Weekend Whipper: Spectacularly Violent Winger With—Luckily—No Consequences

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

There’s a wrestling move in the hilariously vain world of WWE called the Tombstone, where a juiced-up actor, nicknamed The Deadman, holds an upside-down opponent with their head between his legs—and then pile-drives their skull into the ground.

The move is a farce, but brutal to look at. And it happens to remind us of this weekend’s particularly violent-looking whipper.

Pierce McEntagart had his own Tombstone-style experience recently on the Red River Gorge testpiece Thanatopsis (5.14a/b). McEntagart was climbing well, with neither of his legs placed behind the rope. But when his right hand dry fired, the loss of tension spun him erratically into the rope—resulting in a pretty spectacular looking fall.

McEntagart was thankfully uninjured and says he won’t do anything different on his next attempt. We’re glad to hear it, but may we humbly suggest a helmet for future burns. Unlike The Deadman’s fictitious opponents, the rock you collide with is unquestionably real.

Happy Friday, and be safe out there this weekend.

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