Brent Kuemmerle is a BK amputee who is an accomplished outdoor rock climber and snowboarder, and an adaptive instructor at Tahoe Adaptive Ski School and at Lover’s Leap Guides, both in the Lake Tahoe Region. “It’s especially rewarding to be an amputee who has gone down this road before and to show newly disabled people that their active lives are not over,” he said.

Kuemmerle was a climber prior to becoming injured in a car accident in 1995, resulting in the amputation. “Climbing motivated me to get out of the hospital and resume what I was doing. I read (paraplegic mountain climber) Mark Wellman’s book (Climbing Back), and it was inspirational to me,” he said. “I was back climbing six months out of the hospital. It helped that I had a friend who wanted to get me back outdoors again, and he asked me while I was still in a wheelchair to belay for him.”

“Climbing is the most amazing thing I do,” Kuemmerle said. “I’m at a higher level climbing today than I was when I had two legs. It’s a definitive goal for me to climb.”

When climbing, Kuemmerle uses a simple pylon prosthesis with an ’80s style Seattle foot, shaped like a climbing shoe. “I have a half dozen different shoes for climbing because I love it that much,” he said, adding that a beginner can put a climbing shoe over an existing prosthetic foot. “I started with a simple SACH and a Seattle Light,” he said.

Kuemmerle also was at the Extremity Games and observed that the majority of the climbers there were amateurs. “It’s one of the easier sports for an amputee to do because climbing comes so naturally to humans,” he said. “Just observe a five-year-old climbing. Usually getting to the (outdoor) rock is the more difficult thing because of uneven terrain.”

For a beginner, Kuemmerle recommends that an amputee be comfortable with the socket and the shoe fit. He said he has climbed with other amputees who are more comfortable simply not wearing their prosthesis, and wearing a rubber sleeve on their residual limb. “Climbing is one of those things where there are different ways to accomplish it,” he said.

He also recommends an indoor climbing wall first, to get the feel of what it’s like to climb, and how the muscles work and the leg performs. “And, a gym is also a great place to meet others who have an interest in the sport,” he noted.

“When climbing outside, have a trained and certified guide,” he advised.

When not out climbing, Kuemmerle wears an Ohio Willow Wood Pathfinder™ foot and Alpha® MAX liners.

Extreme Sportsman Jarem Frye (see story page 29) took first place in the Extremity Games’ rock climbing competition. Frye began climbing before he was an amputee, sharing the love of the sport with his father. But as an AK amputee, he did not have good control of his knee and lower limb, causing a general instability while on the wall. Although he briefly stopped climbing, he was committed to be as active as he was pre-amputation. Frye took up skiing, and became a member of the Park City Disabled Ski Team. During the summer months, he rode hundreds of miles on his mountain bike, hiked, ran races, and played tennis.

But it was the adrenaline rush of mastering a vertical wall that turned him back toward climbing. To compensate for his disability, he used the leg he designed for Telemark skiing, made his own climbing foot, and bought climbing shoes. During his lunch hours, he went bouldering around Rock City, Utah, and built up his strength.

Frye’s climbing now is enhanced by his own invention, the XT9 knee, which he says, “enables me to climb as naturally as I would with two legs.”

However, even without a specialized prosthesis, Frye said the benefits of rock climbing, indoors or outdoors, is an accomplishment that builds confidence, strength, and self-esteem.

“One of the things I like about rock climbing is that it always gives you little triumphs. You can reach new levels, and you are never out of challenges, even from one type of rock. And, you can do it pretty much anywhere,” Frye said.

READY TO ROCK

One of the fastest growing sporting activities over the past 15 years is rock climbing. Once thought of as a sport for those who enjoyed extreme thrills, rock climbing has gone mainstream; its advantage being that a person can climb to his comfort level thanks to indoor climbing walls and a variety of programs that accommodate all ages and all abilities, including wheelchair users and arm amputees. Adaptive equipment and adaptive sports organizations make it all possible.

While some climbers start out with a friend who has experience in climbing, many ease their way into it by starting at an indoor wall where equipment, instruction, and a safe environment are provided.

“We may start people indoors on a wall to gain skills, experience, and exposure, and then go outside,” said Beth Fox, Operations Manager for the National Sports Center for the Disabled in Denver and Winter Park, Colo. “We typically start on easy pitches until the climber gains comfort and confidence in themselves. We set out a route that is appropriate for the class of the day. Some climbers have accomplished a lot by ascending only a few feet, while others can climb up to 5.10.” (See grading systems, page 28.)

“An advantage of climbing is that it’s not only a physical activity, it is cerebral,” Fox said. “It takes patience and planning, and forces the climber to make decisions as one gets to a spot and strategizes where to go from there. Climbing means you live with the outcome of your decision.”

