Weekend Whipper: Climber Makes Big Mistake (Grabbing a Quickdraw While Falling)

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 Jakob Marktl, who was climbing at the Huatluckn area in Austria. Huatluckn is notorious for its bouldery cruxes and this route is no exception.

“The crux is the last bit of the route,” Marktl told Climbing. “You clip the anchor with a really bad crimp in your hand.” Marktl reached that final crimp with a pump and had difficulty clipping the chains. He instinctively grabbed the quickdraw while falling, hoping to avoid a four-meter whipper.

While Marktl did take the whip—and was unharmed—make no mistake: Marktl was extremely lucky to not gore his hand or de-glove his finger while falling. Carabiners, while easy to open, have a tendency to snag on fleshy body parts and hold on tight. Some of the world’s best climbers have been sidelined for months (or worse) due to grabbing a quickdraw while taking the whip. (Check out this thread on Mountain Project for one of many examples.)

Happy Friday, and be safe out there this weekend.

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