many bails are just an inability to control that fear. Why else would anyone bail from the Nose, where I can attest to aiding every inch one year when I hadn't done a pitch in seven years.
We all know the guys who can handle this type of stress.
BASE has a different type of stress. When you do your first BASE jump, it is not uncommon to be so wrapped up in fear that you feel like vomiting, or your head is spinning and not really focused.
The MICROSECOND that your foot leaves the edge, all fear vanishes and your senses become incredibly alive. It is a feeling that I have tried to describe, but it is difficult. Time dilates wildly, and the sensation is pure and distilled.
It takes different minds to do both the chronic fear and the acute fear. Many first jump students land and remember nothing of their first jump. Their senses were overloaded and they just shut down. Some people do the opposite: they come totally alive doing what is essentially similar to a jump to your death suicide type situation. If you get sucked in by those moments of absolute clarity, then you get eaten alive by your inner monkey wanting more and more of it. Some types of jumps even get boring.
You eventually get where you just don't feel right unless you are either jumping or planning your next trip. The sensation is so utterly blissful and beautiful that you want it again, kind of like a drug.
We used to do a lot of hallucinogens back in the day, even those of us who didn't even smoke weed. The game was how much can your mind take, and at that level when I had the 9th highest number of jumps in the world (a whopping 100), I wasn't hanging much with anyone other than these mutants.
The transition from climbing to BASE was inevitable. We would meet on the summit of El Cap, watch them jump, or we would watch them in freefall from directly beneath, even hollering whoops back and forth from the climbers to the jumpers.
A lot of climbers got into it early, but only made 4 or 5 BASE jumps. Doing one of all 4 objects and getting your chronological number was the goal for many and then they quit. I was one of the first to pretty much totally quit climbing and get totally sucked into BASE. My only claim to fame. There were always better climbers and jumpers than me, but I had the type of mind to handle both types of stress and fear.
Now, later on, we see Dean Potter and Ammon and Steph Davis and others who also had minds that could handle the stress and fall in love with it, because we felt no stress. I do admit to nearly puking from fear on my first BASE jump, from El Cap. However, I sucked it up and launched. What I did not expect was for the fear and doubt to vanish in a microsecond, morphing into a hyper-aware and fully sensing being. The feeling is incredible, and it isn't a "rush" or "adrenaline junkie" or whatever non jumpers like to call it. It is turning your awareness up to 11.
El Cap is pretty damn safe. If the NPS would let us, there are hundreds of jumpers all over the world for whom it would be a super safe and beautiful jump. It has never been regulated, and even when it was legal, the skydivers broke all of the rules. Back then skydivers were like the bikers of the sky, and there was a lot of partying and an outlaw atmosphere. BASE jumpers don't like the outlaw atmosphere. They just want to do their thing and not get thrown in jail. Time doesn't allow me to tell the stories of how badly jumpers have been treated after being caught in the valley.
So back to THE RIGHT KIND OF MIND.
Ammon has both types of mind, and excels. Very few BASE jumpers could handle El Cap A5. Very few El Cap a5 people can handle BASE. Those who can do both are unusual.
Ammon and Hankster's accomplishments are far away from any of mine, but they are both very odd ducks. Maybe one in 10,000 can be comfortable in both realms without fear creeping in and shutting down that full blast awareness which is so addictive.
Hank jumps things that we would have never considered back in the day. Our canopies landed much harder, and he does super tight and unfriendly landing areas. A lot of the jumps are short, so he has fractions of a second to react if anything gets weird. I forgot to mention that he does the big jumps with long delays as well, but I've seen some video of him and Pumpkin jumping objects that we looked at in the 80'w and early 90's and wouldn't even consider. So he excels at it.
BASE is unreal if you can handle it. All I originally planned on was doing El Cap once and back to climbing, but after that first experience on my 8th jump off of student status, I could think of nothing but doing it again. The smartest thing that I ever did was skydive every weekend and pillage our 1600-1900 foot antennas every night with the correct wind direction to eliminate the possibility of object strikes.
Most of the Moab cliffs aren't super overhung, so even a really good jumper can have a strike if they get a 180, much less a spinning malfunction caused by a broken brake line.
Jumping is the best, and the long delays really burn your head more than a one second delay on a short object, even though the short object is actually more difficult from a technical standpoint. Certainly more dangerous. You have almost no time to deal with a problem like Ammon had.
People like Ammon and Hankster and Dean and Steph have unusually strong minds. I used to solo right up to my limit, and that involves pure thought and action as well. It is still a little lite compared to the BASE experience. I know of nothing to compare it with, and the wingsuit flyers have created an utterly new experience that I've never felt.
Anyway, it isn't for everyone, and I know climbers who tried to get into it but it felt bad. That is the fear creeping in. It isn't that these people are quote "brave," it is that they somehow come alive in high stress situations. So alive that it is nigh impossible to communicate to an Earth person.
I have NEVER seen anyone keep so calm when their foot is facing them with snapped off bones keep that calm. Ammon is a freaking mutant among mutants.
Imagine how many Ammon's took a wrong turn and spend unhappy lives as accountants making money they don't want to buy sh#t they don't need, and they call that a rich life?
I lean toward's Ammon and Hankster and Punkin and Dean and Steph and I'm sure others. Incredible minds. In the past who knows what they would have been?
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splitter
Trad climber
SoCal Hodad, surfing the galactic plane
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couchmaster - And jokes from people who don't know how to tell them and will never be confused with being a comedian too. Um, I hope yer not referring to me and my duct tape suggestions. Because they were in no way meant to be jokes, period. Its a serious matter.
For instance, duct tape was brought on the first trip to the moon. And, in fact, saved the mission. Patched a wheel on the landing craft (or something). Otherwise, there wouldn't have been any walking on the moon. Furthermore, MJ wouldn't have come up with the "moon walk" dance. And, thousands of kids probably woulda ended up joining gangs instead of becoming break dancers, etc! ... and on and on!
OK, so perhaps I got a little carried away with the, "patching a hole thats opening up in the canopy on the way down with duct tape on the end of a cheat stick" thing (i did think it was a rather ingenious idea at the time, though). And I dunno, but i wouldn't say that it would be entirely impossible. Worth a try anyway, what other choices would you have in that sort of predicament?
And I detect that you probably know about as much about base jumping as I do...nada! So, wrap yer head around this scenario, perhaps. Say yer flying in one of them wingsuits, and it starts to come apart on ya. Would ya rather have a roll of duct tape in yer front pocket, or not? I thought so, so would I! ...nuff said!!
Oh yeah, the "fixed that puppy right up" (sticking his leg back together with duct tape). Well, obviously, it would've been beneficial to have a couple sticks, branches, or whatever handy on that ledge for additional splinting support, then wrapped it with the duct tape (thats a no brainer). So, now it doesn't sound like just some lame joke, eh?
edit: Hey, cut me some slack. I'm making an honest effort to make a positive contribution to an otherwise negative situation. Sometimes the most obvious and simply solutions are overlooked. Regardless, there's no way I would jump off my garage, let alone a cliff, bridge, skyscraper, or whatever (should i ever feel so inclined) without duct tape! ...just sayin!!!
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weezy
climber
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we spread ammon's rig out on my deck today before it departed to GJ, since he probably won't be able to inspect it himself. i know next to nothing about chutes but only one of the lines were severed and there's a smallish tear at the nose of the canopy. there was some blood on the container, which my dog tried to lick off, haha. new brake lines, which ammon said probably contributed to his 180 since he wasn't used to them, his theory anyway. hope i'm not embarassing myself by using the wrong terminology but i figured someone might be interested in this info, even though it wasn't a completely thorough inspection.
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Vegasclimber
Trad climber
Las Vegas, NV.
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Hey all -
Ammon got ahold of me a few days back but he's been in surgery and offline since. Could someone PM me with what hospital he is in? Wanted to go say hi. Thanks.
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Gunkie
Trad climber
East Coast US
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Maybe it's deeper in this thread, but if Ammon needs help paying medical, is there a link to to help?
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Relic
Social climber
Vancouver, BC
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Ammon, you are one calm and bad ass mofo. I wish you a speedy recovery getting back on your own feet.
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Money? they should monetize that video on youtube.
Just keep healing , we all want to see you up and blowing our minds again asap.
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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Good idea!
You made the front page of The Blaze.
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Heisenberg
Trad climber
RV, middle of Nowehere
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VegasClimber and to all
St. Marys Medical Center
Grand Junction, Colorado.
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vôo
climber
Denver, CO
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Hi Ammon,
I hope you get back to 100% as quickly as possible.
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Vegasclimber
Trad climber
Las Vegas, NV.
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Thanks. Looks like I have a long drive ahead of me tomorrow then haha.
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Reno, Nevada
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Update:
Sitting here in the hospital pecking away on my iPhone. I wasn't thinking straight when I let my friend drive off with my laptop. Had two surgery prosedures back to back and a bunch of visitors today, one of which was Charles Cole from Five Ten... speaking of, do I get my own shoe now? I was wearing the Ivo Knivo's, they should make the Slam'n Ammon's, haha.
Anyway, the trend after every surgery so far is, "it went better than expected". The big one is on Monday where they are going to plate, screw or rod my tibia and possibly graph the flap patch (aiiigh), on the exit wound. Then a few more cleaning surgeries after that. As long as infection doesn't swamp my ship. It's going to be a long road to recovery but I'll be back at it, soon enough.
Thanks for all the positivity and well wishes. I feel all the love from my hospital bed and am truly grateful to have such an amazing tribe of friends in my corner, rooting for me.
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WBraun
climber
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Fuking brutal dude ......
Hang in there Ammon, everyone is rooting for you ......
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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Man, all that hardware looks crazy familiar. Including the wound vac in the eliptical cut. You'll have a nice scar from that baby but that wound vac works like a charm.
Call you soon and hang in there Hermano!
JL
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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hey there say, ammon...
thanks for keeping us updated, so we don't OVER-worry, :)
prayers for no infection, of course, and:
where, pray-tell, do we send get well cards, etc...?
:)
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Vegasclimber
Trad climber
Las Vegas, NV.
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Great to talk to you tonight man, it's awesome to hear you in such good spirits. Will see ya tomorrow!
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huberbuam
Big Wall climber
berchtesgaden
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Hey Ammon, never wrote in a Forum, but now i have to! i hear over the ocean that you were harder than a rock!!!!!!!!! I am sooo happy that you still there! It´s like the hardest wall you have to climb now but i am shure you will make it and i will be so happy if we rope up in the future again. sending you lots of energy over the ocean from thomas (Bavaria) ((((-;
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KP Ariza
climber
SCC
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Ammon, best wishes and happy you'll be okay.
Never met you, but everything Iv'e heard and read about you has understated what a f*#king champion you are. How you were able to direct, film, narrate, and star in that "raw footage" (no pun) boggles my mind. Heal up well man.
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Reno, Nevada
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Hey Ammon, never wrote in a Forum, but now i have to! i hear over the ocean that you were harder than a rock!!!!!!!
Sorry I brought you out of lurking status, Thomas. Haha! Love you bro!
(Copy and pasted from Basejumper.com)
Hey guys, Ammon here from the hospital bed.
You are correct Nick three tourniquets were applied. Every injury is going to take different actions but I'm not a professional in the medical field. It was brutally obvious what I must do to save my life. I was losing tons of blood FAST and I knew that if I didn't apply a tourniquet that I was going to bleed out within minutes. At first I was going to use my lines but quickly thought the bridle would be way better and not cut into my skin as much.
I was 100% prepared to become an amputee. Blood was squirting five feet in all directions. The video was recorded after I stopped most of the bleeding. I pulled up my bridal wrapped it around my leg just above the opening exit wound and tied a truckers hitch. Before I tied the hitch I slid a nearby stick under the top piece of webbing. After the knot was tied I propelled the stick until I couldn't stand the pain anymore. Then I tried to straighten the ankle and elevated my leg above my heart.
I yelled down to my buddies to let them know I just lost my foot and could possibly bleed out and needed a helicopter ASAP. I knew it was going to be a while before they were going to reach me a few hundred feet above the road. The cliff is very rugged and I knew it was going to take some time to get to me.
There was an EMT and an highly competent climber on the load and a paramedic and another climber/EMT joins the rescue efforts. It took about 40 minutes for them to reach me and they drilled bolts and had lines fixed before the local SAR arrived on the scene. They helped place another tourniquet on my thigh because I was still dripping blood. The helicopter had to to land down the street because there is power lines directly below the exit, hence the name of the jump "Electric Chair".
SAR arrived and with the ropes in place they just had to ascend the ropes with a litter cage and their rescue kit. They dumped drugs into me, just enough to not kill me, haha. Applied a 3rd tourniquet just above the one I had placed and got me in the litter. The descent was treacherous with loose flakes and falling rocks. It took just over an hour to get me to the road. They got me in an ambulance, got me to the helicopter and flew me to St. Mary's in grand Junction. The entire time period was just over 4 hours from accident to ER.
The docs told me that the tourniquet time was somewhere around 4 hours before you were going to lose the limb. I lost nearly 3 pints of blood and came super close to bleeding out and and losing my life. So, obviously the 15 minute release of the tourniquet would have killed me. But, like I said, in its case it was completely obvious that we just kept it on and sacrificed the foot/leg. Those that have seen the video can see it in my face, I absolutely was prepared for the sacrifice to save my life.
In the morning, I woke up and was very surprised to see my foot still attached. A huge smile spread across my face as I wiggled my toes. I still have to fight off infection but it's looking very good that I will recover and climb and jump again, soon enough.
The docs say that my calm reaction and quick thinking with the tourniquet was the the main factor for surviving, at all. If I would have freaked out my heart rate would have sky rocketed and would have lost more blood. I didn't have much left to lose before the end was near, as it was.
Also, if the lines weren't fixed saving hours I might not have made it either. I will be forever grateful for my fast acting friends, SAR and the flight crew.
It's amazing how fast sh#t hit the fan and hope my tale can save someone else in the future.
Lots of love, Ammon
Yaaaaaaaar!!!
PS: I thought I was recording when I exited but alas, I actually turned it off while it was on in the first place. So, no gnarly bouncing POV
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roy
Social climber
NZ -> SB,CA -> Zurich
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Wow that is brutal. Heal up well and keep up your amazing spirit.
Cheers, Roy
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PhilG
Trad climber
The Circuit, Tonasket WA
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Ammon:
Incredible story, mate!
Heal quickly.
Phil
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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"plate, screw or rod" Could be the name of a route~
Glad it's going as good as it is. Respect for keeping the spirit up through it all
Bless!
Baba
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philo
Trad climber
Is that light the end of the tunnel or a train?
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Ammon you have shown great courage throughout this epic gnarfest. I can hardly believe your foot was saved let alone that you could even wiggle your toes the next day. Best wishes and positive vibes to you. You are a hard man pirate if ever there was one.
