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Climber Loses Fingertips on Route Called ‘Fingers in a Lightsocket’
“The bone and meat are still [there]…so that will be a surprise for someone,” joked Greg McKee.
Nightmare? Nightmare. Greg McKee was climbing with his brother and a friend in Indian Creek, the crack climbing mecca south of Moab, Utah, a couple weeks ago when he was leading a climb called Fingers in a Lightsocket (5.11+) on the Supercrack Buttress. The crack narrowed to the crux, where McKee had to jam his fingers into old pin scars for purchase. His left fingers were locked solid in the lower scar, his right in the upper.
That’s when his foot slipped and he fell. The protection at his feet pulled out and so did the one below that.
“I had time to think, Oh shit, I’m going to deck,” McKee told Rock and Ice. “But I didn’t realize I had lost my fingers right away. I didn’t realize it until after the rope caught me and I saw them. I yelled down to my friends, ‘The end of my fingers are gone!’ Blood was raining down.”
McKee had been caught by another piece, and his belayer quickly lowered him to the ground. His friend Andy attempted to ascend the climb using aid to retrieve the gear and fingertips, but bailed when when one of his pieces pulled out. They left the fingertips.
“The bone and meat are still in the pin scar,” McKee said. “It’s kind of a blind move into it, so that will be a surprise for someone.”
McKee posted an account of his accident at Mountain Project, along with a photo of his hand. “If anyone up there climbs it please get my finger!” he wrote. “Just kidding. But seriously, the 0.3 X4 saved my life and has some sentimental value…if you get it could you please return it to me? I can offer you beers and karma.”
The Salt Lake resident was given a choice of trying to save what was left of the end of his ring finger with a skin graft or amputate the first digit. He chose the latter, as doctors promised a faster recovery with fewer complications.
“Tommy Caldwell was also a huge source of inspiration. If he can climb that hard without a finger, then I can probably do all right. Just knowing that someone else has experienced a similar situation was a huge comfort.”
“The bone and meat are still [there]…so that will be a surprise for someone,” joked Greg McKee.
Nightmare? Nightmare. Greg McKee was climbing with his brother and a friend in Indian Creek, the crack climbing mecca south of Moab, Utah, a couple weeks ago when he was leading a climb called Fingers in a Lightsocket (5.11+) on the Supercrack Buttress. The crack narrowed to the crux, where McKee had to jam his fingers into old pin scars for purchase. His left fingers were locked solid in the lower scar, his right in the upper.
That’s when his foot slipped and he fell. The protection at his feet pulled out and so did the one below that.
“I had time to think, Oh shit, I’m going to deck,” McKee told Rock and Ice. “But I didn’t realize I had lost my fingers right away. I didn’t realize it until after the rope caught me and I saw them. I yelled down to my friends, ‘The end of my fingers are gone!’ Blood was raining down.”
McKee had been caught by another piece, and his belayer quickly lowered him to the ground. His friend Andy attempted to ascend the climb using aid to retrieve the gear and fingertips, but bailed when when one of his pieces pulled out. They left the fingertips.
“The bone and meat are still in the pin scar,” McKee said. “It’s kind of a blind move into it, so that will be a surprise for someone.”
McKee posted an account of his accident at Mountain Project, along with a photo of his hand. “If anyone up there climbs it please get my finger!” he wrote. “Just kidding. But seriously, the 0.3 X4 saved my life and has some sentimental value…if you get it could you please return it to me? I can offer you beers and karma.”
The Salt Lake resident was given a choice of trying to save what was left of the end of his ring finger with a skin graft or amputate the first digit. He chose the latter, as doctors promised a faster recovery with fewer complications.
“Tommy Caldwell was also a huge source of inspiration. If he can climb that hard without a finger, then I can probably do all right. Just knowing that someone else has experienced a similar situation was a huge comfort.”
His post:
Accident report - indian creek
I was climbing Fingers in a Lightsocket yesterday 9/8/16. Supercrack buttress, Indian creek. I have climbed it before and knew what to expect. Yesterday I was at the crux, where the route slopes back and there are two pin scars that you must hit one after the other. My left tips were locked in the lower scar, and my right tips were in the upper scar. I had a red C3 at my feet. My feet slipped and i shockloaded my tips which blew out of the scars. The red C3 got shock loaded and popped out as well as the piece below it. My 0.3 X4 held about 10-12 feet down.
I felt fine overall but when i looked down at my left hand I was missing my pinky and ringfinger ends. (The ringfinger tip is still in the pin scar...) They were bleeding a lot and the base of the climb is now covered in blood. My friends wrapped my finger in a bandana and we went to the hospital. I find out if i need surgery on Friday. My friend cleaned the gear up to the 0.3 and we booked it out of there.
Analysis: were there any red flags i missed? any glaring mistakes made? 1. I didnt quite have the right gear. For small gear in sandstone it is critical that your pieces are not undercammed. If you want to be the safest they should almost be overcammed. I remember wanting more 0.3s at the top but i didnt have anymore because I placed them lower and the red C3 was my biggest piece. I didnt read the guide book for gear suggestion because i had climbed it before and assumed i knew what i needed.
SO...if anyone up there climbs it please get my finger! Just kidding. But seriously, the 0.3 X4 saved my life and has some sentimental value...if you get it could you please return it to me? I can offer you beers and karma. I will be going from GJ to SLC in a few days.
I was climbing Fingers in a Lightsocket yesterday 9/8/16. Supercrack buttress, Indian creek. I have climbed it before and knew what to expect. Yesterday I was at the crux, where the route slopes back and there are two pin scars that you must hit one after the other. My left tips were locked in the lower scar, and my right tips were in the upper scar. I had a red C3 at my feet. My feet slipped and i shockloaded my tips which blew out of the scars. The red C3 got shock loaded and popped out as well as the piece below it. My 0.3 X4 held about 10-12 feet down.
I felt fine overall but when i looked down at my left hand I was missing my pinky and ringfinger ends. (The ringfinger tip is still in the pin scar...) They were bleeding a lot and the base of the climb is now covered in blood. My friends wrapped my finger in a bandana and we went to the hospital. I find out if i need surgery on Friday. My friend cleaned the gear up to the 0.3 and we booked it out of there.
Analysis: were there any red flags i missed? any glaring mistakes made? 1. I didnt quite have the right gear. For small gear in sandstone it is critical that your pieces are not undercammed. If you want to be the safest they should almost be overcammed. I remember wanting more 0.3s at the top but i didnt have anymore because I placed them lower and the red C3 was my biggest piece. I didnt read the guide book for gear suggestion because i had climbed it before and assumed i knew what i needed.
SO...if anyone up there climbs it please get my finger! Just kidding. But seriously, the 0.3 X4 saved my life and has some sentimental value...if you get it could you please return it to me? I can offer you beers and karma. I will be going from GJ to SLC in a few days.
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