Weekend Whipper: When You Try (and Fail) to Grab a Draw
This Weekend Whipper is lucky he didn't break any fingers—or impale his hand.
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Grabbing quickdraws is part of sport climbing’s dark underbelly. You’re not supposed to do it—no really, don’t—but folks often do when they’re dogging routes or gripped above their last bolt. In a slow, controlled manner, grabbing draws before clipping them can be a (relatively) harmless practice, but the high-consequence outcome remains. For a sobering—and extremely graphic—story about the consequences of quickdraw grabbing, read Impaled by a Quickdraw.
Lucas Muller, however, was much more fortunate. He was trying Quero Ver Clarinha Dançar Reggae (5.11a), a route with a low crux and pumpy, resistant climbing up high. “In my case, [above the crux], my strength was all gone and anxiety took place—for a moment the quickdraw seemed like a good idea,” he told Climbing. “Fortunately, I realized it wasn’t before breaking any fingers.”
Happy Friday, and be safe out there this weekend.
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