While climbing traditionally means using the legs to push up a rock or wall, adaptive climbers don’t have the same strength, so some may rely more on their fingers for support. Fox told of one client, who because of her disability, couldn’t balance by facing the rock, so she climbed facing outwards. It’s all about adapting whether it’s sitting backward or going on a less steep pitch or even being blindfolded to focus on the holds and feel of the rock rather than look at the group.

“Different people need different things,” Fox said. “It’s about situations and setting goals.”

The Basics

Indoor climbing walls are usually the easiest place to start climbing because there are people there who can instruct you, there is a measure of safety involved, and the degree of difficulty is varied. A beginner is taught how to correctly put on a climbing harness, which connects the climber and his partner, the belayer, to the climbing rope. The belayer is the person who holds the rope at the base of the wall and controls the rope’s movement to protect the climber. Should a climber begin to lose their grip or fall, the belayer applies a braking action, ensuring that the climber does not fall more than a couple of feet. Dynamic ropes are used, because they stretch, and can absorb the energy of a fall.

Another piece of equipment that is preferred by climbers, especially outdoor climbers, are rock shoes. Rock shoes have flat shaped toes and sticky soles for gripping action. However, for someone who is trying an indoor wall for the first time, basic athletic shoes will suffice.

A number of specific commands need to be learned between the climber and the belayer for everyone’s safety. Commands indicate when the climber is ready to climb, when the belay is anchored and ready, when the climber needs extra slack, when the climber is making a move that might mean a fall and so on.

“Communication with your belayer is extremely important,” said Diana Proemm, CTRS, Program Manager of Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra, Mammoth Lakes, Calif.

“Not understanding the terminology can lead to accidents. Even in a climbing gym, where the climbers usually are visible at all times, it’s important the belayer and the climber understand what the other is saying for safety reasons.”

Indoor walls and outdoor rocks that have been climbed before use the “top rope” system. Top roping means that at the top of the wall or rock there is an anchor where the rope is already looped over it and both ends of the rope hand down. The belayer attaches one end of the rope to their belay device, and the climber ties onto the other end.

Climbers typically follow what is called a route to progress to the top. On a climbing wall, routes are marked by colored tape, or colored holds. Different colors distinguish different routes and may also indicate the difficulty of a route.

First-time climbers usually want their arms to do all the work, pulling them to the top. In fact, it is the feet that propel the climber up. However, climbers can climb through adapting to their capabilities. There are paraplegic climbers who rely exclusively on their arms to pull themselves up, sometimes using an adaptive device attached to a rope that helps with the pull-ups; amputee climbers who use their prosthesis optionally when climbing, climbers who find a way to use their residual limb for support; blind climbers who rely on the touch of the wall and strong communication skills with their belayer.

“Anybody can climb,” Proemm said. “There is always a way a climber can manipulate his way up a rock.”

Julie Davis, who teaches an adaptive climbing program at the National Ability Center, Park City, Utah, recommends a beginner find a gym that has a variety of walls with routes ranging from easy to difficult.

“Find a nice easy wall to start with,” Davis said, “preferably a wall with lower angles and wider holes, which makes it easier for the novice to get good foot and hand holds.”

Use of a prosthesis depends on the individual. But Davis recommends that if you are using the prosthesis, make sure the fit is secure, to keep it from falling off, and possibly hitting someone.

“There are many benefits to climbing,” Davis said. “It builds confidence; it lets a climber realize their true abilities versus their perceived abilities. It provides more than just a physical challenge, it exercises problem solving capabilities.”

“The best thing I can tell anyone is just find a gym and go for it,” she said. “Climbing involves people of all levels, and it’s something that can be done with friends and family. It’s really fun.”

Once a climber gains confidence indoors, the next step is to try outdoor climbing.

Many parks, wilderness areas, and climbing clubs have rocks that are already set up for climbers for top roping – where a climbing rope is anchored from the top of the rock. The anchor at the top consists of loops of webbing connected to carabiners attached to the rock. The rope is passed through some of the carabiners and the others are attached to pieces of protection, or bolts that other climbers have drilled into the rock.

Another method of climbing is lead climbing, where instead of having a fixed anchor at the top of the route, the leader climbs first, and places or wedges protection into the rock, then attaches the rope to the protection with carabiners. Once the lead climber reaches the top, the second climber removes the protection as he climbs.

The third type of rock climbing is bouldering, which involves free climbing without any ropes or harness. Bouldering usually involves heights of no more than 10 feet.

Ryan Rocks On

Sixteen-year-old Ryan Kerr of Philadelphia is an avid sportsman who plays golf, lacrosse, and soccer. He also bikes, rows, skis, and rock climbs.

“I climbed prior to my amputation, (January 2006), but I didn’t take it seriously,” Ryan said. “Now I’m really into it. I’ve always been amazed by height, defying gravity.”

