Weekend Whipper: Best Save of the Year?
Readers, please send your Weekend Whipper videos, information, and any lessons learned to Anthony Walsh, awalsh@outsideinc.com.
Kudos to this belayer for turning a legitimately dangerous fall into nothing more than a little internet stardom.
Nikolai Atkinson (climber) and Espen Warat Lien Stegerød (belayer) were climbing at Norway’s Pumpeverket crag in Kristiansand. The area has many beautiful cracks, not the least of which is Sjakk Math (6c/5.11b), a sloping, right-leaning splitter with an exciting traversing sequence.
On Atkinson’s onsight attempt, which Stegerød caught on camera, he makes it through the first low crux before placing a nest of decent gear. Atkinson boulders out right on sloping edges and pauses to place a finger-sized cam. “[But] it was a shallow [placement] in a flaring crack,” he told Climbing. “It was more of a mental-support cam than a good placement.”
No matter, Atkinson thought. He was almost through the crux crimps and could see a “hallelujah jug” just out of reach.
But “on the very last move of the crux” Atkinson fell.
“As his belayer, I saw this massive whipper and tried my best to take in as much slack as I could, and hoped that the cam would hold,” Stegerød said. When it failed, Stegerød sat back hard, saving Atkinson from a vicious collision with the ground.
What did they learn? Stegerød said they’ll be more careful when packing their climbing bags the night before. The pair typically climb with helmets, but coincidentally had both forgotten theirs that day.
As far as protection goes, “It’s easy to say that we need to check the placements first, but you know how the thrill of onsights go.”
Happy Friday, and be safe out there this weekend.
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