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youri
climber
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All the best vibes from Montreal.
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BASE104
Social climber
An Oil Field
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Ammon has a strong mind. Exceptional even among his peers. I've never seen anything like his calm in that video. That is one for the ages. Don't go giving that video out for free!
I'll send you some goodies in the mail. PM me your address, or I will just send it to the hospital.
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susan peplow
climber
Joshua Tree, CA
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Not being a huge fan of blood and gore Russ suggested I not watch the video. Ultimately, I saw snapshots of the ankle posted elsewhere anyways.
Ammon, I'm super glad to hear your surgeries are going well and you're wiggling your toes. It was heartbreaking to watch your video, even without knowing you personally it was easy to read the fear and disappointment on your face.
Yet your fast actions, not panicing and having a good team of friends to make things happen is really an incredible story and one we are so happy you are with us to tell. Here's to hoping the goodness continues with no infection and successful recovery.
Best wishes and for us girls, post a picture of you & brother Gabe should he visiting :)
~Susan
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the Fet
climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
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If I had to go through something like this I'd be stoked to have someone like Largo giving me the beta on what to expect.
Well, that didn't go so good.
Understatement of the century. I'm sure that sentence will come up in my mind whenever something goes really bad.
When things do go bad it is cool the see everyone swing into action and do what needs to be done and have the outcome be SO much better than it could have been.
Thanks for sharing the video and updates. It's really gnarly but it's cool the see the human spirit and capabilities rise to the occasion when needed.
Wishing you the best of luck to go along with all the great work that was done and is being done.
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Willoughby
Social climber
Truckee, CA
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"plate, screw or rod" Could be the name of a route~
I kinda like "Graft the Flap Patch."
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John Mac
Trad climber
Littleton, CO
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Thanks for the update Ammon.
You have a fantastic positive attitude and I'm sure you will be back in no time.
Sending good vibes your way.
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Nick
climber
portland, Oregon
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You sir, are the hardest of the hard. Heal well and quick.
"Damnation seize my soul if I give you quarters, or take any from you." -Edward "Blackbeard" Teach, before his final battle (Johnson 80)
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jstan
climber
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Ammon shares something with both George Mallory and William Shakespeare.
Sir Ken Richardson commented that Shakespeare's english teacher when Bill was seven faced an daunting task. In one of his classes the teacher surely said to Bill, "Stop talking that way. You confuse people". That night the teacher must have thought, "That didn't go well. Must try harder."
On that day when he could barely see his knees while trying to descend Everest along a ridge and the corniss gave way underneath him, Mallory was finally pinned helpless under the weight of the snow, where Conrad found him. He must have thought, "That didn't go well. Must try harder."
So it is we have our own Ammon saying, " That didn't go well. Must try harder."
Now it comes down to us who thought on John Bachars death, "That didn't go well, We all should have tried harder.
Are we ready now,
To try harder?
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johntp
Trad climber
socal
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Should have known better than to open this thread before dinner.
Hope all goes well Ammon.
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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It's clear you are also asking yourself this question, Johno.
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jstan
climber
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Count on Peter to see deeply.
Ammon is very important to us.
US
Us is becoming an extended organism. We should have protected John, from himself. We could not afford to lose him.
Here we are now, at the same place.
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tom Carter
Social climber
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Good on ya.
The healing process has begun!!!
You are something!
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Vegasclimber
Trad climber
Las Vegas, NV.
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Just got done shooting the bull with Ammon for about three hours. He's in great spirits and the foot looks really good.
He goes in for a surgery Monday for his tibia plate or rod, then they will work on the muscle. Will be back in to see him tomorrow, but all the love he's been getting here has been a huge boon to him so keep it up!
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jonnyrig
Trad climber
formerly known as hillrat
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Glad to see things are healing for you... hope that continues.
Should you get back in the area and up on the rock some time, you got a free belay and a free beer here (or whatever you drink), and after poking around on some aiders today, I could still use some of those pointers. Just won't be jumping off the top with ya. Keep up the healing.
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Gagner
climber
Boulder
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Hey Ammon - That sucks. I'm just getting caught up with all things ST and wasn't expecting to see this. Heal up fast. Was thinking about you guys the last two weeks as E and I just did Reticent -- unbelievable how fast you guys did that - proud. Heal up well!!
Paul
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Nilepoc
Big Wall climber
Tx
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I do not know Ammon, but I do know that you are an inspiration.
Heal well and keep the stoke going. As a health care professional I have to say I am impressed with your composure under extreme stress.
I hope I get to meet you one day and tell you how much of living hero you are.
Good luck Ammon.
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Norwegian
Trad climber
dancin on the tip of god's middle finger
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all pirates,
the day doesn't have legs, or a peg leg
to meet you half way,
get up and walk thru it,
[Click to View YouTube Video]
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hb81
climber
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Gnarly. Heal up man. By the way, your video is going pretty viral, turning up all over the internet.
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tutokanula
Big Wall climber
awahnee
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Ammon,
I am sorry to here of your injury. I must say, although i love most that climb my walls, you have always been one of my favorites. I have missed you over the past few years. Don't let this injury or the tool keep you down.
Much love,
Tutokana
aka El Guapo, The Big Stone, El Capitan
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shipoopoi
Big Wall climber
oakland
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ammon, heather and i are thinking about you every day and fully admiring your courage. good luck with your surgeries. take care, steve
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madbolter1
Big Wall climber
Denver, CO
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Dear Ammon,
My heart is with you, man! I hope the surgeries go very well and that you get ALL the way back. I think of you when I think of that line from Braveheart: "Every man dies; not every man really lives." You LIVE, dude, and it sometimes exacts a price. But you LIVE, and good on ya!
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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Good luck tomorrow for the ortho work! The plastic work that will follow is some really special stuff, and the modern docs are wonderful at it.
You'll be fine. Those wound vacs are limb savers!
JL
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A5scott
Trad climber
Chicago
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Im so happy to see you doing so well! I know which hospital to go to now if I ever go all humpty dumpty! They must have a special Ammon McNeely triage unit at the hospital now...
wishing you all the best brother!
scott
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Reno, Nevada
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Had a relaxing weekend hanging out with Travis (Vegasclimber) visiting from Vegas and driving a total of 15 hours. Wow, what a valiant effort, thanks bro! A cute little pizza delivery girl showed up at my room looking very confused. Two huge pizza's ordered in by climbski2, there was so much we had to share it with the nurses. Thanks climbski2!!!
Tomorrow I go into battle at noon where construction, carving, drilling and screwing will take place for six hours. They will also remove the external fixator and plug the flap patch, aaiighh! They say if all goes well I'l be discharged in 7-10 days.
Thanks for all the positive vibes everyone. I feel so lucky to be part of this beautiful tribe.
I love each and every one of you!
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karen roseme
Mountain climber
san diego
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 3, 2013 - 10:47pm PT
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There will also be hammering! They will probably have to pound a titanium rod down your leg so they have something to screw your bones too. Icky! At least that is what they did to my shattered tib fib.
Good luck tomorrow! I will be sending all my best MOJO your way!
It is such a miracle how the body can heal itself especially with the help of modern medicine!
You are indeed a lucky man!
XO
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Figured you might have visitors and if not ..well cold pizza leftovers ain't so bad. Gotta be a nice break from hospital food. Glad the folks helping you heal up got some too.
Have a perfect surgery tomorrow.
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the Fet
climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
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The silliest one I could find.
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BASE104
Social climber
An Oil Field
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I typed Ammon's name into Google last night, and the video has gone full blown viral. It had almost 800,000 views, and it is in newspapers on pretty much all continents, typically tabloid type stuff.
I saw the video from below, and he didn't have a chance. He rag dolls down the wall and the sound of him impacting is LOUD. I'm curious if those bones breaking made half of the noise.
I broke my tibia once, and I damn sure heard it.
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Don Paul
Big Wall climber
Colombia, South America
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This thread scares the crap out of me. I just think, would I have been fast enough to stop the bleeding in time? Can't help imagining myself in that situation. Compared to that, the bone drilling and hammering sounds easy.
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Reno, Nevada
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Just a few hours away. So psyched for the next pitch.
Ron, no that is not me. If nothing else the canopy colors prove it. That is an Aussie guy on Tombstone that happened a few days prior. I heard he only endured three dislocated toes. Lucky guy.
Looks like similar situations, though. My brake lines were set too short opening in a collapsed stall. Like I said on my first post, I take full responsibility and should have jumped something more overhanging and forgiving after the repair.
I'm putting on my game face, strapping on my armor (all mental of course) and preparing to march out on the front line.
YYYYYYAAAAAAAARRRRRRR!!!!
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sempervirens
climber
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Ammon, !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! With an attitude like yours you'll kick ass in the next challenges too. And inspire the rest of us along the way. Hope you heal up soon and strong as ever. THere's no doubt you will.
BASE104, can you post the link to the video you mention. The only video of the actual flight that I could find was the one from the Kiwi news.
Thanks.
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Nilepoc
Big Wall climber
Tx
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The video is indeed viral. I met a paramedic on my flight last night that asked me if I had seen it. This was after he was talking to me about climbing. He was really impressed with your composure Ammon. This guy is a medic in Baltimore city, and has seen a ton of crazy stuff.
Good luck on today's surgeries.
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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Tomorrow I go into battle at noon where construction, carving, drilling and screwing will take place for six hours. They will also remove the external fixator and plug the flap patch, aaiighh!
Yo, my brother, if they do all that in one go those doctors deserve medals. the plastic muscle graft work usually takes much longer if they have to harvest the tissue from your upper leg (like they did on me). Hope they can figure out something easier for you. But either way you're well on your way and that's a great thing.
JL
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crøtch
climber
Whale's Vagina
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Best wishes for speedy healing, Ammon.
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Big Mike
Trad climber
BC
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Good Luck today Ammon!! I hope surgery went well!!
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SCseagoat
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Thinking of you Ammon, as you are under the knife.
Hang in there too, The Mom.....you are one incredible person!
Susan
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dirt claud
Social climber
san diego,ca
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good luck today, hope all is going well :)
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Wade Icey
Trad climber
www.alohashirtrescue.com
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Leggs
Sport climber
Tucson, AZ
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Positive vibes to you, Ammon...
Keep that spirit up!
~peace
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Brandon-
climber
The Granite State.
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Ammon, you strike me as the type who always has his game face on.
Yarrrr!!!
Positive vibes sent your way, dude.
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Gene
climber
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Looking forward to hearing about a very successful surgery.
g
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klk
Trad climber
cali
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wow. missed this--
hope surgery goes well, that's a lot of time on the table.
guess this'll end your chances for working part=time as a foot model.
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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hey there say, ammon.... hoping to hear that things went at there best today...
may the good solid work and skill from these doc, do you that good that you
need for the long haul...
god blesss....
wow--i think your mom needs some more hugs from you, or anyone there...
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chappy
Social climber
ventura
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Ammon you are one strong dude. Hope the surgeries go well and you are out there again soon doing what you love.
Chappy
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Crimpergirl
Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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Whatever you do, don't skimp on the stool softener. Getting through surgery without a lot of that is not for the faint of heart! Get well soon.
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Big Mike
Trad climber
BC
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Prune juice helps move things too!!! I hate the stuff but i drank lots of it in rehab!!
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Heal up quickly Ammon! Consider the activity that caused the injury....0 sum game.
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David Nelson
climber
San Francisco
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Largo asked if an MD might reply, in his Oct 30 post. I have been reading the posts and can make a few comments. I have not posted on Supertopo for a while, some here may remember me.
I am 62, a Board-certified orthopod and now hand surgeon, climbed in the Valley in the 70's, even taught a while. Was out a while, then when i was 50, went up the Captain, but holding onto the coat tails of Chickenskinner, who did all the leading. Then did the same on HD.
Ammon's injury, without an X-ray, must have been an open tibia and fibula fracture. We don't use the term "compound" anymore. Vegasclimber corrected me and said that there was a vascular repair, so it was a III C open fracture, meaning extensive soft tissue stripping and a vascular repair (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustilo_open_fracture_classification);. The importance of the classification is that the rate of infection and amputation go up as the rating goes up. The external fixator (I have designed one for the radius) allows for stability for the bones and soft tissues (necessary to prevent further damage, prevent infection, set the stage for osseous healing). It is put on when the risk for infection is too high for a plate or intramedulary rod. The tubes and black foam, covered with what looks like Saran wrap, are a wound vac. It is designed to help control edema, infection, and to clean up the fluids (blood, serum) that are oozing out. The serial trips to the OR are to debride dead tissue and check for infection. The general rule is another look in the OR every 48 hrs until ready for definitive care, ie, IM rod or plate.
The flap, if any, is to substitute for missing skin and close the wound.
Did I cover all the points?
Ammon, ignore anything I said if it contradicts your docs. They have the data, I do not. I am merely guessing for the entertainment of our television audience.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Jeff mentioned at the screening of his film tonight that he got a text from Ammon, and the surgery well extremely well.
He also mentioned that Ammon's youtube video has over 800,000 hits.
It's age-restricted now, for "graphic" content.
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Vegasclimber
Trad climber
Las Vegas, NV.
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Thanks for your post Doc, much appreciated.
Ammon had an open tib/fib with two tib fractures. He had a 70% circumferential wound from the bones exiting and the tendon retraction at the time of injury. He had a severed artery but thankfully the vascular surgeon on duty was able to clear some major clotting and damage and stretch and suture the artery.
Ammon came out of surgery really well today, no grafts needed, no patch either. Plated the tib and when the doc came in yesterday he said that would pack any vacancies in the bone with donor bone material. Go pirate go!
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Reno, Nevada
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Great news!!! Indeed, the surgery went better than ever expected. The swelling was low enough and I had enough muscle and tissue in the surrounding area that they didn't have to borrow anything from my thigh or abdomen.
So, no grafting or flap patch (aaiighh) for the pirate, which simplifies the recovery tremendously. I would have lost 10% of the strength in the borrowed area if this procedure was needed, psyched they didn't have to disrupt any other areas of my body. I was supposed to be in ICU for two days after the surgery but wasn't necessary since they didn't have to do the extra prosedure. Looks like my recovery time will be a lot faster, as well. Nothing but great news since the brutal impact.
Thanks for all the positivity here at ST. I feel the love and truly appreciate everything.
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Reno, Nevada
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Consider the activity that caused the injury....0 sum game.
Donini, I have nothing but the utmost respect for you as an individual and your amazing accomplishments, as a climber. You've been one of my heroes for many, many years. But, this comment reflects both naivety and hypocrisy, especially comparing jumping to the alpine game.
Just like you can't compare a lap on Nutcracker with K2. You also can't compare BASE jumping exits and the many different ways you can execute a jump.
