Weekend Whipper: Alabama Backwoods Bouldering Fail

Alex Wolnski chooses the wrong hold while climbing at her secret local bouldering spot, outside Birmingham, Alabama.

Alex Wolnski was climbing solo at a secret boulder spot her family calls “Flat Rock” in Birmingham, Alabama. It was dusk when Wolnski reached the boulder after a two mile bike ride and a one mile uphill hike.

“[After] knocking out a couple problems I was feeling pretty good about myself and decided to prop up my phone on a tree to film the action,” Wolnski tells Rock and Ice.

“I began climbing the route and the rock I grabbed onto was sandstone and broke off. I fell 10 feet, landed on my feet and rolled to the ground. Immediately I knew something was wrong and ripped my Evolv climbing shoes off.”

Wolnski crawled over to her phone and called home. Her parents then had to borrow a 4-wheeler from a neighbor to rescue their daughter. They had to hike the last mile of steep trail and then assist Wolnski, who couldn’t weight her ankle, back down to the 4-wheeler.

“Waiting alone for 45 minutes in the woods at night was not fun at all,” says Wolnski. “Finally we made it home and I rested for a couple days. Later we went to the doctor because I was still unable to put pressure on [my ankle]. It turned out I pulled three of the five ligaments in my ankle and chipped my bone. Luckily it wasn’t worse, and I have learned to always climb with safety and with a buddy! I wish everyone safety and I hope y’all laughed at my fail video!”

Wishing Alex a speedy recovery. Happy Friday, folks, and climb safe this weekend!

Watch last week’s Weekend Whipper: Super Phrique (5.13a), Shelf Road, Colorado