The Wide Boyz, Pete Whittaker and Tom Randall, visit the Profile Wall in Norway to free hard trad routes. Whittaker frees the third pitch to the famous Recovery Drink 5.14c.
Nico Favresse, along with his brother Olivier, Daniel Jung, and Bernardo Gimenez, first scoped Recovery Drink in 2012 following a tip from Swedish climber Erik Massih. Favresse made the first ascent in 2013 and described it as “the hardest crack I have ever redpointed” and “one of the coolest lines I have ever climbed.” Jung made the first repeat in 2018, after years of attempts.
Whittaker made the third ascent in August 2019, after multiple attempts starting in 2015. After his send, Whittaker told UK Climbing, “Miraculously I found myself mid crux with some power in the tank. Not much, but some, and albeit feeling the sag, some is always enough for something extra to happen. Left heel went on for the match and it didn’t come off, which was a surprise, because I was milking it much more than the hold really allowed. I realised I better carry on, so shut my eyes to try harder and fondled for the jam doughnut. I then realised I couldn’t see a bloody thing, so opened them again, found I was still connected to the wall, flipped my hand the ‘correct way’ and unbelievably found myself established beyond the crux.”
In 2o11, Whittaker and Randall made the first ascent of Century Crack at 5.14. They shifted from wide to thin cracks, climbing Squamish’s Cobra Crack in 2013. In 2016, they returned to Utah, making the first ascent of the 100-metre Millennium Arch. Since then they’ve gone on dozens of adventures and have helped introduce trad climbing to a new audience.
Third Pitch of Recovery Drink