It's hard to wrap your brain around something you haven't personally experienced. You simply can't say one is more dangerous or risky than the other. I've never jumped anything harder than, say, A2... In my mind. I feel like I've definitely put myself in way more danger with my climbing passion than jumping.
Lots of love, matey!
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madbolter1
Big Wall climber
Denver, CO
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You simply can't say one is more dangerous or risky than the other.
It's sad to me that you would even have to "defend" anything at this level, particularly on a forum such as this one!
You have every right in your person to take ANY risk with your person that in YOUR and YOUR mind ALONE provides an acceptable risk/reward ratio. There CAN be no "judging" here of the risks you take and the contexts in which you take them. Who here DARES to "judge" or even question what rewards you "ought" to be seeking via this or that "risk?"
MOST people are living entire lives FAR riskier than yours, with their utter lack of exercise, terrible diets, nasty habits and addictions, and the list goes on and on. And the PATHETIC thing is that they take all these very real risks with little to no intentional awareness or even reward for their entire lives! And then when the have a heart attack or stroke at 55 (or earlier), everybody wrings their hands and talks about how "cruel" death is to have snatched them away so young.
Honestly, it makes me sick, this virtually complete lack of INTENTIONAL living.
LIFE is a zero-sum game, and NOBODY gets out of it alive! But most people live totally unintentional lives without ever getting out of the box or knowing WHO and WHAT they are.
Unlike my feelings for them, I HONOR what you've been seeking, and you have NOTHING to "defend" or "explain" to anybody on these threads! And some people here that have gone to the edge themselves in various contexts ought to know better than to wag their fingers in the SLIGHTEST!
I, for one, for whatever it's worth, simply HONOR you, Ammon. And I'm jazzed that things are going even better than we dared to hope. You've got much more road to walk, and you'll be doing it on both feet! Awesome!
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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hey there say, david nelson...
not much into the stop-look-and-see mode... more like a mama-mode. so thank you from us folks that try to understand, as well... :)
ammon... this was very fortunate for you, very good outcome of what
you surely know could have been far worse...
prayers and well wishes, and 'happy hug to the mom', as she share's
your joy and gratefulness... :)
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Such good news to wake up to this morning. Pretty cool to see you sending this project as admirably as we have seen you accomplish so many others.
I never cease to be amazed by the human body. It's also amazing how much difference being in athletic condition can make regarding reducing the severity and occurrence and healing of injury. The body responds very complexly with mental attitude. A great attitude affects the team too. Success is no accident!
It's difficult to express how much I respect your consideration for others. As shown by the time you have taken from the beginning to keep all of us concerned about you informed. It even showed in that video.
Keep healing up strong!
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sempervirens
climber
|
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Zero sum game? I had to google it. It's a game where one's winnings are equal to another's losses. Like for example: 5 poker players all start with 10 dollars and any winnings for one (or more) players would be exactly equal to one (or more) players' losses. If at the end of the game the total winnings of the players is +10, then the total losses must be -10, added together you get a zero sum.
How does that relate to base jumping? One-life in, one life out? Sorry for the drift, but I thought it worth discussion.
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Great news about your surgery! Recover fast and keep charging as you did Ammon!
Watched the movie about Wings of Steel and your 2nd ascent of it yesterday. You seem like a really good dude with a lot of passion for outdoors. Sending positive vibes your way, and hope you avoid major injuries in the future. Injuries suck since they prevent people from getting out and do what they love...
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rwedgee
Ice climber
canyon country,CA
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So do you have insurance or who is footing(pun) the bill ?
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jstan
climber
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In pursuits dealing with objective dangers, actual risk is highly dependent upon the ability of the person. This is not something another person can accurately judge. Subjective danger, as in the real mountains, can be another matter altogether. Don Whillans was no wussy but he knew enough to come down off the Eiger when it was in full flower.
The risks we undertake depend critically upon what we take as our objective. I can't talk about anyone else's objectives so I can only speak in the first person. My objective has been to enjoy all of my life to the fullest and to walk without a great deal of discomfort to the crematoria. When I have looked back on an adventure that could just as easily have gone badly, I take that as data. Any brush with trouble, is a "whoa Nellie" moment. My judgment has been called into question.
Luck, not me, decides when it will come and when it will not.
Ammon, get better as fast as you can.
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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Thanks David for the update.
Great news that you didn't need a muscle graft. I don't know for the life of me how you could have such a big open fracture plus that big ass eliptical cut, with twin wound vacs, and not have to fill the holes with your own tissue. They must have used silly putty or something. Man, that's a miracle they could pull that off.
I'll call you soon.
JL
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Ammon don't stick his head in no hole!
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
|
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I think things are going well as a reflection of your positive, good vibes approach to this development and life in general.
Making the best of it, shining your light
Wishing you the best bro!
peace
Karl
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happiegrrrl
Trad climber
www.climbaddictdesigns.com
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Keep it up, Ammon!
I have to admit also that I'm surprised to read that there probably will be no skin graft. How does the skin grow over and cover all that meat? (Though I guess it does - my own brother accidentally blasted a chunk of his shin off, stupidly having a loaded sawed-off shotgun in a vehicle and shining deer. His leg looked like hamburger at the time, but I don't think he ever had any skin grafts.)
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madbolter1
Big Wall climber
Denver, CO
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It's a disappointment, Ron, to be sure. But, you could still get a very cool pair of greaves made up, a la the style below. They would even offer a bit of protection, whilst looking cool!
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coiler
Trad climber
The Rock Monkey Ranch
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I just heard about this near tragedy the other day. I am glad to hear that my friend Ammon is doing well and expected, hopefully, to make a full recovery. He wouldn't be the guy we love if he wasn't pushing the envelope. Glad to know he is finding out where that envelope is. Ammon, when you are feeling more like yourself, stop in at the RMR and let's share a beer, I want to hear it from you, yourself... what the heck happened up there!? Take care of yourself till then Matey!
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Ammon doesn't let that envelope lick him. He licks it!
But if your greaves have nipples then who's gonna suck on them?
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Reno, Nevada
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Thanks Coiler! And everyone else for the good vibes.
So do you have insurance or who is footing(pun) the bill ?
Wow, isn't that like asking someone how much they make, per year? Pretty rude IMO. Didn't your mother teach you any manners?
Nobody is footing any bills, but me.
Peace!
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John M
climber
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Hey Ammon.. I don't know Rwedgee, but I don't think that he was trying to be rude. I believe that he was just trying to find an indirect way of asking if you needed any help with the bills.
I hope that you heal up soon. I am still blown away by your calm under pressure. Quite inspiring.
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enjoimx
Trad climber
SLO
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Nov 5, 2013 - 01:58am PT
You simply can't say one is more dangerous or risky than the other.
It's sad to me that you would even have to "defend" anything at this level, particularly on a forum such as this one!
You have every right in your person to take ANY risk with your person that in YOUR and YOUR mind ALONE provides an acceptable risk/reward ratio. There CAN be no "judging" here of the risks you take and the contexts in which you take them. Who here DARES to "judge" or even question what rewards you "ought" to be seeking via this or that "risk?"
MOST people are living entire lives FAR riskier than yours, with their utter lack of exercise, terrible diets, nasty habits and addictions, and the list goes on and on. And the PATHETIC thing is that they take all these very real risks with little to no intentional awareness or even reward for their entire lives! And then when the have a heart attack or stroke at 55 (or earlier), everybody wrings their hands and talks about how "cruel" death is to have snatched them away so young.
Honestly, it makes me sick, this virtually complete lack of INTENTIONAL living.
LIFE is a zero-sum game, and NOBODY gets out of it alive! But most people live totally unintentional lives without ever getting out of the box or knowing WHO and WHAT they are.
Unlike my feelings for them, I HONOR what you've been seeking, and you have NOTHING to "defend" or "explain" to anybody on these threads! And some people here that have gone to the edge themselves in various contexts ought to know better than to wag their fingers in the SLIGHTEST!
I, for one, for whatever it's worth, simply HONOR you, Ammon. And I'm jazzed that things are going even better than we dared to hope. You've got much more road to walk, and you'll be doing it on both feet! Awesome!
Word
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doc bs
Social climber
Northwest
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Ammon,
Your resilience is an inspiration, and I loved your video.
In a survival class I took once, we all laughed at the mantra they taught us: "the most important thing you need in a survival situation is PMA (positive mental attitude)", ask RLF about that one.
You demonstrated that well and will be well served if you use this training break (professional opportunity) to write your memoires. I will buy a copy!
Alisa
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Ammon and Gabe's Mom
Social climber
Living in Ogden , Utah
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When I heard about Ammon’s accident before the flight crew took him to the hospital. I was in shock and trying to figure out how to get dressed so I could drive to Colorado that night. I am grateful that everyone in the family insisted I wait until daybreak, I wasn't safe to drive and Ammon’s friend drove me to the hospital the next day. The days since this accident I have been through every emotion, but the thing that has helped so much is the out pouring of love and concern from all over the world for Ammon. I wanted to thank everyone for all the support and friendship that you give to my son. He is truly blest to have friends that think so highly of him.
The friends that got to Ammon first was amazing. A special thanks to Brent, my heart melted when I learned that he was the first to arrive and for 2-3 hours he let Ammon lay on him and kept him warm and as comfortable as he could be. Dave, Andy and the many others that I don’t know their names helped to save his life by acting so fast. I wanted to thank the doctors who did a miraculous job. Dr. Gammon is the orthopedic doctor for Ammon. His name says it all. Thanks to the flight crew, because my daughter also being a flight nurse I fully understand their sacrifice. The list grows everyday. I am sure I have unintentionally missed many names that had a huge part in the rescue.
Today I am so thankful to have my son. Thank you everyone. This Thanksgiving with be a very special one.
Ammon is based with me for now. If you need to get in touch with him or send a card,
my address is:
1156 Gramercy Avenue
Ogden, Utah 84404
Much Love to all, Joan
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Fluoride
Trad climber
West Los Angeles, CA/Joshua Tree
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Ammon's mom you rule! You raised a remarkable son. Glad he's with you now.
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Reno, Nevada
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Hey Ammon.. I don't know Rwedgee, but I don't think that he was trying to be rude. I believe that he was just trying to find an indirect way of asking if you needed any help with the bills.
My sincere apologies if that is the case. I made the mistake of reading comments on sites that stole my video and was a bit on the defensive side... just can't believe how nasty people can get. Luckily the pain meds are helping erase the negativity and my spirits continue to soar.
Ammon's mom you rule! You raised a remarkable son. Glad he's with you now.
Not yet. Still another week, or so, before being discharged from the hospital. So much to be thankful for this TDay. I love you all!
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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hey there say, joan.... wow, and oh my... thank you for sharing...
i always 'go into mama mode' when these things happen...
how much MORE so, the very own mom's do...
hugs and god bless to you as your son enjoys his miracle days, while healing, and YES--a very happy thanksgiving to you all!!!
send ammon a card and get well, and will send you a card, this week...
god bless...
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tinker b
climber
the commonwealth
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i got teary reading ammon's mom's post. thanks joan. moms rule!
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Delhi Dog
climber
Good Question...
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"LIFE is a zero-sum game, and NOBODY gets out of it alive! But most people live totally unintentional lives without ever getting out of the box or knowing WHO and WHAT they are."
Worth repeating I think.
So cool that things are headed in the direction we all hope for. I don't know you Ammon but that really doesn't matter, I'm just super happy to know you are doing well and yes, your mamma is sure a sweetheart:-)
I get it now why you've been able to do so many challenging things.
Stay well, stay positive and be in the moment.
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drljefe
climber
El Presidio San Augustin del Tucson
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Yo Ammon-
Just a note about Wound Vacs.
Those things work!
I watched a grizzly hole about the size and depth of an ice cream sandwich re grow tissue from the bottom up. No crater, no skin graph. It took time but it was amazing to watch.
Good luck with healing. You got this.
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Leggs
Sport climber
Tucson, AZ
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I got teary reading ammon's mom's post. thanks joan. moms rule!
I hear you Tinker... me too.
Peace and Positivity to you, Joan.
~xx
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pud
climber
Sportbikeville & Yucca brevifolia
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Really? ^^^
About This Cause
We are raising donations to help get Ammon Mcneely back to what he loves as fast as possible. Ammon is one of those people who would do anything for someone he just met so it's time for us to return the favor. He had a very gnarly accident recently that could have been anyone, be it a rock climber, BASE jumper, mountain biker, etc. Donations will go directly to getting Ammon a new setup for BASE jumping as his is currently worn through the bone (no pun intended). So if you want to see Ammon flying around Utah and other various cliff wall regions with a pirate logoed canopy pitch in! Otherwise go walk the plank. YARRRRRR
We need funds to cover the cost of the new setup and anything left over will go to Ammon for help with medical bills. The extent of his injury will leave him immobilized for quite some time and he will not be in any shape to start earning new gear for next year.
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Caution with things like that. Ammon has not asked for any help on this thread. I don't know Mitch Potter.. does Ammon? It's not unusual for viral stories like Ammons to attract both honest unsolicited donations and sadly scammers too. For that matter even if well intentioned a donation effort should go through the person it is intended for to be approved. Many people do not appreciate folks assuming they want money to help them.
Ammon don't let stuff get ya down. The internet has ALWAYS had trolls and rude comments and scammers. I've spent too much time on it for many years and I've learned to not even see the common trolls. I laugh when folks think ST has gotten a bit rowdy. LOL on it's worst day it better than the average you-tube thread or many other message boards out there.
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WBraun
climber
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I thought first priority is medical.
The donation page has first priority a new Base rig ????
This does not make any sense to me ......?
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snakefoot
climber
cali
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of course it doesn't make sense until you realize that he needs new gear with proper line settings, fits in the right container made for it, is not worn out, deploys appropriately and such so this does not happen again.
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Heisenberg
Trad climber
RV, middle of Nowehere
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I don't know Mitch either.... and there are 3 sides to any story. Ammon is more concerned about his health and leg than a new rig. Furthermore he doesn't need a new rig. I simply fwd the link to help a friend out.
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WBraun
climber
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We're talking about priorities at this time in the present situation as of NOW.
Understanding about a base rig is a no brainier.
Do you actually think we are ignorant of Base here?
You're dreaming .....
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Yeah unfortunately or perhaps fortunately depending on your POV this is stuff you end up dealing with on such a public story. Only Ammon his family and perhaps closest friends can really shed any light on these kind of things. It could be a godsend or an annoying hassle.
In the meantime it was very cool to meet MOM! Seems the apple didn't fall far from the tree and that's clearly a good thing!
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snakefoot
climber
cali
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i know you know about the sport werner. we don't need to banter and flex here. i think things are going as expected for him and the next steps are getting planned. everyone is allowed their own view on the subject if you must hold this position and the critique will continue, but won't really matter when he's back in the game.
