Weekend Whipper: Near Miss Convinces Climber to Buy a Helmet

Readers, please send your Weekend Whipper videos, information, and any lessons learned to Anthony Walsh, awalsh@outsideinc.com.

Danny Parker is the first to admit how bad he is at climbing with a helmet—he’s discouraged by how expensive and fragile they’ve become. But he also notes that “craniums are single use and far more expensive to replace” than helmets. Once you watch this week’s whipper, you’ll understand his revelation.

Parker was trying the offwidth Give’r The Onion (5.12), a Mason Earle first ascent that’s accessed by floating the “Labyrinth” section of the Green River, Utah, for about 25 miles. Parker describes the single pitch as “a pretty sweet No. 5 roof crack with some obvious choss in the bottom. With the bottom being garbage I put in a few extra pieces. The one that ultimately blew I had quite deep in the thicker section of flake—but choss is choss.”

For those looking to up their helmet game this summer, check out our guide to buying a brain bucket. We’ve abused each of these models on ice, choss, and at the crag, and wouldn’t consider any of them “fragile.” They’re all significantly cheaper than brain surgery.

Happy Friday, and be safe out there this weekend.

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