Weekend Whipper: Sharma Takes Huge Fall. Cameraman Asks If He’s O.K.

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An insane line creeps up beneath a 65-foot free-standing arch off the coast of Mallorca. You wouldn’t want to take the fall from it. Those falls. So many falls into a roiling sea. This line and ascent in 2006 may be Chris Sharma’s best-known and truest signature.

“The Psicobloc of Mallorca is so epic!” he tells us today from his home in Spain. “It brings all my favorite aspects of climbing together, plus falling into the sea.

“I’ve gone back to Mallorca every year and have climbed some amazing lines but none can quite compare to Es Pontàs! Certainly one of my most meaningful climbs.”

Reel Rock, the traveling filmfest (out there now in its 15th iteration!), recently recut its landmark first-ascent footage of Sharma on Es Pontàs, a leap of vision and faith and huge turning point in his approach.

As Sharma has also said (see interview here), that period of reflection and transition from World Cup competition and sending purely hard routes “gave me a huge, huge second wind of passion for knowing where I wanted to take climbing for myself and what I wanted.” It was a time of spirituality and creativity. Also, of air … and water.

Happy Friday, and be safe out there this weekend.

Thanks to @reelrock and all involved for the video. You can subscribe to Reel Rock’s YouTube channel for more “Iconic Climbs.”

Readers, please send your whipper videos and information—and any lessons learned—to Alison Osius, aosius@outsideinc.com. Thank you.