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micronut
Trad climber
Fresno/Clovis, ca
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Thanks for taking us along this grisly journey man. So glad to hear you are on the mend and that things went well in surgery. May this soon be just another campfire story that gets nothing but ooohs and ahhhs and
doh!s and eeewwwws.
Be a rockstar with your rehab and give that sucker time to heal. The wilderness can wait a bit. You'll be strung out on mank or freefallin soon enough. Let them muscles and bonz and arterioles mend and grow back to full strength before you go asking them to do big things.
Best,
Scott
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pud
climber
Sportbikeville & Yucca brevifolia
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I have a problem with this.
Heisenberg
Trad climber
RV, middle of Nowehere
Nov 6, 2013 - 06:48am PT
Donate:
http://www.donationto.com/Help-Ammon
I have no problem donating time or money to those in need. I have done it a few times here on ST as well.
I don't see this as such.
I hope Ammon heals quickly and without complications. I don't know him but I can relate to getting hurt when following ones passion(s).
I don't expect others to pay for bikes I crash. It is weak to ask.
I'm sure Ammon will find a way to do what he loves when he is back in the game. Obviously, he is a resourceful guy.
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Bill Mc Kirgan
Trad climber
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
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Mr. McNeely,
We're keeping you in our prayers for comfort, healing and protection from infections.
So glad you survived. So amazed that you were able to take care of yourself so that your friends could help you with the next steps. It seems like one miracle after another made it possible for you to exit the wilderness and find just exactly the right medical attention.
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rwedgee
Ice climber
canyon country,CA
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Ammon, sorry you took it as being rude it wasn't meant to be. I had asked about it earlier and hadn't gotten a response.
__
Wow !! I thought Largo's was bad. Way to keep it together in a bad situation. I hope you have a fast and full recovery.
Just curious...are you insured and what does something like that cost ?
My old GF had a bad break to the tune of $36K, no insurance.
_
She is still paying on that bill for a broken femur.
Best of luck
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Reno, Nevada
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Dr. Gammon's excellent work:
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Rudder
Trad climber
Costa Mesa, CA
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Ammon, damn good thing you didn't hit that wall with your balls
That's just funny! haha
CNN.com "Pirate apologizes for knocking down mountain with his balls!"
haha
Keep getting well, Ammon! Incredible how well things have worked out so far! It's awesome news!
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TwistedCrank
climber
Bungwater Hollow, Ida-ho
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A miracle of modern medicine.
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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The monkeys...errr..doctors are sending!
:)
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Reno, Nevada
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Caution with things like that. Ammon has not asked for any help on this thread. I don't know Mitch Potter.. does Ammon?
Yes, Mitch is a friend of mine but didn't ask for donations for a new BASE canopy, nor do I necessarily need it. I obviously needed my brake lines adjusted before the incident. I'll need a line reattached and a couple holes patched but she will fly again. After my run-ins with the rangers I was left with my oldest gear but it's still air worthy and wouldn't have been jumping it unless I got second opinion's with experienced riggers.
For whatever reasons, people are just trying to help me in ways that would make me happy but it's a no brainier that my health and the compensation of those who have worked so hard getting me back to a full recovery is priority #1.
Personally, I'm using this thread to tell my story and to inform everyone my status of that goal.
Lots of love!
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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AAAAAmon, were they able to close those big ass wounds? With no muscle or skin grafts? Hope so.
JL
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Reno, Nevada
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TwisteCrank, when I was 6 years old I got hospitalized for a bladder infection. I was quietly listening to the doctor telling my mom about some of the procedures. He was talking in a quiet voice and I could only make out a few words, here and there. I heard him say that I was going to need antibiotics. I heard something completely different and when the doc left, I turned to my mom with the widest eyes a kid could ever have and asked, "Does this mean I'm going to be BIONIC?", haha
Sure am enjoying these sun rises every morning:
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karen roseme
Mountain climber
san diego
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 7, 2013 - 09:54am PT
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Yay for sunrises and balloons!
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martygarrison
Trad climber
Washington DC
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Hope you have good insurance...
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justthemaid
climber
Jim Henson's Basement
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That X-ray is insane.
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Ottawa Doug
Social climber
Ottawa, Canada
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Hey Ammon,
Keep the psyche for healing and keep enjoying those sunrises!
Cheers,
Doug
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BASE104
Social climber
An Oil Field
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A couple of quotes to cheer you up..
From the Pink's Wish You Were Here:
And did you exchange
A walk on part in the war
For a lead role in a cage?
From T.E. Lawrence's Seven Pillars Of Wisdom:
All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible. This I did.
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photonez
Big Wall climber
San Jose, Armpit of the Bay!
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Hello Ammon,
I'm nine months out from destroying my ankle while up high in Yos. I have to say, for me, the recovery has been awesome. There's been plenty of time to get stoked about my next adventure and plenty of good people to ease the way. My injury often feels like having a new ankle. It's like a pup, it's growing and getting stronger every day, and I get to teach it all sorts of new tricks. Also, I was able to start bicycling before I could walk, and that helped the recover tremendously.
Thanks for keeping people like me stoked.
Good luck with this adventure.
Ezra
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willm
Social climber
Oakland
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Hey Ezra, what happened that caused such a bad break?
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Ezra took an aid lead fall on Washington Column - see Josh's post below.
Other folks (John Roe?) have broken ankles there, too.
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Yeah no sh#t. Something is missing there... lol
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mucci
Trad climber
The pitch of Bagalaar above you
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Ezra was leading the 6th pitch of a super obscure, and sandbagged 3rd ascent attempt on Washington column.
For such a bad break, he kept it together just like Ammon and let kevin and myself execute the steepest self rescue I hope I/we never have to do again.
Then they shot him full of dope on the deck and the real adventure began.
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David Nelson
climber
San Francisco
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Bone is a living tissue, just like skin and muscle. The main difference is that it is hard, not squishy, and the majority of it is not cells. Our body is made up of cells, right? That might make us think that it is all cells, and most tissues are. Skin, muscle, liver, kidney: all cells. Bone, cartilage, and tendon are about 5% cells and the rest is called the "matrix", all the stuff between the cells. In bone, the matrix is a calcium-phosphate mineral component strengthened by fibers of collagen. Think of fiberglass and you have the right concept: the matrix is the resin, the collagen fibers are the fiberglass. Got it?
Bone can regenerate, unlike teeth or cartilage. However, bone has a hard time filling voids (there are some approximations going on here). If the void is too big to fill or heal, it is called a "critical size defect." Different bones, and each part of each bone, has its own unique critical size defect threshold.
The fibula is not very good at bridging gaps at that level. The bone at that level has only a little cancellous (spongy) bone and is most cortical (hard outside) bone. This limits its healing potential.
Almost certainly, the surgeon placed some material into the gap to assist the body in bridging that gap. We call the material "bone graft" or "bone graft substitute". The material may not be very heavily calcified, so it may not show up well on that xray. The xray parameters (how many milliamps of current, how many kilovolts of voltage) were set by the xray tech to give a good image of the native bone, and these settings almost certainly underestimates the amount of the bone graft material.
If there is no bone graft material, that gap will not close, which it appearently did, because the owner of that leg is walking.
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David Nelson
climber
San Francisco
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The body does all the healing, the surgeon just helps out the body, cleaning out the dirt, aligning the bone, and keeping it aligned with the hardware. The surgeon gets all the credit, but that is not fair: the body is doing all the work.
Humility is a good attribute for a surgeon. Or a climber.
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Vegasclimber
Trad climber
Las Vegas, NV.
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Awesome post Dr. David, thanks for a good Everyman level explanation.
My understanding from Dr. Gammon was that they were going to use some donor material when they put the tib plate in. My understanding os that they use corpse bone material for this but the Doc knows better then I do. The advances of the last 10 years in ortho have come at a terrible price as the wars have advanced medical ability a long way in a short time. That and the body's stunning ability to overcome injury have made for some truly amazing recoveries. The advances that I have seen here the last few years are part of what got me interested in the medical field again - I'm hoping to have my EMT-B next year. Not so much to do it as a job, but just because I find the practice fascinating.
Healing thoughts and prayers to Ammon as always!
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Reno, Nevada
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Got the wound vac and dressing cleaned today. Last surgery scheduled for Saturday and discharge planned next Thursday. They do plan on doing some skin grafting on both sides where it is still open:
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WBraun
climber
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Frankenstein .......
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S.Leeper
Social climber
somewhere that doesnt have anything over 90'
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heal fast bro!
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S.Leeper
Social climber
somewhere that doesnt have anything over 90'
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Ammon, how many bones have you broken over the years?
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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Looks pretty clean to me. Expect your foot to stay swollen for about five or six months because the circulation was so compromised from the soft tissue trauma. If they can close those wounds with no muscle grafts they must be using magic. I'm guessing that the hole left in my leg from the open fracture was about the same size, judging by the wound-vac in the pic below:
Then once they did the muscle graft, it looked like this:
Unless you're in one hell of a hospital they generally try and avoid the muscle graft work at all costs because it takes so long to do (mainly the vascular surgery part) and is extra tricky work, so I hope you can just get by with skin grafts, which are easy money. If you get out by next week you got out basically twice as fast as I did. You must be a Man of Steel after all.
And thanks to Doctor David for his sage commentary. Makes so much more sense with a true expert weighs in.
JL
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Kalimon
Social climber
Ridgway, CO
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Total gnar there . . . aaaaarrrrrggggg! Way to put it out there Ammon. You are the definition of positive thinking and as a result your body is responding accordingly.
Thanks for your most positive example in all things great and small.
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Rudder
Trad climber
Costa Mesa, CA
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Crazy amazing awesome, Ammon! Looks great!
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tooth
Trad climber
B.C.
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Bone can regenerate, unlike teeth or cartilage
The dentin in teeth regenerates - called tertiary dentin. Not the enamel. However, we are working on using dental lamina 'seeds' to regenerate teeth in the jawbone, almost there!
Ammon, keep up the great attitude. Glad to see you healing, it will be awesome to see you flying again!
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David Nelson
climber
San Francisco
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Nice clean granulation (new scar tissue) beds, should take a skin graft well. Good luck.
What do they use for bone graft? The gold standard is some of your own bone, but that stuff is expensive: you are generally already using it for something else! The best quality bone that you can spare is from the pelvis, where your belt hits it above your hip (iliac crest). If skillfully harvested, you cannot feel the defect created by removing the bone. The downsides are further surgery, limited supply, risk of injuring a nerve that is right there, and OR time.
Second choice: We often use donor bone from a bone bank, quite similar to blood from a blood bank, but the donor is dead and donated their body to help others (put that dot on your driver's license and be an organ donor; after you are dead, you really have no heed of it and someone like Ammon does). This does not have the living cells of your own bone, but has the calcium-phosphate crystal substrate that living bone cells love to form on ( kind of like oysters need a substrate to settle on and grow on). The bank bone also has the protein messengers (mesenchymal cytokines) that say to the proto-bone cells: hey guys! Come over here and make Ammon some new bone! So bone bank grafts have some virtues.
The final choice is the class of materials called bone graft substitutes: various formulations of calcium sulfate/ calcium phosphate or similar chemicals (there are many formulations on the market, prob 40 worldwide). Cheaper than bank bone, can make it in many forms, theoretical lack of rejection (no foreign proteins).
The surgeon makes the decision based on patient factors, site factors, and voodoo ( no good prospective studies on most of the products on the market). And voila! New tibia!
(Most of the time. The real world is much messier than the scientific fairy tale I just outlined. We still get nonunions, infections, and ((Amon, don't read this)) amputations, which is why so much research is going on in the trauma field. This is not my area, I do research in post op pain and in distal radius fractures.)
Keep your prayers and good vibes up for Ammon, he is not yet out of the woods and he will need some months and years yet to heal.
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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I am sick with sorrow... These damn injuries are such inconveniences! We have better things to do than lie around in hospital beds while cells go about their little biochemical industries.
Gell well soon, and without complications!!!!!
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bhilden
Trad climber
Mountain View, CA/Boulder, CO
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Misery loves company! Here's a 'sympathy wound' from my little accident.
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Reno, Nevada
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Ammon, how many bones have you broken over the years?
It would be easier to list the ones I haven't, ha ha. More dislocations, though.
Misery loves company! Here's a 'sympathy wound' from my little accident.
Thanks for sharing! You as well, Largo.
This thread kicks ass!!!
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Ammon should post the X-ray from his tibial plateau fracture last year. From Ammon's photos (Sept. 2012):
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bhilden
Trad climber
Mountain View, CA/Boulder, CO
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WRT, Ammon's tibia plateau fracture, I shattered about 3-5" of my tibia just below the plateau. They used wire, 10 pins, 11 screws and a 9" SS plate to repair it. Here is the hardware after it was removed. They wouldn't let me have the metal pins as they were 'too sharp.'
Ammon,
is that hardware still in there? The doctor gave me a special card I had to use to get through airport metal detectors.
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photonez
Big Wall climber
San Jose, Armpit of the Bay!
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Some nice hardware shots! I'm hoping to get one of my plates out and use if for a nice keychain.
The gap in my fibula was filled with a bone graft from a much appreciated tissue donor.
Ammon's wounds look gnarly, true pirate scars will remain.
-Ez
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TwistedCrank
climber
Bungwater Hollow, Ida-ho
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Were there hammers involved?
Or was the surgery hammerless?
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Reno, Nevada
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Were there hammers involved?
I think they sent it clean but pretty sure they did some hand placements in the scars.
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Deekaid
climber
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good friggin god that is gnarly!
hats off to guys like dr. David and Riley who dedicate themselves to that type of work
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BooDawg
Social climber
Butterfly Town
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Keep the healing and the smiles goin', Ammon! Get well soon!
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happiegrrrl
Trad climber
www.climbaddictdesigns.com
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Worth repeating!
We often use donor bone from a bone bank, quite similar to blood from a blood bank, but the donor is dead and donated their body to help others (put that dot on your driver's license and be an organ donor; after you are dead, you really have no heed of it and someone like Ammon does).
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D.Eubanks
climber
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I hope the best to you Ammon on your road to recovery.
Get well soon!
Dana
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Ezra Ellis
Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
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Wow,
Glad you are going to be ok.
Your attitude certainly saved your life, and probably your leg.
If you have ever smoked, don't do it again, smoking kills circulation, especially in the legs.
Best to you Ammon !!!!
You'll be back climbing next year!!!!!
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tinker b
climber
the commonwealth
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You'll be back climbing next year!!!!!
meaning 2014. ammon says he hopes to be ready to do some one legged toproping when i swing trhough mid january! keep healing bro, you are the one.
 j
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go-B
climber
Hebrews 1:3
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F#^a me, your doctors are amazing!
