the Sharp End Podcast

Ep 106 - Solo Ground Fall - Chris Gardner

the Sharp End Podcast

Show Notes

May of 2023, Chris set out to rope solo Virgin Wool (5.8 C2) in Arches National Park. The description of the first pitch read: "5.7 - sporty - no pro.” To Chris, it looked harder than a 5.7 from the ground, and he noticed a seam that he thought he could aid up, so he decided to try and aid climb the route. It didn’t go as planned and he ripped out two cams and fell 10 feet to the ground, landing on his heels before tumbling backwards. After a lot of self reflection (and therapy), Chris learned a bit about the psychology of climbing solo, and a bit more about risk management. Tune in this episode to hear more. This podcast is produced by Ashley Saupe. This podcast is sponsored by Rocky Talkie, ZOLEO and AmazFit.

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