Weekend Whipper: Big Ice Climbing Fall on… an Iceberg?

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

Pop quiz: What’s the first, second, and third rule of ice climbing? The leader must not fall. Why? Sharp crampon points typically snag in the ice while hurtling through the air, often snapping ankles and femurs like twigs.

Occasionally climbers walk away from big falls on ice, shaking their heads, beelining for a lottery ticket. Thomas Eichberger is one such climber, who recently took a sizable whipper from the top of an iceberg in Iceland. “One ice tool just burst out [out of the ice] and one foot slipped,” he explained to Climbing. “To sum up, I wasn’t ready.”

Eichberger sprained his ankle in the fall but was otherwise uninjured. Kudos to the belayer for catching the whip while simultaneously dodging that axe!

Happy Friday, and be safe out there this weekend.

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