Cheers!!!
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T2
climber
Cardiff by the sea
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Hey Ammon does that blister on the inside of your heal bother you? That thing looks like it hurts.
: )
You look great my friend!
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BASE104
Social climber
An Oil Field
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Wow. That is looking a zillion times better than it did. Amazing.
OK. To cheer you up, here is what I did my first BASE jump with, a Stratostar 5 cell main, a Wonderhog (preceeded the Vector series containers) and a 26 foot navy conical reserve. The belly band is where the Velcro runs to your container pin. If you twisted the belly band, you would get a pilot chute in tow, so that didn't last long. It was pre-3 ring release, and used R-3's, which were two releases that you pulled at the same time to cut away. I had 4 skydiving reserve rides on this piece of sh#t until I scored a sweet rig from a dead guy. No kidding. I still have his reserve packing card.
The Stratostar was one of the original square parachutes.
Here is another one with one of the original BASE rigs. Probably one of the first ten or so. Our pilot chutes were way too big to fit in a stow.
I think that this was one of, or the first, naked cliff jump.
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jgill
Boulder climber
Colorado
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You're a tough guy, Ammon. Heal well.
You are a role model, also, for apparently thinking ahead and preparing financially for the aftermath of an accident.
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Reno, Nevada
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Thanks for the blast from the past Mark. Always love and respect what you guys did to pioneer the sport back in the day.
7th and last surgery today went very well. I was going to say better than expected but I think they are expecting the best, at this point, haha. I'll be released in five days and will continue updates, periodically, until I fully recover and do my first comeback jump.
Here's the patch of skin the doc borrowed from my thigh to do the skin graft:
Just got a stack of reading material from Alpinist Magazine and wanted to give them a huge thanks. Thank You Alpinist!!!
Hey Ammon does that blister on the inside of your heal bother you? That thing looks like it hurts.
Hi Tommy!! I can't tell if this is a joke, you being sarcastic or not, ha ha. It ALL hurts. But, are you talking about the hole in my heal? That is where the rod was drilled into my bone for the external fixator. I don't even notice it compared to everything else going on, ha ha.
I have a ton of amazing visitors and should have made an on-going list because I couldn't possibly name them all without leaving someone out.
I do want to mention Malcolm Daly, however (Thanks for the visit, bro). He was one of the first people who I thought about (also a few others like Sean O'Neill and Chad Jukes) on the ledge when I thought I was going to lose my foot. The one fact that I continued putting foremost in my mind was these guys are still get after it, THEY ARE ANIMALS, and did not let their disability get in the way of following their dreams. As long as I kept remembering that, I knew everything was going to be ok.
So, thanks Mal, Sean and Jukes... and all the Paradox guys who refuse to listen to what their limits are and prove to us what they can be.
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happiegrrrl
Trad climber
www.climbaddictdesigns.com
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Now be honest- that square patch was where you had been storing the emergency duct tape(to patch the canopy as mentioned upthread). In all the excitement, you forgot to remove it and finally a nurse had to say, in their sweetest voice, "Now this may sting a bit." and....rrrrrriiiiiippppp!
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roadman
climber
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Nov 10, 2013 - 01:00am PT
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So psyched for you Ammon!
Really amazing how great you are taking all this. Reminds me to be more positive and keep a sunny outlook.
Heal well.
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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Nov 10, 2013 - 06:10pm PT
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Man, I just don't see how they closed those yawning holes by just grafting some skin over the top. That's fantastic, but I don't see how it was geometrically possible. What did they do, just yank the edges of the wounds together and stitch it up like a football??
You don't have doctors, Ammon, you have wizards.
Good on you and all of them! You're in our thoughts, man.
JL
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BASE104
Social climber
An Oil Field
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Nov 11, 2013 - 08:00am PT
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You are going to look like a quilt when you heal up!
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Nov 11, 2013 - 08:39am PT
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hey there, say ammon... just checking in today, to see how it's going...
glad you will be home soon! :)
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Ottawa Doug
Social climber
Ottawa, Canada
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Nov 11, 2013 - 08:44am PT
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Bump to keep the stoke going.
Quote of the day above, "Hey Ammon if you have every smoked....."
That was funny! That skin graft makes that section of your leg look brand new. Keep up the psyche going. All the best.
Cheers,
Doug
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maldaly
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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Nov 11, 2013 - 10:56am PT
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Ammon,
Sorry we didn't stop by yesterday. We ended up spending more time with Heike that we thought and it was getting late. It looks like the skin graft surgery went well and that you're on the road to recovery.
Heike would still love a visit (Rm 318) if they let you out of that cage you're in.
Mal
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Nov 12, 2013 - 10:02pm PT
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Thinking of you and hope you are healing up as fast and comfortably as possible.
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Deekaid
climber
|
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Nov 12, 2013 - 10:12pm PT
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as far a guys killing it with sh#t missing, Hugh Herr comes to mind ...continued good luck to you Mr McNeely
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Jingy
climber
Somewhere out there
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Nov 12, 2013 - 10:20pm PT
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Holy shit….
Get well soon Ammon. You'll be solid again soon enough.
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Nov 13, 2013 - 12:37am PT
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HOLY F*#K
Ammon you are on comedy central!
Tosh.0
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Da-Veed
Trad climber
Bend Oregon
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Nov 13, 2013 - 03:41am PT
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Ah, climbtoski you beat me to it. Fully on Tosh.o. Your in the big time now Ammon!
Sorry, climbski2.
Funny stuff.
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justthemaid
climber
Jim Henson's Basement
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Nov 13, 2013 - 08:40am PT
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The media is so stupid. They never get anything right. Sorry you vid got so rampantly stolen. Edit to add: that is not the first show I've seen link that earlier accident footage incorrectly, so you're totally right about them copying each other. Unfortunately I think it was someone on this site that posted them side by side without clarifying and the web ran with it assuming it was the same accident. Second Edit... to their credit..it wouldn't really occur to strangers that you crash and break legs with some regularity. :)
At least with Tosh you are eligible for web redemption. I wonder if he can get Aron Rolston to do a repeat cameo?... :)
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TwistedCrank
climber
Bungwater Hollow, Ida-ho
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Nov 13, 2013 - 08:59am PT
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You'd better have your lawyer call their lawyer, Ammon.
That's how these things get fixed.
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couchmaster
climber
pdx
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Nov 13, 2013 - 10:21am PT
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Love to see that Tosh.O vid if anyone has a link, that dude can be rougher than Jtree granite sometimes. It's a slow process Ammon and its great to see you on the road (bumpy and painful as it must be) to recovery, congrats again dude!
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Reno, Nevada
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Nov 13, 2013 - 04:53pm PT
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100% take on the skin graft:
The donor site on my thigh got extremely adhered to the dressing and was VERY painful to remove:
Looks like I'm being discharged tomorrow.
FREEDOM!!!
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mucci
Trad climber
The pitch of Bagalaar above you
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Nov 13, 2013 - 04:56pm PT
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Holy shitballs! Jesus that looks heinous Ammon!
This:
At least with Tosh you are eligible for web redemption. I wonder if he can get Aron Rolston to do a repeat cameo?... :)
Is so classic!
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Nov 13, 2013 - 05:38pm PT
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So, um, have you ever considered NOT crashing any more?? ;)
The other thing I was wondering, was this ankle injury on your "other" leg, in other words not the one where you wrecked your knee last year? I'm guessing yes, because it's hard to imagine your reconstructed knee holding together after such an impact!
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perswig
climber
|
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Nov 13, 2013 - 05:42pm PT
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Jeez, that leg looks REALLY good, considering its recent history. Impressive physiology, Ammon, in addition to a great attitude. Get out of the hospital ASAP; nosocomial crap is no laughing matter.
Dale
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happiegrrrl
Trad climber
www.climbaddictdesigns.com
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Nov 13, 2013 - 05:49pm PT
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You know, those skin grafts sort of DO look like Ostrich hide....
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Rudder
Trad climber
Costa Mesa, CA
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Nov 14, 2013 - 12:21am PT
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The donor site on my thigh got extremely adhered to the dressing and was VERY painful to remove:
They did the same thing to me many years ago, I would think they would have learned something by now. I can't imagine how they're still doing that.
Anyway, the ankle is looking great! Keep on recovering! :)
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Heisenberg
Trad climber
RV, middle of Nowehere
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Nov 14, 2013 - 01:00am PT
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Pete...
Shut up!
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rlf
Trad climber
Josh, CA
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Nov 14, 2013 - 05:54am PT
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Pete...
Shut up!
Thank you.
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susu
Trad climber
East Bay, CA
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Nov 15, 2013 - 02:25am PT
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Looking so good. Great news.
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Reno, Nevada
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Nov 15, 2013 - 06:36am PT
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Got sprung from the hospital around 4pm, arrived at home around 11pm...
Home, sweet home!!!
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tinker b
climber
the commonwealth
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Nov 15, 2013 - 08:56am PT
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yeah! you look great! so glad to hear your home. be well,
jo-lynne
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Norwegian
Trad climber
dancin on the tip of god's middle finger
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Nov 15, 2013 - 08:58am PT
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so how long until your next jump?
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Ottawa Doug
Social climber
Ottawa, Canada
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Nov 15, 2013 - 01:36pm PT
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Balancing for the camera on your crutches. Who woulda thunk it two weeks ago?
Actually, we're talking about Ammon, I guess many were thinking this all along. Stay strong, heal fast.
Cheers,
Doug
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Fluoride
Trad climber
West Los Angeles, CA/Joshua Tree
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Nov 15, 2013 - 02:39pm PT
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Awesome Ammon! Love that picture of you. I can't believe it was less than three weeks ago you were sitting there on that ledge with your foot dangling off. You were right, you're a fast healer. Fastest I've ever heard of! Much love, glad it's all done and you're back home.
What's the estimate on when the doctors think you'll be able to climb and BASE again? Or rather when do YOU think you'll be able to climb and BASE? :)
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dirt claud
Social climber
san diego,ca
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Nov 15, 2013 - 03:39pm PT
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Awesome, good news!!
I was just watching an Alva interview on YouTube.
Holy Crap, you look like Tony Alva with dreads. Are you an old skate legend as well? ;-)
[Click to View YouTube Video]
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Reno, Nevada
|
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Nov 16, 2013 - 11:40am PT
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Hell yeah, Alva was one of my skate heroes. I'll never forget a skate road trip from Southern Utah to So Cal with my brother, Gabe and a bunch of friends. We went all over and skated in the places we saw in all of our skate vids, back then. We got a chance to skate with some legends including, Alva, Neil Blender, Christian Hosoi, Lance Mountain, etc.
Anyway, I'm not going to rush the healing process. I'm going to just play it by ear and use the pain as measuring device to know how hard I should push it. I've already started PT by rotating my ankle, using a strap to stretch my ankle further, writing the ABC's with my toes, etc.
I predict I'll be toproping in 2-3 months, jumping in 4 and lead climbing in 5-6 months. The doc didn't give me a time frame but I'd guess he would say 9 months... they like that number 9, ha ha.
Edit: Yes Ron, I'm at: 1156 Gramercy Ave. Ogden, UT 84404
Thanks to all who has sent me cards and gifts. Thanks Neebee for the dream catcher... it's working, ha ha. I'll post a pic later.
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rick d
climber
ol pueblo, az
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Nov 16, 2013 - 11:45am PT
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Ammon-
I threw up when the doc took off my graft site dressing on my left thigh. I thought it hurt 1/5 of the fracture (tib-fib)pain which was one month earlier. Your legs are starting to catch up to mine but I was 21 in '86 when I got broke up. You have a couple more years than I did.
heal up brother!
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TwistedCrank
climber
Bungwater Hollow, Ida-ho
|
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Nov 16, 2013 - 11:53am PT
|
Healing is a special process. There comes a time during the heal from a dibilitating injury when you get to say "Holy sh!t! I can do <insert addictive and thrilling outdoor physical activity here> again. This if fukkin awesome!". We've probably all been there at some level.
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Nov 17, 2013 - 07:30am PT
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hey there say, ammon... yep, happy dreamcatcher!
as to this:
Anyway, I'm not going to rush the healing process. I'm going to just play it by ear and use the pain as measuring device to know how hard I should push it. I've already started PT by rotating my ankle, using a strap to stretch my ankle further, writing the ABC's with my toes, etc.
great stuff, 'doing the abc's, etc' for co-ordination...
i USE that, too, for dancing, good tool to teach movement...
and yep--listen to your body, you will know... and take it from there...
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Rick A
climber
Boulder, Colorado
|
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Nov 17, 2013 - 12:57pm PT
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Ammon,
Great to hear that your recovery is going so well and that you're looking forward to getting outside pretty soon.
Best wishes for continued speedy healing, but give it the necessary time.
Rick
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the Fet
climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
|
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Nov 17, 2013 - 01:03pm PT
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Ammon, now that you're healing up I feel I need to address this since it's been on my mind since you posted it. Unfortunately I haven't met you in person, but I hope we have a bit of a rapport from this community, so I just want to give you my two cents.
Just like you can't compare a lap on Nutcracker with K2. You also can't compare BASE jumping exits and the many different ways you can execute a jump.
It's hard to wrap your brain around something you haven't personally experienced. You simply can't say one is more dangerous or risky than the other. I've never jumped anything harder than, say, A2... In my mind. I feel like I've definitely put myself in way more danger with my climbing passion than jumping.
You're absolutely right that all BASE Jumps are different and all climbs are different in terms of risk. A free solo of Half Dome is more dangerous than a bridge jump over water by an experienced jumper with a state of the art rig, and a wingsuit jump 10 feet off the deck is more dangerous than a top rope climb in a gym.
But statistically you CAN say BASE jumping is more dangerous than rock climbing. There's different numbers in different studies and it's hard to compare (do you use participants, participants hours, number of jumps/climbs?) but most analysis bears this out. e.g. http://www.medicine.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/booth/Risk/sports.html
However since you have a greater risk of dying from heart disease or cancer than either, I'm not saying you shouldn't BASE jump, I'm just saying you need to treat each activity and each instance of each activity with the caution it deserves. Even tying into a top rope in the gym demands caution as we have seen. But a 5.11X pitch or A4 deserves more preparation, caution, and a careful plan of action to do it relatively safely.
As I said earlier in this thread, your accident was like so many others I've seen or read about. There was a combination of things that needed to happen to lead to a problem. All accidental, and nothing was really reckless. I just want to state again the importance of taking things one step, or one variable at a time. Try a new/repaired rig from a known relatively safe location. If you are going to jump in close proximity to another jumper, each jumper should probably have jumped the exit before and have the plan and timing worked out to perfection. Slow down and triple check everything in your mind before committing to a jump or climb and think if there's anything you can do to remove a variable or maybe work your way up to something new one step at a time.
