Published December 16, 2022 11:19AM
Weekend Whipper: An 'Oh-sh*t' Downclimb Goes Wrong
Most whippees are on their way up before they hurtle down. But that’s not always the case.
(Photo: Chase Conatser)
Readers, please send your Weekend Whipper videos, information, and any lessons learned to Anthony Walsh, awalsh@outsideinc.com.
Becca Blitt was oh so close on the biggest project she’d ever had, a thin and powerful 5.12, with the redpoint crux coming in above the chains to clip. Just a few moves shy from the top, a sharp crimp serves as a clipping hold for taller climbers, but Blitt felt most comfortable making several more moves to a hidden jug above the anchor.
“When I missed the crimp next to the chains, I tried to downclimb to go for it again,” she explained to Climbing. “Unfortunately, as I was downclimbing my leg slipped behind the rope and I flipped upside down.”
“[Usually,] I punt going for the hidden jug,” she continued. “I have punted over a dozen times, but I had never fallen off the crimp before. After that fall, I punted another few times and then gave up on the route. It took so much out of me mentally that I basically stopped climbing to mountain bike, [but] I’m finally ready to start climbing again!”
Good luck to you, Becca! Happy Friday, and be safe out there this weekend.
Thanks to Chase Conatser for the video.
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