Weekend Whipper: Deep Space Nine (5.13a), Cowell, AR

Everyone dreads insecure clips—you know, the type where you’re standing on glassy smears and have try to sling the rope through the quickdraw as quickly as you can. Patrick Small knows the kind all too well.

Everyone dreads insecure clips—you know, the type where you’re standing on glassy smears and have try to sling the rope through the quickdraw as quickly as you can. Patrick Small knows the kind all too well.

A few years ago Mike Ridolfo went out for a day climbing with his friend Patrick Small and some guy named Barrett (“Can’t remember his last name,” Ridolfo writes to Rock and Ice).

Belayed by this Barrett dude, Small started up a 5.13a called Deep Space Nine. The route’s Mountain Project page reads: “Once you reach the roof traverse right underneath it following the line of fixed bolts. From here you make a few slabby moves with small feet that lead you to the entrance of the crux. Make a [weird] clip, regain yourself and bust straight up to some bigger holds.”

Ah yes. Slabby moves and a weird clip.

“This was early-ish into working the climb and Patrick didn’t have the best way to clip that bolt yet,” Ridolfo writes. “After pulling the traverse sequence his foot blew while he was clipping cause him to basically bellyflop until the rope stopped the fall.”

No word on whether Patrick ever sent (Patrick?). We hope so… if only to atone for the horrific music these guys were playing at the crag. Come on guys: music at the crag is a faux pas to begin with, but if you’re going to play something, for the love of all that is holy don’t play that noise.

Happy Friday and climb safe this weekend!

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