You probably know all this already, but having lost some good friends I feel I should reinforce good practices that aren't always followed. I want to see you happily jumping and pushing the limits for a long time to come.
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Nov 22, 2013 - 10:11pm PT
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Keep healing up strong
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Reno, Nevada
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Nov 23, 2013 - 01:15pm PT
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Thanks guys!!!
Life is good here in Ogden, I'm healing up just fine. Quit the Oxy three days ago, cold turkey. They had me on 60mg of OxyCodone and 40mg of OxyContin, per day. I noticed them getting low so I just quit and have some on standby, just in case.
Think I'm good to go, though. Just being cautious because everyone is telling me how addictive they can be.
Cheers!
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TwistedCrank
climber
Bungwater Hollow, Ida-ho
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Nov 23, 2013 - 01:45pm PT
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Oxy = hillbilly heroin
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Reno, Nevada
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Nov 23, 2013 - 03:45pm PT
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Captain's Log:
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WBraun
climber
|
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Nov 23, 2013 - 03:55pm PT
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Unfuking believable !!!!! Mindblower !!!!!
Frankenstein looks 98% New !!!!
Wow they did ever do such an excellent job putting Humpty Dumpty back together again ....
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Reno, Nevada
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Nov 23, 2013 - 04:03pm PT
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Those guys are amazing, Werner. I have so much respect for them. They said they would have given it the CHOP 10 years ago. I'm happy Humpty Dumpty didn't do it back then. Cheers, my friend!!!
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Big Breasted Woman
Trad climber
The Brown Crack
|
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Nov 23, 2013 - 04:26pm PT
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Wow, Ammon! Can't believe how freakin' good your leg/ankle looks! Amazing! The docs sure did a fantastic job putting that mess of a puzzle back together again! They must have given you a shot of Kryptonite the way you're healing so quickly! Keep up the good work!!!
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Nov 23, 2013 - 04:32pm PT
|
Holy crap, looks great!
Man, I can't believe it. Glad you are so lucky, mate!
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chez
Social climber
chicago ill
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Nov 23, 2013 - 05:26pm PT
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Gotta love modern surgeons, looks great!
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ec
climber
ca
|
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Nov 24, 2013 - 12:43pm PT
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Ammon, best for a speedy recovery!
The 'full disclosure' has kept this thread real, man. Amazing!
ec
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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Nov 24, 2013 - 05:12pm PT
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I was so ruined with pain that if I didn't take Oxy for a month after my last surgery, I could only white knuckle it and shake and seeth. Then it got a touch easier and I quite when I ran out and was over it in a day. Sure helps when you need it, though.
JL
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BASE104
Social climber
An Oil Field
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Nov 24, 2013 - 06:09pm PT
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You will have a good scar. I don't know if you have ever met Mark Hewitt, but he compounded both femurs from a line over from a building. His legs looked like they had been bitten by a great white shark.
While he was healing up, he thought up the line release mod. That has saved quite a few legs since.
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T2
climber
Cardiff by the sea
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Nov 24, 2013 - 08:54pm PT
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Werner said it best!
Ammon hats off and much respect to your surgeons. Looks like they did their part, now it's up to you to even make them look better with your rehab and physical therapy.
Nothing but the best vibes your way brother!
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
|
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Nov 24, 2013 - 09:20pm PT
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hey there say, ammon....
wow... and wow, again...
what a wonderful good heal... they did amazing work...
feels to good to see such a success for someone...
oh my...
thanks for sharing and may this adventure, be used to help others, too,
as to encouragement along their hard ways, if need be...
very happy for you!!!!
god bless!!
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Gene
climber
|
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Ammmon,
How's the recovery coming along?
Best,
g
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Reno, Nevada
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How's the recovery coming along?
Hi Gene, my recovery is going very well, thank you.
I can put full weight on my leg, although I only tried once because it still needs time for the screws to bind with the bone. I was supposed to be at the doctors today to get the staples out. But, we had to postpone it until Tuesday because of the weather.
I'll post a pic when I get the staples out.
Cheers!
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Bad Climber
climber
|
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Mr. Pirate: You are looking great! Although the pic kinda makes yer leg look like a manikin's!
Carry on.
BAd
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micronut
Trad climber
Fresno/Clovis, ca
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So glad to see that thing is mending Ammon. So since you made this thing public with showing that vid and this thread, can I ask a question?
Were you ever thinking you might die...for even just a moment....or were you in robot survival mode, like "I got this...I got this...just keep it cool and do the job that has to be done...."
Or did you mentally and emotionally start to process that you might bleed out and die right there. And what was that like? Were you ready for it? Were you scared? Were you peaceful? I love talking about this stuff with my patients who have had similar experiences. No big if you don't want to share here, but many of us don't live through such events to share with others what it was like. Thanks man.
Scott
(by the way...you gotta admit that a wooden peg would have been kinda cool)
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Reno, Nevada
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Were you ever thinking you might die...for even just a moment....or were you in robot survival mode, like "I got this...I got this...just keep it cool and do the job that has to be done...."
I was in complete robot survival mode on the ledge and didn't let any negative thoughts enter by mind. All of the experience of many, many days/hours on super scary aid leads kicked in full force. I knew what I had to do and systematically went to work. After I applied the tourniquet and elevated my leg, I started working on getting my rig off, because I knew they would just cut it off when the rescue paramedics got to me. When I ran out of things to do, I started filming.
When I was in the helicopter I started feeling like I was leaving this world. That was the scariest part for me. I thought the heli was still sitting in Moab and I was VERY concerned that we weren't going to make it to the hospital in time before I died. The flight nurse told me we were almost there, I craned my neck and saw the city lights and realized we were setting down on top of the hospital. I was completely out of it by this time with the pain meds but remembered being very calm and knowing that I was going to survive and just about in good hands with the docs.
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Gunkie
Trad climber
East Coast US
|
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Did that fellow take out that hanging flake with his nuts? What bad luck. The rest of that wall looks fairly flat and without major features.
EDIT: ...BASE jumper was injured in a separate accident on Sunday, Nov. 24, according to a news release from the Grand County Sheriff’s Office. Thayer Healey, 33, of Newark, Ohio, was seriously injured during a BASE jump at Wall Street on state Route 313.
Healey was the third of three people who had jumped at the area that morning, sheriff’s officials said. When he made his jump at about 12:30 p.m., he experienced a problem that caused him to strike the cliff wall, the news release stated.
Healey fell and tumbled 150 to 200 feet before landing at the base of the cliff near the roadway, sheriff’s officials said. He was transported by ambulance to Moab Regional Hospital with serious injuries.
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mongrel
Trad climber
Truckee, CA
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Sure looks like he did! Ouch! unless they're case hardened steel ones (see: Pirate). It looks like a classic case of why, when moving through the environment whether on skis, a mountain bike, on foot, or in the air, you do NOT want to stare at something bad to hit. You want to look where you want to go, not at that onrushing tree. From the footage, it looked like this guy was staring at that flake for hundreds of feet - it's right in the middle of the image - and sure enough, crunch. Obviously pretty soft for rock, but still, that'll leave a mark.
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micronut
Trad climber
Fresno/Clovis, ca
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Very cool Ammon. Thanks for the reply. I assumed you must have been in full on wartime "automated survival" mode. Thanks for sharing your journey with the tribe. I hope that sandstone jumper is doing ok. That was terrible to watch.
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thebravecowboy
Social climber
Colorado Plateau
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Damn! Good work on being proactive and actively participating in your own rescue. You are the definition of hard.
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donald perry
Trad climber
kearny, NJ
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Let me know if you need anything Ammon.
We will do our best to help you!
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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hey there say, ammon... good to hear the update... :)
yep, don't step too much, too soon... :)
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Norwegian
Trad climber
dancin on the tip of god's middle finger
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i call these my mcneelys.
i blew them out in a high-angle
logging accident.
shoved the spur thru my flared
boot-cut cuff.
i don't have the video
where im strung out
and apologizing to my mom
for destroying the pants,
but it is relevant.
here's the initial wound,
mostly open still,
though the mend has begun.
a pant surgeon,
i got this graft from the
mustang ranch, me and this
girl got flamboyant in our
undress and some of her
material came home with me.
the finnish product,
in honor of the great
el cap pirate.
hows my asse look in these
gems, ladies?
by the wayside,
mr. pirate, sir.
this light-hearted theatre
celebrating your horrific
injury is a playful
attempt at sending you
healing vibrations
thru the emotionshpere
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BASE104
Social climber
An Oil Field
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If I were to have another kid, it would be named Ammon, boy or girl.
He ain't a whiner, that's for sure.
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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hey there say, norwegian...
a good easy, happy success share, as to how to save and salvage,and it matches, perfect... :) your sewing and the wonderful
sewing that the docs, did...
good eye for sending a good cheer...
the desire to fix and save, if a top-notch quality... :)
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happiegrrrl
Trad climber
www.climbaddictdesigns.com
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|
I was in complete robot survival mode on the ledge and didn't let any negative thoughts enter by mind. All of the experience of many, many days/hours on super scary aid leads kicked in full force. I knew what I had to do and systematically went to work. After I applied the tourniquet and elevated my leg, I started working on getting my rig off, because I knew they would just cut it off when the rescue paramedics got to me. When I ran out of things to do, I started filming.
If I am ever in any sort of dire situation, I hope I can recall these instructions and apply them to my case. Very inspirational.
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tinker b
climber
the commonwealth
|
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Dec 10, 2013 - 07:42am PT
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hey ammon,
good job healing up. i hope all is well. any updates?
j
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Reno, Nevada
|
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Dec 14, 2013 - 03:19am PT
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Nice one, Norwegian!
I'm healing up nice. No weight for another month... Killing me. Yarr!
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The Call Of K2 Lou
climber
Denial State U
|
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Dec 14, 2013 - 03:34am PT
|
Gnarly!!! (Although looking much better than your initial shots.)
Love the product placement BTW.
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tinker b
climber
the commonwealth
|
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Dec 14, 2013 - 08:13am PT
|
yeah! looks good ammon. the x-ray looks so cool with the staples going around. keep being patient about putting weight on it.
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TwistedCrank
climber
Bungwater Hollow, Ida-ho
|
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Dec 14, 2013 - 09:17am PT
|
I guess you'll be setting off the metal detector at airport security for sure.
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philo
Trad climber
Is that light the end of the tunnel or a train?
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Dec 14, 2013 - 09:32am PT
|
Pretty remarkable healing process. Pretty remarkable story. Remarkably un-pretty pictures. But the dancing staples in the X Ray are purty kool.
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
|
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Dec 14, 2013 - 09:37am PT
|
It's just great to see how well things are going in your recovery. Thanks for the updates from time to time.
Another month eh? Time perhaps for some books you put off reading?
Heal up strong!
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Bad Climber
climber
|
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Dec 14, 2013 - 09:39am PT
|
Yar! Gnar! Amazing recovery. That x-ray gives me the willies. You motoring about with a wheelchair and crutches and such? A month on the couch still? Not easy for an El Cap Pirate. Time to get caught up on old episodes of Bay Watch and The A-Team.
Keep yer sails full and yer flaggons of grog topped off!
BAd
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Reno, Nevada
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Dec 22, 2013 - 12:49am PT
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
|
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Dec 22, 2013 - 12:57am PT
|
Thanks Ammon. Interesting artwork too. You are thriving!
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
|
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Dec 22, 2013 - 01:35am PT
|
How is the joint feeling, Aamon?
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happiegrrrl
Trad climber
www.climbaddictdesigns.com
|
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Dec 22, 2013 - 10:06am PT
|
The watercolor is gorgeous - love the blues, and have always felt an affinity with White Birches.
The x-ray found art is pretty awesome too!
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Reno, Nevada
|
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Dec 24, 2013 - 02:43am PT
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Ha ha, thanks Happie! Just started that one, lots of paint left to lay down.
Largo, the joints are doing very well, they weren't damaged and just need a lot of love.
I just started swimming... perfect PT, both physically and mentally. Might even jump in the wind tunnel over there at iFly, ha ha. That will lift any spirits. Yaarr!!
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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Dec 24, 2013 - 12:11pm PT
|
Man, you should thank your lucky stars the joint wasn't damaged. It's basically game over if it is. I'm thinking of going for the prosthetic.
Happy holidays.
JL
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G_Gnome
Trad climber
who gave up and just goes sailing now!
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Dec 24, 2013 - 12:24pm PT
|
John, we always thought you would make a good pirate. You should just go with a wooden peg and an eye patch if you decide to go that way.
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McHale's Navy
Trad climber
From Panorama City, CA
|
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Dec 24, 2013 - 01:52pm PT
|
I'm thinking of going for the prosthetic.
You serious?
I don't mean to go off topic! Hey, I tried to download Assault on El Cap last night. Can't wait!
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Ottawa Doug
Social climber
Ottawa, Canada
|
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Dec 30, 2013 - 12:40pm PT
|
Bump for a tough guy! Hope the healing continues at warp speed. Resist the urge over use that leg too early.
Cheers,
Doug
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shipoopoi
Big Wall climber
oakland
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ammon , you're looking good dude. hey, where did you get that snow, it's all dry here in the sierra's. ss
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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71 days later...
That's just rediculous
And AWESOME!
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Reno, Nevada
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Jan 13, 2014 - 09:10pm PT
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Norwegian
Trad climber
dancin on the tip of god's middle finger
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Jan 14, 2014 - 06:40am PT
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in this way,
pirates are kin to jesus.
rising from the dirt
after suffering a bit of bad luck.
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Brandon-
climber
The Granite State.
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Jan 14, 2014 - 07:37am PT
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What the hell?
You're a machine dude!
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Reno, Nevada
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Jan 14, 2014 - 11:03am PT
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The Larry
climber
Moab, UT
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Jan 14, 2014 - 11:06am PT
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Dude! Fruit beer?!? Where's the Natty Ice?
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Jan 14, 2014 - 11:33am PT
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Feb 2 will be the 36th anniversary of that one.
The only reason I was able to climb it was that the owl formation on top fell off in the 1930s before the USGS topo map was made, so the cartographer left the name off. All the other stuff with names (like Three Gossips, Tower of Babel, Three Penguins) was declared off limits by an, as always, capricious and arbitrary park service.
I was in Moab yesterday; a strange winter. It started off with huge snow and cold and then just went bleak.
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Reno, Nevada
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Jan 14, 2014 - 12:37pm PT
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Dude! Fruit beer?!? Where's the Natty Ice?
Hey, the fruit beer is for the girlfriend. They don't sell decent Natty Ice in Utah, but there's a few Johnny's in that six pack carton, haha.
Thanks for the back story, Ron. Always wanted to climb it, fun route! No hangs in my Camp4's, haha. Couple tricky sections trying to figure out how to make the moves without putting too much weight on the injured foot.
