Weekend Whipper: Layback an Offwidth? You Might Just Whip
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 “one of the most infamous” routes in central Texas, according to Mountain Project, “and rightly so.” Fear Of Flying (5.10), at Enchanted Rock, is a dihedral crack that starts small and steadily widens, until you’re squaring off against a No. 6 crack below the top. Mountain Project notes that “most choose to layback this beast, which makes the climbing easier, but adds an interesting challenge when placing big gear.”
Josh Aaron Wilson was in precisely this predicament during his lead attempt. “I was in the area where … the feet were bad, I was trying to control myself and quiet my mind because I was gripped and about six feet above my No. 6. After chalking up, I was expecting to bring my right foot up to a chip I’d found, on my first top rope run, when my left foot gave out. My feet were sore and my calves burning, inhibiting me from keeping pressure on my feet.”
What did Wilson learn? “I should have brought an extra No. 6!”
Happy Friday, and be safe out there this weekend.
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