Ascent Notes for: Jack the Ripper - 5.11c Average Rating : 4.50/5

The only hangdog ascents that I include here are those which are unusually memorable, for one reason or another. And this climb most definitely is that.

I got to the crux at the top, where face holds disappear, the crack thins down to about #3 stopper size, and was feeling pretty good. I'm not a super great stemmer, but was not sketched, and began working my way carefully up the dihedral. For one reason or another, I got a bit off balance and fell. Pulled one piece of gear, took about a 30 foot fall, and as the rope was catching me, my left foot glanced off of a little ledge. It hurt, but I did not think much of it, beyond believing it was a sprain. So I lowered off.

My wife finished the climb with a bit of aid as I sat back and belayed her. We got our gear, and began the long hop/buttslide back to the car. For the rest of that day and the next, I enjoyed the food, drink, and friends of Thanksgiving at the cabin that we had rented, keeping the foot elevated and iced.

A few days later, on arriving back to Columbus, we stopped in at the ER. I felt pretty silly being pushed in on a wheelchair. Two xrays, one CT scan, and a concerned orthopedist consult later, I found out that I had disrupted, dislocated, and broken several of the bones in my upper foot. Surgery, pins, and screws were all necessary, and I was on crutches in a cast for several months afterward.

Worst climbing injury I have ever had, and I am not sure that I will ever come back to this pitch, despite it being beautiful and fun. I should have just jumped right on "Mr. Get it on Jones," which although harder is also steeper with better gear. Oh well.

One of my all time favorite trad pitches. Totally wild movement with believer commitment to the anchors. Awesome