Weekend Whipper: “Take the Whip and Do it Again!”
Egged on by his belayer, this climber lobs off Shear Strength (5.11a) at Bubba City, New River Gorge, West Virginia.
Unlock this article and more benefits with 50% off.
Already have an Outside Account? Sign in
40% Off Outside+.
$4.99/month $2.99/month*
Get the one subscription to fuel all your adventures.
- Map your next adventure with our premium GPS apps: Gaia GPS Premium and Trailforks Pro.
- Read unlimited digital content from 15+ brands, including Outside Magazine, Triathlete, Ski, Trail Runner, and VeloNews.
- Watch 600+ hours of endurance challenges, cycling and skiing action, and travel documentaries.
- Learn from the pros with expert-led online courses.
*Outside memberships are billed annually. Print subscriptions available to U.S. residents only. You may cancel your membership at anytime, but no refunds will be issued for payments already made. Upon cancellation, you will have access to your membership through the end of your paid year. More Details
To preserve his dignity after grabbing the anchor—and egged on by his belayer—James lobs off Shear Strength (5.11a) at Bubba City, New River Gorge, West Virginia.
“He was gripped at the top and grabbed the chains,” says Matt Rhodin, who sent in the whipper video. “Just before, Otto (belayer in the video) had done the exact same thing at the top. Feeling that he did not deserve to clip the chains after grabbing them, he decided to take the whip that was meant to be taken so that he could repeat the top section and clip the chains in style.”
When James found himself in the same situation, Otto politely encouraged him to “f*$&ing take the whip and do it again!” Otto, as it happens, also starred as the belayer in Weekend Whipper: Near Grounder on Naked Truth in 2015.
James, who has strict standards for style and holds himself to them, took the whip and a “bomber” size 2 C3 cam (yellow) caught the fall. He went up again to clip the chains, this time without grabbing them.
Happy Friday and climb safe this weekend!
Watch last week’s Weekend Whipper: Super Mario Extension (V6) Fail
and