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Readers, please send your Weekend Whipper videos, information, and any lessons learned to Anthony Walsh, awalsh@outsideinc.com.
This week’s whipper comes to you from Pine Canyon in Mount Diablo State Park, California. The climber Erik Westling was attempting Evolution (5.10c), a two-pitch slab route that climbs less than stellar rock.
Westling says the area has notoriously brittle stone, and midway through the video you can see him break off a sizable hold. That missing hold didn’t cause him to fall, but it certainly contributed to the unease he felt on lead.
“I think the largest contributors to the fall were poor technique and loose/sandy rock,” he told Climbing. “The route takes on a slabby nature at the top and my body is a little too close to the wall as I seek out a good hand, probably going off-route to the left. It was very sandy, and this was about a week after a significant series of rainstorms hit the area.”
Evolution’s first belay station is located inside a small alcove, so the belayer can’t really see the climber after the first few bolts. Despite that, Westling’s belayer gives a great catch: feeding out rope intuitively and giving a dynamic belay as best as he could while being clipped into an anchor.
“I was a little surprised to trip over the rope on this one and land on my butt,” he said. “I thought I was being aware of foot placement and whatnot, but with the slight runout, my foot tripped up on the rope near the last draw.”
“I guess the lesson learned is: Can never be too careful on runout slab.”
Happy Friday, and be safe out there this weekend.