On the day before Thanksgiving, a 24-year-old climber was top-roping her last climb of the day: Gorilla (5.10). Approximately 15 feet up the climb, her foot slipped out of a jam while her left hand remained jammed in the crack. As she fell, her hand stayed stuck in the crack too long and she suffered a hairline fracture of her radius. Our group splinted the arm and drove her to the hospital in Moab, where she was diagnosed and treated. She climbed with just her right arm the next day!

Analysis

The climber hadn’t checked her foot before weighting it, and the jam was pretty insecure. In crack climbing, as in all styles of climbing, good footwork is the most important element of success. (Source: Chris S.)