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Readers, please send your Weekend Whipper videos, information, and any lessons learned to Anthony Walsh, awalsh@outsideinc.com.
The Shawangunks, in New York, are not particularly known for soft grades. So when Mountain Project calls Double Crack “the burliest 5.8 in the Gunks,” it’s good to have your wits about you.
Double Crack is a 150-foot single-pitch trad route at the Gunks’ Yellow Wall. It is commonly described as having a low 5.8 crux, and then move after move of consistent 5.7 terrain. For a 5.8 leader, it’s a total pumpfest.
Jason Shao had hoped to onsight Double Crack, but he “was stumped by the pumpy beginning and took a few whips on a #4 Black Diamond Stopper,” his friend Zoey Fiber said. On his last attempt, his foot caught the rope mid-fall and he inverted, hitting his head and back. “It was a little too close to the deck for comfort.”
After the fall, Fiber said the group did a full Wilderness First Responder assessment and concluded that, thankfully, Jason was completely unharmed. “This experience reminded us how important it is to always wear your helmet, and to be vigilant about where the rope is in relation to feet,” Fiber said.
Happy Friday, and be safe out there this weekend. Thanks to Danny Neri for the video.