Weekend Whipper: Tufa Trouble

Ryan James was on Tufasize Me (5.12c) at the Homestead in Arizona when everything started falling apart—literally. Happy Friday and climb safe this weekend!

Arizona making it’s second Weekend Whipper appearance in two weeks!

Ryan James was going for the onsight of Tufasize Me (5.12c) at the Homestead in Arizona. He wrote to Rock and Ice, “Being 6’2”, I generated a lot of force pulling on the 15-20lb tufa undercling and, well, ripped it off the wall.

“What the video doesn’t show is that I vice-gripped that damn hold so hard and didn’t let go, so it flipped me completely upside down, saving my belayer from a potential tufa to the face. Gotta love the unexpected whipper from tearing rock off the wall.”

Way to hold on Ryan—attaboy! Since you weren’t able to hold onto the wall, at least you got a nice souvenir to take home for your rock collection.

And we’re just going to assume your belayer was wearing a helmet to protect him in the unlikely scenario that you didn’t have Samson-like strength allowing you to hold onto that hunk ‘o tufa…. right???

Happy Friday and climb safe this weekend!

Also watch Weekend Whipper: Sacrificial Lizard (5.11a/b), Jacks Canyon, AZ