Weekend Whipper: “Commitment” (5.9) Issues

This one comes from Jake Silver (the belayer) and Mike Starr (guy behind the camera)—it’s a whipper they captured of their friend Nadia on Commitment, a three-pitch 5.9 on the first tier of the Five Open Books area, Yosemite.

Nadia was leading pitch 3—the crux!—which involves pulling a big roof with poor feet.

“Just when you think you’re past the crux, you realize your exhausted hands and feet have to make it up over the lip, which has deceptively shallow holds and awkward movement,” Silver wrote in an email to Rock and Ice.

“As I saw her struggling,” Silver wrote, “I took in rope in preparation and had just enough time to pull in one last bit as she was falling. She was caught by two well-placed cams, and landed just barely over a ledge. Despite her blood-curdling scream, she was completely injury-free.”

“Our friend Mike (the one wearing the GoPro that filmed this) then led the pitch and belayed each person up the rest of the pitch. Now rested and with a better feel of the beta, Nadia got through it on top-rope with no problem.”

Nice work all!

Happy Friday and climb safe this weekend!

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Last Week’s Whipper