“Climbing is something everyone can do,” he said. “It’s physical, but not so much brute force. You have to think your way into the next foothold, and that’s what I like about it; that I have to plan it out.”

Ryan is equipped with a C-Leg, but prefers to go without his prosthesis when climbing. He does wear a climbing shoe on his other foot. “I like to wear a climbing shoe because it’s lower profile, not as bulky, and has a flexible feel. A normal shoe, or tennis shoe, wouldn’t feel as well,” he said.

“The way I climb, it’s more arms for me,” he said, noting that when he was using crutches post amputation, he built up a lot of upper arm strength. “I’ll put my stump on a hold and pull myself up. I jump a lot (to the next hold).”

Ryan acknowledges that this technique sometimes means he misses his holds, falls (suspended by rope, he doesn’t hit the ground), and meets the wall again. But that is just one of the challenges of climbing. “I like thinking about how to do it,” he said. “It feels cool and it amazes me what I can accomplish. It’s a rush and I can do it as good as anyone else.”

Typically, when Ryan climbs, he is at the Philadelphia Rock Gym, and his dad, Grant, belays for him. Grant Kerr also enjoys climbing with his son, and is on the board of the Pennsylvanian Center for Adaptive Sports, a chapter of Disabled Sports USA.

At this point, Ryan is not aiming to compete in the sport, although he would like to attend the Extremity Games next year, and also try outdoor climbing.

Ryan’s advice to would-be climbers is to “just go out and try. People at climbing gyms will help and there are a lot of adaptive sports centers that offer classes.”

“Anyone who is disabled and can handle rock climbing, can handle life,” he notes. “It’s a great experience and anybody can do it if they want to. Don’t let your disabilities limit you.”

When mountaineering enthusiast Karen Darke was paralyzed from the chest down in a climbing accident at the age of 21, it was thought her days of adventure were past. In her life story, Karen proves that disability is no barrier to achieving the impossible, and shows how others can turn life’s “falls” to incredible personal gain.

Darke’s journey begins with a heart-stopping account of the fall that paralyzes her and her struggle to regain her independence and fitness. Overcoming the difficulties of combining wheels with wilderness, she describes her escapes from the world of concrete as she handcycles, skis, and kayaks in the Scottish islands, the Himalayas, Hawaii, and Alaska.

But her story is more than a tale of one person defeating adversity. Darke’s experiences lead her to question her scientific belief system (she is a qualified geologist) and reassess her place and purpose in the world. Darke embarks on a spiritual journey in which she encounters crystal healing, spiritualism, and ends up willingly putting herself under the knife of a controversial spirit surgeon. But her treatments do not reward her with the ability to walk again, and through her experiences, Darke finds the strength to accept herself as she is, without giving up the fight to regain movement in her legs.

This vivid and uplifting book offers all the opportunity to see life’s challenges in a positive light and to rise to those challenges with strength and resilience. If You Fall… combines high adventure with spiritual depth in a story that will fill readers with inspiration, energy, and a totally fresh outlook on life.

If You Fall… can be ordered through the Web site, www.o-books.net.

The difficulty of different climbing routes is rated in six classes or grades, ranging from grade 1, which is normal walking, through hiking, scrambling, and then rock climbing at grade 5.

Grades 1 to 4 vary from a gentle incline to scrambling up rock, while grade 5 involves placing gear, or ‘protection,’ in the rock to prevent falling to the ground, or ‘decking.’

Grade 5 was initially expected to reach 5.10, but modern climbing has taken grades well beyond that difficulty. It starts at 5.0, 5.1...5.9, 5.10a, 5.10b, 5.10c, 5.10d, 5.11a, 5.11b... up to 5.15a which is the grade given to the hardest completed route to date.

At the grade 5 level:

• Grades 5.0 through 5.4 are the beginner levels, with relatively easy climbs.
• Grades 5.5 through 5.7 are the intermediate levels, with more strategy required.
• Grades 5.8 through 5.10 are the experienced levels, and require climbing shoes, experience, and strength.
• Grades 5.11 through 5.12 are for experts. Speculation is that only the top 10 percent of climbers in the world can handle these routes.
• Grades 5.13 through 5.14 are the elite level, which can only be handled by the best of the best.

In addition to those mentioned in these articles, many DS/USA chapters offer climbing programs. Among those are the Pennsylvania Center for Adapted Sports (Philadelphia), and Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports, with two locations in Rutland and Burlington. Contact your local chapter for more information. Chapter locations can be found on the DS/USA Web site, www.dsusa.org.

Diana Proemm, Program Manager of Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra, recommended the following Web sites as a starting point for those who want to read more about rock climbing.

www.rockandpaddle.com/rock_climbing.htm

http://gorp.away.com/gorp/activity/climb/skills/cli_101.thm

www.greatoutdoors.com/published/climb/howtos/climbing101aglossaryofascent/