Fear Factor Fail

Sep 04 2022

Fear Factor V2 is a beautiful captivating line but that always seemed like a bit of an IQ test to me. I'm no stranger to highballs, but like Zombiland, I have rules:

1. The landing needs to be theoretically survivable without serious injury
2. Conditions (and skin) needs to be good
3. The holds need to be solid

On Fear Factor, I began the sesh with an iffy 1.5 / 3 with a decent landing, a damp summer morning, and a climb that looks like a choss fest. I decided to rope up and test the holds...

Suspicions were immediately confirmed with an expoding hold that amputated my fingertip. My highball dreams died in a bloody handful of broken hold. I finished all the climbs in the area on self belay for beta videos - clean sends will have to wait until my tip skin grows back in a month or so.