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illusiondweller
Aug 8, 2005, 9:41 PM
Post #1 of 3
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Registered: Apr 22, 2005
Posts: 124
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WARNING! Circa 1985 I experienced a frightening dilemma while TRing Mother Superior. I thought it would be beneficial to tell my story to help keep others from this desperate experience.
I was being belayed by K. Klis from the popular chockstone belay. I, with my pair of loose-fit levi's and a swami, made from 2" tubular webbing, stacked and Leavit-tated thru the bottom section without missing a beat until I came to the tight, last knee placement above. Here my pace slowed while I delicately slotted my right knee into the shallow, cup shaped slot. I kipped my upper torso up, seated my next fist stack above and weighted my jammed, lower extremity. Using desperate technique I gained a higher hand placement and proceeded to remove my well seated knee. Knowing how to remove stuck stopper placements by backing them out the same way they were placed, I soon became aware that it was going to take a little longer to remove it than I had hoped. I remained calm at first but after using every trick in the book and pumping out in the process I realized that it wasn't coming out. I asked Ken to give me tension and informed him of my dilemma. My body weight was now firm on my torso for I didn't have any leg loops. I grasped a hold of the rope above to gain leverage and to provide relief from my constricted diaphragm. Nothing progressed quickly so I asked my belayer to tie me off and assist me. After applying two prussiks to the rope and securing his end Ken chimneyed across until he was under me. He put his shoulder under my buttocks as a seat while I continued to work on my knee. This didn't last long for Ken became tired fairly quickly. I needed leg loops and Ken knew it as well. Ken scrambled back to his equipment and put together a hasty pair of legs loops out of 1" webbing. We quickly realized that one of the leg loops wasn't going to pass over my stuck knee. He would have to manually form the leg loops around my legs while chimneying underneath me. At this point a group of voices was heard coming up the road. We both stopped, turned our heads and watched five guys appear from around the edge of the boulder. They happened to be five U.S. Marines walking up Mt. Woodson's road for a good workout hike. We quickly recruited them to help out with our situation. Being connected at the hip, as most Marines are and usually having the Sergeant of the platoon in charge, Sarge quickly asked what he could do to help. I told him that I needed relief from my swami belt. Working together they managed to tie a swami around my legs and they even took turns having me sit on their shoulders while one performed the delicate operation. But. after all that time and trouble they spent, the loops weren't quite as effective as I needed them to be and it provided little relief. One Marine suggested that he cut my Levi's off in hopes of creating enough room to be able to free my knee. It sounded like a great idea and I was anxious to try it. I started to worry though as the Marine pulled out his K-Bar and proceeded to slice my pants off from the ankles up! He had to leave the section around my knee for it was tightly wedged between my knee and the rock. He even hung his entire body weight on the matierial from below but couldn't manage to free the last piece. I was pretty spent at this point and everyone else was sensing the acuity of the situation as well. The Marines started to lose their continuity, the volume of their vioces started to raise and nothing was being accomplished. I seemed to be the only one able to think straight and I spoke out loudly and told Sarge that he needed to send one of his guys down the mountain to the Forestry Department station at the entrance to the mountain and get help. Sarge quickly assigned the task as one of his grunts started the run down the road. Just as the command was given Ken's girlfriend, who was sitting on the rock behind watching this whole scene unfold, pulled a tube of sunscreen out of her purse and said, "Why don't you try some of this?" My whole body was starting to cramp, not to mention the excruciating pain that was eminating from my now swollen knee, and any new suggestion gave a glimpse of hope to an already desperate situation. Ken grabbed the tube of hope and shimmied back across the chimney to squeeze the sunscreen in every open place he could see around my knee. After putting out as much effort I could stand, my knee started to slide against the walls of the rock! Within moments my knee started to slide up and out of it's tomb! As it popped free from the rocks grasp my body swung away from the overhanging rock and I slumped forward onto the rope. A rush of pain and relief raced thru my body. A reverberating hoot and "OORAH!" came from the tired Marines as my friend Ken celebrated as well. Ken quickly put me back on belay and lowered me back to the dark cave below. I was assisted back up to the road and back to a needed rest atop the rock..... What had happened was my pant leg had ridden up on my leg bunching up at the knee causing it to wedge tightly. What I learned from that day on Mt. Woodson was, one, to always wear a harness, at least on Mother Superior and, two, remember to tape the cuff of your ankles down to prevent them from riding up your leg. I had known this but I didn't have any tape so I risked it anyway. Had I done this I wouldn't have experienced this situation that day up on the mountain. I was lucky, I guess, for I only suffered some scrapes, a sore knee and a little embarrassment.
(This post was edited by illusiondweller on Feb 27, 2020, 4:33 AM)
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trenchdigger
Aug 8, 2005, 9:47 PM
Post #2 of 3
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Registered: Mar 9, 2003
Posts: 1447
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Déjà Vu?
Wasn't the same thing posted about a month ago?
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illusiondweller
Dec 14, 2007, 4:31 AM
Post #3 of 3
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Registered: Apr 22, 2005
Posts: 124
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It may have been but this post has been edited a few times and probably accounts for the re-post.
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