Hope to see you around, Ron.
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Big Mike
Trad climber
BC
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Jan 14, 2014 - 01:03pm PT
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Wow Ammon! Wow. Leading again already! You're hard dude. I'm hoping to get back on the sharp end this spring!
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Elvis Leg
Trad climber
Northern, CA (returned from exile in TX :)
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Jan 14, 2014 - 01:18pm PT
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Cap'n permission to come aboard. If I may I've got a climbing question. I have a vague memory of at some point seeing a body weight only ratchet setup you use with your aiders when leading. At least I think it was you. Like I said I'm a little fuzzy. I searched for the post, but I couldn't come up with it. Is that something you use and would you mind explaining how that works. Thanks Randy
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Jan 14, 2014 - 05:39pm PT
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Yarr, Pirate,
Glad to see you're back on the sharp end. See you this spring on the bridge for beers, eh?
Hey Randy Elvis,
I am wondering if you mean the Rope Ratchet? Chongo put me [and probably Ammon] onto those things back in the late 90's before Jose Pereyra gave me my first set of adjustable daisies.
You put the upper hook into the piece, and you connect the lower end of the cord to your harness. Imagine the lower eye bolt to be on your harness. You pull down on the free end of the cord as shown.
The Rope Ratchet is used for hoisting up deer and holding down stuff on top of cars. The 1/4" size - which is what you need - is only rated for 150 lbs. It does work pretty well and gives you that 2:1 mechanical lifting advantage [less friction through the device] but is a bit frail and will break if you are not careful to exclude it from your bounce testing!
I think I was using a Rope Ratchet on Chris Falkenstein's youtube video of me soloing Native Son? Maybe you saw it there? Maybe someone can find the link.....
Cheers and beers, eh?
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Jan 14, 2014 - 05:57pm PT
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hey there say, ammon... been so very happy seeing the facebook account the other night of the climbs! happy good trails here and if you get tempted to put too much weight on the ol' leg, lean on the girl friend for a bit, :)
she will keep you in line... :)
keep up the great teamwork! and also, remember to listen to the body--healing still takes time, :)
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Elvis Leg
Trad climber
Northern, CA (returned from exile in TX :)
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Jan 14, 2014 - 06:56pm PT
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Thanks Pete. Yes that is what I had seen. I had wondered about the ratchet vs. adjustable daisies.
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happiegrrrl
Trad climber
www.climbaddictdesigns.com
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Jan 14, 2014 - 07:08pm PT
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And to think all it took me to be happy today was finding a travel mug... you set the bar high, Ammon!
I also realized that maybe the trees in your painting might be Aspens and not Birch. We didn't have Aspens where I grew up and so I always think they are Birch.
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Reno, Nevada
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Jan 16, 2014 - 10:43pm PT
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The doc gave me the green light to put full weight today...
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happiegrrrl
Trad climber
www.climbaddictdesigns.com
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Jan 16, 2014 - 10:50pm PT
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Gah! Have you NO fear????
I guess you ARE leashed, so if you come off it will only be (hopefully) air. But...MAN!
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Reno, Nevada
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Jan 18, 2014 - 10:05pm PT
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nah000
climber
canuckistan
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Jan 18, 2014 - 10:33pm PT
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i'm in the process of picking my jawbone up off the floor and reinserting it back into my face.
goddamn that's unbelievable man...
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Jan 18, 2014 - 10:51pm PT
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Grats man!
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thebravecowboy
Social climber
Colorado Plateau
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Jan 18, 2014 - 10:54pm PT
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F*#k yeah! Pyrates need no permission. Persimmons either.
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bhilden
Trad climber
Mountain View, CA/Boulder, CO
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Jan 18, 2014 - 11:01pm PT
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Having a lifestyle you love and want to pursue to the highest degree is a huge motivator to help you come back from such a devastating accident. Bravo!
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ryankelly
Trad climber
el portal
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Jan 18, 2014 - 11:59pm PT
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speechless
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steveA
Trad climber
Wolfeboro, NH
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Jan 19, 2014 - 07:34am PT
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Nice recovery Man!
Pretty amazing the healing went so fast.
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TwistedCrank
climber
Bungwater Hollow, Ida-ho
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Jan 19, 2014 - 11:29am PT
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Vitamins. They do wonders.
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happiegrrrl
Trad climber
www.climbaddictdesigns.com
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Jan 19, 2014 - 11:29am PT
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If at first you don't succeed, try,try again?
KIDDING, for anyone whose panties just got tugged too tightly! We're ALL Gonna Die. Ammon is clearly doing just the opposite - living it UP!
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grover
climber
Northern Mexico
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Jan 19, 2014 - 10:24pm PT
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WOW!
Nice recovery time
No time wasted...inspiring.
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go-B
climber
Romans 5:8
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Jan 19, 2014 - 10:28pm PT
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WHOO!
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Harvey Manfrenjensen
Big Wall climber
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Jan 19, 2014 - 10:34pm PT
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That's just ridiculous.
Awesome dude!
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McHale's Navy
Trad climber
From Panorama City, CA
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Jan 20, 2014 - 12:06am PT
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Now that my right ankle is recovering, I guess it would be a good time to take up Base Jumping. Shock and Awe!
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pud
climber
Sportbikeville & Yucca brevifolia
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Jan 20, 2014 - 12:28am PT
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Why wouldn't you get back up on the horse?
Good for you.
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Reno, Nevada
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Jan 22, 2014 - 02:39pm PT
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Jim Clipper
climber
from: forests to tree farms
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Jan 22, 2014 - 03:20pm PT
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Peg leg, new school style. Glad your stoke is matched by your healing ability. Ever consider a tattoo? Maybe a peg leg, or the wolverine with a peg leg and a patch.
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Spanky
Social climber
boulder co
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Jan 22, 2014 - 03:34pm PT
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damn thats badass! what an amazing recovery. So glad to hear you're on the mend
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Jan 22, 2014 - 04:52pm PT
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Good on ya, Ammon! Yesterday I spied one of our elder statesmen crutching into OR after a similar break almost two years ago.
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tinker b
climber
the commonwealth
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Jan 30, 2014 - 12:27pm PT
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my pictures of his smiling face, climbing a tree with a beer can in his hand are on a camera i can not connect to the internet because i don't have the technology. you will all have to just use your imaginations and memories of all the times you have seen him scrambling around with a beer in his hand and a big smile on his face.
when i made plans in november to meet up with him, i thought i would be visiting an invilid on a couch. the man is a beast. i think the combo of his mom's cooking, the positive energy he has given and recieved, massage, stoke, and an incredible ability to heal have put him where he is now.
proud.
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susan peplow
climber
Joshua Tree, CA
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Jan 30, 2014 - 12:51pm PT
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I too, am in shock. One of the few threads I'll click to check on the Taco and couldn't be happier. Amazing job by the doctors, your attitude and getting after it. Truly inspiring.
~Sooze
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micronut
Trad climber
Fresno/Clovis, ca
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Jan 30, 2014 - 01:03pm PT
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I've heard it said there are "Old climbers and Bold climbers but no Old Bold climbers." But you are both bro. Way to keep the stoke and the inspiration flowing for all of us out here!
Scott
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Reno, Nevada
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Feb 24, 2014 - 01:51pm PT
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Had an amazing weekend! Climbed the NE Colorado Ridge on the King Fisher this weekend. I led half the pitches with Dave Campbell... and then jumped it with Kresta Christensen.
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happiegrrrl
Trad climber
www.climbaddictdesigns.com
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Feb 24, 2014 - 02:12pm PT
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Look at the psychedelic owl in the tower at the side. He's watching and thinking "Man...wish I could fly!'
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wayne w
Trad climber
the nw
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Feb 24, 2014 - 02:14pm PT
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Can't keep a good monkey down!
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Ottawa Doug
Social climber
Ottawa, Canada
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Feb 24, 2014 - 06:07pm PT
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All I can say is WOW!
Amazing recovery by an amazing dude!
Cheers,
Doug
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WBraun
climber
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Feb 24, 2014 - 07:34pm PT
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Ammon is fuking goddd !!!!!
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pc
climber
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Jun 18, 2014 - 07:45am PT
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Speaking of Ammon...
Did anyone see the final episode of Fargo last night, the one where Billy Bob Thornton reset the bone in his leg. Reminded me of the El Cap Pirate...
He'd make a great assassin? ;)
Cheers,
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Gerg
Trad climber
Calgary
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Jun 18, 2014 - 11:28am PT
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^^ i have yet to see new Fargo, it is all filmed in Calgary and area, many places near my workplace.
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Jun 18, 2014 - 11:39am PT
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Ammon is not a flopping soccer player.
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Reno, Nevada
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Jun 27, 2014 - 12:43am PT
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I thought I'd give a little update for those who don't follow me on Facebook:
Lots of ups and downs this year for The Pirate. After we climbed the King Fisher I climbed the Sun Devil Chimney, on the Titan, with several partners. I first started out with my good buddy Dave Campbell and his friend from work, Max.
I let them push the rope the first couple of pitches while I tried to give my ankle a rest. They eventually ran out of time and had to go back to work, so I recruited The Larry. I really didn't want to lead the 5.9r free climbing pitch, but I ended up with it because Larry got a little sick that day.
Larry had to work the next day so I got the one and only Renan Ozturk for the next mission. We had three more pitches to the top. I led the 5th pitch without too much trouble and was psyched to have a partner take the sharp end... except when Renan saw the 6th pitch, he wasn't psyched. I ended up taking the lead again and Renan took the last fun little chimney to the top.
The summit was glorious!! One thing that was disturbing was an open and empty summit register. Later we brought up a replacement.
We had lines fixed to the ground and Dave came back for the grand finale, us jumping off. Lovely, Kresta Christensen was part of the team, as well. A couple good friends, Matt and Richard planned to do the first wingsuit BASE jumps off, and was also helping with support. We had the most amazing party on top, even had a fire.
After that mission I chilled for two solid weeks. Painted...
Hung out with my son, Austin...
I was climbing 2-3 times a week, getting out hiking and doing some jumping. Butt sliding it a lot on my landings to protect my leg. Life was getting back to normal and I was more than thrilled to be back.
Memorial jump video:
http://vimeo.com/97625794
My leg was feeling great! I was dealing with lots of swelling but figured it was just from being active on it. Up to this point I was doing jumps here and there, but not really pushing it by doing laps. It was time for the Perrine bridge in Twin Falls, ID.
Lots of crutch jumps!
More chill'n, playing the guitar, writing and painting...
I eventually went down and celebrated life with a few hundred unsavory BASE characters in Las Vegas. The memories I do have of the three day bender are mind blowing and can't be shared here. ;-)
Had a little fun in the desert on our way back home.
My Jolly Roger canopy showed up in the mail.
So...
At this point I started noticing my leg looked a little crooked. The swelling never went away and there was a little more pain than usual. I kept shrugging it off until I was getting more comments about it and eventually went in for an x-ray. This is what they found:
No wonder the swelling never went down and wondered how long it had been broken like this. I really didn't think I was being too hard on it and the doc agreed that the bones should have healed by now. They did a bunch of blood work and ruled out infection. Got more x-rays and got a few opinions from different docs. It was obvious they were going to have to do more surgeries to fix it, so I snuck a little more fun in:
So, I got most of the metal taken out two Monday's ago on the 16th. They couldn't get a couple of broken screws out, they said it wasn't a big deal to leave them embedded into my bone. The next step was to start rebuilding it after the swelling went down from them taking everything out.
Yesterday I found out the game changed quite a bit. I've got an infection called Propionibacterium Acnes. It's a common bacteria that's on every healthy humans skin, but it's not supposed to grow in your bones. It really likes metal and collects around it. Slow growing but a nasty little bugger to get rid of. It prevents bone healing, induces swelling and deteriorates bone tissue. So, that's why it took so long for the hardware to fail and this is actually a pretty common scenario with plated bones. It eventually got weak enough that it just sluffed off.
Tomorrow I go back into surgery so they can remove the rest of the metal, scrape my bones and cut anything out that looks dead. They say I don't stand a chance if there's any metal in there. They will also install an external fixator so the bones don't keep slipping and a picc line so I can inject my own antibiotics for the next six weeks.
Rocky seas for the Pirate... BUT, I will prevail.
Yaaaaarrr!!!!
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Lasti
Trad climber
Budapest
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Jun 27, 2014 - 02:36am PT
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"Rocky seas for the Pirate... "
No sh!t Pirate, that sounds gnarly - but a walk in the park compared to the original injury.
Your unwavering stoke is inspiring.
Here's to a fast healing.
Lasti
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Jun 27, 2014 - 06:43am PT
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Seems a few storms on a long journey are to be expected although it doesn't make them any more pleasant. Pulling for ya today and hoping it all turns out well and your downtime is minimal.
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tinker b
climber
the commonwealth
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Jun 27, 2014 - 06:44am PT
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geez ammon!!!!
good thoughts heading your way. i love the base jumping with a crutch, the new jolly roger, and that your doc didn't think you were over doing it. are you facebook friends?
big love, jo-lynne
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jonnyrig
climber
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Jun 27, 2014 - 08:36am PT
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Good luck with the healing!
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Lanthade
climber
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Jun 27, 2014 - 09:12am PT
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Your picc nurse should tell you this, but don't forget to take the injection med out of the fridge at least 30 minutes prior to injection. Fridge temp drugs going into a central blood vessel is mighty unpleasant. I mean, hell, you've been through a lot worse, but no need for unnecessary pain.
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snakefoot
climber
cali
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Jun 27, 2014 - 09:15am PT
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lets hear it for the man, way to get after it. you can see the lack of healing involving the fibula and the callous of bone along the margins due to the motion. you broke the fibular plate and tibial screws from having too much fun, classic. the lateral joint space at the tibial talar articulation remains widened. hard to not move around i'm sure, but you will have to take it easy to allow this to heal... keep it up pirate, sweet canopy.
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madbolter1
Big Wall climber
Denver, CO
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Jun 27, 2014 - 10:40am PT
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I'm jealous that you got to camp on top! When I was there it was blowing like 60 mph and gusty. I was pretty quickly ready to head down.
The missing register is indeed disturbing! I really enjoyed leafing through it (shielding it from the wind). Sadly, a replacement can't recapture that history and notes.
GOOD on ya for such an amazing recovery! You da man!
