Wild scene from the Echo Cliffs near Los Angeles, California where climber
Matthew Wheat was sent for a tumble with a piece of the wall in hand after a hold blew out.
Wheat was ascending State of Grace, a 13b route, when the midway rest block and key crux foot unexpectedly blew. Hard to say if he reflexly held onto the chunk as he fell backwards or if he had the presence of mind not to let it go because if he had it could have hit him with a ton of force on the way down.
“Luckily no one was hurt due in part to several things like his ability to hold onto the rock for the most part.”
The route is still climbable without this feature but it is slightly harder. The belayer was thankful not have been struck by the falling rock and the incident serves as an excellent reminder to be mindful of falling debris not only when you are climbing but when you are below climbers.
Here’s an excellent video exploring Echo Cliffs, one of southern California’s premier climbing destinations:
