Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
Readers, please send your Weekend Whipper videos, information, and any lessons learned to Anthony Walsh, awalsh@outsideinc.com.
Paul Turrisi-Chung was having a good day at the Gunks. He’d just climbed two classic, committing roofs, Bonnie’s Direct (5.9+) and Modern Times (5.8+), and was working on a third: Beatle Brow Bulge (5.10a).
Beatle Brow Bulge is a single pitch trad climb with a cruxy roof that was stumping Turrisi-Chung. “I tried to pull the roof three times,” he told Climbing. “Each attempt the moves eluded me, as if I were putting together a puzzle and a few pieces were missing.”
Turrisi-Chung characterized the blue Totem cam he’d placed mid-roof as “bomber” and happily climbed up for a fourth attempt. “I contemplated adding a back-up cam. However, it had held so well and I trusted it. It caught me three times!” he explained.
“On the fourth burn, I found the holds I was missing,” he said. “The puzzle was coming together. My body was so fatigued from the day, I trusted the cam, and decided to let go one more time. While belaying me, Jon [Esposito] was concerned about me hitting the ledge just below the roof. He would pull in slack or take to prevent a hard slam.”
The cam’s wires severed in the fall and Turrisi-Chung fell about 10 feet. A second cam, placed just below the crux, is what saved him from hitting the ground.
After the climb, Turrisi-Chung examined the failed piece of gear. “I believe what happened was each fall jostled the piece slightly. … [And] my last fall was enough to pull the piece from the crack. The wires of the cam rubbed against the abrasive rock while it was pulling out, which caused the wires to fray and break.”
“My message to the climbing community is that it is imperative to practice and to understand the risks and safety systems. Never underestimate the need for ample climbing protection. And, no matter how confident you feel and how skilled you are, place that extra piece of protection.”
Happy Friday, and be safe out there this weekend.