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Jun 27, 2014 - 10:48am PT
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hey there say, ammon... been keeping with the facebook, but been slow online, due to lots of yard work and helping an elderly lady, out here, get a few places...
thanks for the update...
wow, as to this:
Yesterday I found out the game changed quite a bit. I've got an infection called Propionibacterium Acnes. It's a common bacteria that's on every healthy humans skin, but it's not supposed to grow in your bones. It really likes metal and collects around it. Slow growing but a nasty little bugger to get rid of. It prevents bone healing, induces swelling and deteriorates bone tissue. So, that's why it took so long for the hardware to fail and this is actually a pretty common scenario with plated bones. It eventually got weak enough that it just sluffed off.
did not see that part, yet...
whewwwww... sending out prayers, along with my good cheers for the healing...
us 'moms' of the world, of course, are always glad when 'kids' of the world, stop the fun for just a bit and get WELL, :))
extra note:
wow, this is a really full and rich neat update..,. great adventure and pics of your love of life, and embracing it...
after you embrace the rest of the healing, you will be twice as RICH
IN IT ALL...
god blesss... :)
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crunch
Social climber
CO
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Jun 27, 2014 - 11:02am PT
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Nice report/update, sorry to hear of the ongoing rough seas.... I'd have happily joined you for finishing up the Sundevil if I'd been around at the right time.
Sounds like you need to slow down and chill for a while so the leg can mend and you can clear the infection. All the best!
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The Call Of K2 Lou
Mountain climber
North Shore, BC
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Jun 27, 2014 - 11:11am PT
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F#%$in' nice canopy!
Thanks for the updates, Ammon. They're a great reminder to myself, and probably many others, that we need to get out more and do the things we love.
PS: broken leg hardware sounds like a damn good excuse to have your partner carry the pig. For the next several years.
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labrat
Trad climber
Auburn, CA
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Jun 27, 2014 - 02:15pm PT
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Healing thoughts going your way Ammon! Thanks for the update of your adventures and tribulations.......
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Reno, Nevada
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Jun 27, 2014 - 11:08pm PT
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You broke the fibular plate and tibial screws from having too much fun, classic.
No bro, I was hiking around with minimal pain and feeling strong for nearly four months. The infection is very slow growing, so it took a while to deteriorate and weaken/kill the bone until hardware failure. Once the hardware failed my bones couldn't support my activities and started shifting. When the screws broke and the fibula plate bent/cracked my entire leg started bowing. That was the only red flag that prompted me to get it checked out. The docs said the hardware never would have malfuntioned that far into recovery if it wasn't for the infection. I was taking it a lot easier than it looks, lots of butt slide BASE jumps and one footed climbs, haa... more easily done when aiding.
Basically, those little buggers formed a colony and declared mutiny on their own vessel. To Davey Jones' Locker with them. Yaaaarrr!!!
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Jun 28, 2014 - 06:58am PT
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Aye! Dead germs tell no tales!!
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Jim Clipper
climber
from: forests to tree farms
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Jun 28, 2014 - 08:22am PT
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Why hasn't anyone anyone developed antibiotic coated/impregnated screws. Nano ceramics? Glues/antibiotics? immune mediators, growth factors, etc?
I would guess infections are rare, but they seem to be tough. Blood flow and immune response is limited? There must be something more tolerable than metal. I've heard (from an MD) that some of the tools used in orthopedics look like they're straight off the hardware store shelf. I'm sure there are some pretty specialized tools/materials too.
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Reno, Nevada
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Jun 28, 2014 - 10:34am PT
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Back in this rig for six weeks while I fight the infection with antibiotics.
Dang Ammon -- cheap ass china screws er whut? Dood
Does anyone read my drivel er whut? Haha. LOL
No, the infection weakened my bones to the point that all of the impact was on the hardware. The metal is like a paper clip, it will bend and then bend back. But, multiple times it will eventually fatigue to the point of breaking.
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The Larry
climber
Moab, UT
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Jun 28, 2014 - 10:38am PT
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Good luck brother. Call me if you need anything.
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Gene
climber
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Jun 28, 2014 - 10:57am PT
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Nice Russian aider set up.
Heal quickly!
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wayne w
Trad climber
the nw
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Jun 28, 2014 - 03:02pm PT
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Climbing long routes in a push will seem like a party after going through all of this, Ammon. Not that I would know anything about that...
Hope that you are feeling much better soon!
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Jun 28, 2014 - 03:23pm PT
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Lay waste to them bugs.. full broadside.. FIIIIRE!!
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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Jun 28, 2014 - 04:22pm PT
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We out to start a fixator club, Ammon.
Heal up, Bro.
JL
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nature
climber
Boulder, CO
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Jun 28, 2014 - 04:35pm PT
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I read what you wrote, Mate! Heal up brother. Come to SushiFest in Vedauwoo. Half the people attending are either broken or geriatric so you'll fit right in!
The only thing I gotta say is:
Yaaaaaaarrrggghhhh!
The Eco-pirate ship I was on last weekend. Sea Watch - Shark Boat:
SHARK!!!! Everyone IN the water!!!
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Don Paul
Big Wall climber
Aurora Colorado
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Jun 28, 2014 - 07:27pm PT
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I was going to say something about Hank Caylor's blue boob (see above) but forgot what it was. Obviously I thought it was a girl at first.
Really sorry to hear about the infection, it sounds like a big mess inside that has to get cleaned up. Make sure your doctors are paying attention to you during your recovery.
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SC seagoat
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, or In What Time Zone Am I?
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Jun 28, 2014 - 08:33pm PT
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Heal Up Ammon! Looks yucky but you're a tough duuuude!
Susan
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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Jun 29, 2014 - 04:40am PT
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Beautiful way to wake up You ain't kidding, bro
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tinker b
climber
the commonwealth
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Jun 29, 2014 - 05:23am PT
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where are you staying while you heal? give us an address...
visualize yourself annialating those beasties... i am not one for violence, but kick some ass...
take care of yourself, sending healing thoughts your way.
j
from january...i am sure you can make miracles happen again...happy healing.
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anita514
Gym climber
Great White North
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Jun 29, 2014 - 09:42am PT
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we're almost twins
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Leggs
Sport climber
Made in California
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Back in this rig for six weeks while I fight the infection with antibiotics.
Oh man, Ammon... sorry to hear about this.
You are so strong and inspirational... Peaceful and healing vibes to you, friend.
~peace
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couchmaster
climber
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dayum...good luck to everyone who has their leg bunged up.....
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Michelle
Social climber
1187 Hunterwasser
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Do not inject the Cobra.
Heal up bro!
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Anita is MUCH cuter than Ammon.....
Now heal up, you two! And quit jumping, dammit!
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The Larry
climber
Moab, UT
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Ammon and Anita
The Cankle Crüe.
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The Larry
climber
Moab, UT
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You know it Captain.
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Ogden, Utah
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Wow, Anita. That looks way more futuristic than mine. Did you have a spiral fracture? Yup, borgish for sure Captain Kirk. Let's hang out next time I'm in Bosie, if you're around. Good to see you getting around better than last time I saw you, Largo.
Yup, this is my third fixator. They are loads of fun! Haha
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anita514
Gym climber
Great White North
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mine's a taylor spatial frame. it is pretty high tech, eh?
we lengthened my tibia and corrected an ankle misalignment... nothing gnarly like you, but still stuck with an ex fix all summer.
hope you heal up quickly.
is it weight bearing?
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BASE104
Social climber
An Oil Field
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Hang in there, Ammon. You gotta admit that you are getting some gray hair in yer beard, so you might start thinking of life as a calendar like us old washed up farts do.
Take care of yourself so that you can keep living the life. That is the most important thing. To me, anyway. Keep on collecting those experiences. It damn near killed me when I had to give it up.
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Captain...or Skully
climber
in the oil patch
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Yowza!
Call me, Ammon....or try to....208-407-sixonefoureight.
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Ogden, Utah
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Jul 10, 2014 - 05:09pm PT
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is it weight bearing?
No way, it's still super sloppy in there. I probably won't be cleared for weight bearing until around mid November, I'm guessing.
Here's a an xray from the last surgery right before they took the rogue screws out:
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Ogden, Utah
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Jul 22, 2014 - 11:29pm PT
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Half way through the antibiotic injections, three more weeks left:
Keeping my spirits high!
Here's a video link to the Fisher Towers adventure in March:
https://vimeo.com/101487401
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Jul 23, 2014 - 12:25am PT
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hey there say, ammon... neat to see the update, here, as well...
hang in there, :) need we say, :))
god bless, and to your mom, as well...
wow, moms have just got to be strong, at times like this, :)
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Bargainhunter
climber
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Jul 23, 2014 - 12:54am PT
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What a pain that the hardware got infected, but that happens sometimes even under the best of circumstances.
Did you have good insurance prior to the accident? If so, did it cover your costs well or leave you in the lurch? Don't answer if the question is too personal, I'm just curious if your coverage did what it was suppose to and insure your health, or not.
Peace and happy healing!
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overwatch
climber
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Aug 11, 2014 - 12:13am PT
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Dare I be the blasphemer and state the obvious?
I am with Pete on this one. Best wishes through these next trials
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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Aug 11, 2014 - 04:49am PT
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That was a really good video! it does state the obvious that you guys need to come up with better riggs or better protocol or something to lower the rate of atrition.......
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rick d
climber
ol pueblo, az
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Aug 11, 2014 - 06:46am PT
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Ammon-
we still have to compare notes.
6 months out I had a enterobacter infection and 6-8 weeks later I had to get my hardware removed. I did not bend the damn thing! Of course,I was working with broke legs on both sides not just one.
ask jeremy a. how my leg does next time you see him.
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madbolter1
Big Wall climber
Denver, CO
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Aug 11, 2014 - 08:57am PT
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Yikes, Anita! I've never seen a rig CLOSE to that one!
All the best to both of you.
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Ogden, Utah
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Sep 16, 2014 - 08:42am PT
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Got the biopsy results in yesterday, kinda bitter sweet news but mostly good... I think.
I had two different infections going on in my bone. The propionibacterium acnes infection and a staph infection, both probably caused from my bone punching through my skin, where they both naturally live. The p. acnes is a nasty bone eating vermin that's hard to get rid of but apparently jumped ship. So, a welcoming negative on those little parasites and to Davey Jones' locker they go.
One out of the three cultures came back positive for the staph infection. So, that's good news it's not completely infested. I'll most likely go back on the hard stuff, injecting antibiotics but will know more once I see the infectious disease folks next Monday. Mostly good news but not out of the thick of it, just yet.
Thanks to all my friends and family who have shown concern and support, you rock and I love you all.
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Big Mike
Trad climber
BC
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Sep 16, 2014 - 08:50am PT
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Wow Ammon! Continuing trials and tribulations dude!! I hope you get that nasty staph sorted bro!!
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Ogden, Utah
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Sep 16, 2014 - 09:27am PT
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I just got the best news EVER! The staph culture that came back positive was contaminated. It wasn't even the same organism that I was infected with. I'm clean of the vermin and now doing the happy dance. Wooot wooot!
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SC seagoat
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, or In What Time Zone Am I?
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Sep 16, 2014 - 09:29am PT
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Oh SH#T! Is that ever cool news. Unreal....No! No! REAL REAL
Susan
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Gnome Ofthe Diabase
climber
Out Of Bed
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Sep 16, 2014 - 09:53am PT
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</§:-) stupid symbol that is happy with hair HAPPY. TO HEAR THE COOTIES ARE OUT OF YOU
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
Ogden, Utah
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Jan 26, 2015 - 08:30am PT
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Well, I've been reluctant to post on this thread with so many of our friends and members of our tribe in way worse condition than I'm in...
But, good news for the Pirate. I graduated to full weight a few weeks ago and things are looking really good. The doc said he still can't believe how fast the bone is growing and how flexible my ankle is. They didn't have to fuse my ankle and it looks like the bone graft is taking.
"We took a long shot and it looks like it's working. But, we're not out of the woods, yet", were the doc's exact words.
I'm still taking it easy and hopefully the vermin doesnt come back to haunt me. I guess they are sneaky buggers and can lay dormant for a few years and then start cultivating again.
I snuck in a little 5.10 top rope the other day and it felt super good to be back on the rock. Thanks for all the positive energy I've felt from everyone of you. It means a lot to me and has helped me overcome a lot of difficulties thrown at me in 2014. I'm psyched to move on and see what '15 brings.
Lots o' love folks!
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Don Paul
Big Wall climber
Denver, Colorado
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Jan 26, 2015 - 08:35am PT
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Congradulations, I was getting ready to start calling you Pegleg the Pirate.
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Johnny K.
climber
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Jan 26, 2015 - 09:14am PT
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Awesome stuff Ammon! Great to hear you got back on the rock. Cheers for a strong and healthy recovery road in your future.
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Jan 26, 2015 - 09:45am PT
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Really appreciate the update. Such good news. Very nice to hear versus so much rough stuff lately. Best wishes for your continued progress and others too.
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Jan 26, 2015 - 10:46am PT
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Dood. . . you either need to go out and have a raft of kids or be a MAJOR sperm donor.
You volunteering eKat?
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John M
climber
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Jan 26, 2015 - 11:19am PT
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You volunteering eKat?
eKat
Trad climber
Jan 26, 2015 - 10:51am PT
^ ^ ^ There better be ANOTHER star in the East if I do!
hahahahaha.. that totally cracked me up.
…
Great news Ammon! Its always good to hear when someone is doing better.
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John Duffield
Mountain climber
New York
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Jan 26, 2015 - 11:23am PT
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Awesome news!
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labrat
Trad climber
Auburn, CA
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Jan 26, 2015 - 11:24am PT
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Great news! Thanks for the update ;-)
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Sula
Trad climber
Pennsylvania
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Jan 26, 2015 - 03:46pm PT
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Looks like you'll always be carrying at least 23 pins from now on.
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Gnome Ofthe Diabase
climber
Out Of Bed
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Jan 26, 2016 - 07:17pm PT
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Hey there,
How's tricks?
Hope your strong & healthy
What's the very good word?
Do you lurk at all?
show or not'
just thinking of ya'
And think a few around here could use a reminder
Of who's who and who is 'da real deal'
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phylp
Trad climber
Upland, CA
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Jan 26, 2016 - 08:58pm PT
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That is great news! Wishing you continued healing.
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Rudder
Trad climber
Costa Mesa, CA
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Apr 28, 2016 - 08:39am PT
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overwatch
climber
Arizona
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Apr 28, 2016 - 08:48am PT
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would have been much funnier with a stereotype for each skeleton. Too bad we are so PC
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Apr 28, 2016 - 09:16am PT
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Now THAT is hilarious!
I think I saw on FB that Ammon is going to be running a guide service up in Alaska this summer?
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Vegasclimber
Trad climber
Las Vegas, NV.
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Apr 28, 2016 - 02:36pm PT
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Jesus people don't bump this thread, you just scared the f*#k out of me. It was bad enough the first time around, believe me.
And yes, Ammon is in Alaska as we speak, left a few days back. Hoping he has some kick ass adventures and much fun for the Alaskan summer.
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| Messages 1 - 623 of total 623 in this topic |
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