On a bright Saturday afternoon on Memorial Day weekend, the team started off with an evidence recovery request on the Middle Fork of the Kentucky River. While on scene, a second call was received for a climber that was stuck in a crack. We divided the team and sent one-half back to respond for the stuck climber.
She was climbing with her partner at Dunkan Rock Climbing area off Route 77. The route is known as the “What’s Left of the Beeneling,” a 5.10 C trad route. It’s an off-width crack, where climbers typically need to use jams of hands and legs to assist in the climb.
Team members arrived after a short, but steep climb to the crag. She was found approximately 30 feet from the ground. These were very experienced climbers and had spent some time (over 2 hours) attempting to self-rescue before calling for assistance. A team member (who’s a world-class climber himself) ascended a rope to her location.
Multiple attempts were made to free her knee from the crack, including a haul system to pull her free. Vaseline was also applied to her leg but this was also unsuccessful. Eventually, the decision was made to use a hammer drill to chip away small segments of the crack to allow enough space for her leg to be freed. This attempt was successful, and the climber was able to rappel under her own power to the bottom of the cliff.
We are happy to report she was uninjured and able to walk out.
