Weekend Whipper: “Another Fallen Angel” (5.10a) and Another Hard Catch
Sound up for this one ;)
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The route name, Another Fallen Angel, says it all. No need for explanation. Located at Sunset Park, Chattanooga, it’s a a devious little 5.10.
While Charles’ (this week’s whippee) belayer was confident (“You just got to go for it!”), his catch was not. Charlie’s soul was likely body-slammed out of his earthly shell after the hard catch he received.
Charlie told Rock and Ice in an email, “That fall shouldn’t have been bad. It was a routine fall with gear pretty close. However, my belayer was a novice. As the far more experienced climber, I should have reminded and instructed him in the art of a soft catch. Instead, he basically gave me the hardest catch he could: he took in slack and sat back so he wouldn’t lift off the ground. Definitely an educational experience and a reminder to all climbers to talk with their belayer about proper catch techniques.”
Luckily, Charles walked away unscathed. In a rare turn of events for the Weekend Whipper, he was even wearing a helmet! Kudos to you for that, Charles, and we hope your soul heals up.
Happy Friday and climb safe this weekend!
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