Weekend Whipper: Felix Forgets to Clip
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On a sunny day in Piteå, Sweden, Felix Stare enters the crux of a 6b (5.10d) sport route. Felix, however, forgot to clip
the last quickdraw.
His attentive belayer Mikaela alerts Felix to the situation, but “Felix-Forgets decides to try the wings,” says Andreas Stomberg, who took the video.
While many pro climbers skip clips on steep sport climbs with clean, airy falls [watch The Full Send Footage of Ethan Pringle’s Jumbo Love (5.15b) Ascent], it’s usually not a good idea on slabby climbs with
ledges, since you risk hitting the wall in a big fall and breaking your ankles.
If you ever find yourself in a forgetful moment like Felix, it might be a better call to downclimb into a good stance, clip the draw and carry on through
the crux.
Fortunately for Felix, he did not snap his ankle, and “as the true viking he is,” says Stomberg, “he completed the route after the adrenaline rush!”
Happy Friday and climb safe this weekend.