The Kyrgyzstan Project, a climbing film that follows three climbers from Boulder to this rock climbing Mecca is seeking funding on Kickstarter. Pledge $5 and you get a “Thank you card and listed as downer on the official Face Book Site.” If you give me $1, I’ll tell you you’re a downer to your face. In any case, the trailer represents impressive skill in storytelling; hopefully they raise enough to make the entire film.
We left Backcountry.com Athlete Cedar Wright and Lucho Rivera sitting in Malaysia after climbing one of the Dragon’s Horns on remote Tioman Island at the conclusion of Rumble in the Jungle, Part 1. In Part 2 they head to the more technical South Dragon’s Horn encountering some inclement weather, strange jungle sounds, and really great views.
More behind the scenes? Who would have ever imagined that a TV commercial could inspire so many ‘makings-of’ videos. This time the Camp 4 Collective shares the first in a 3-part series about how they collected enough footage for a :30 North Face commercial. My reaction upon seeing it was simply this: Jimmy Chin’s place in the Tetons is sick.
This Adventure Life teaser featuring Olaf Rieck was edited drawing from 13 years of expedition footage. They spent all that time and they couldn’t add a subtitle in English? The scenery is pretty spectacular, and I’m no expert, but from the video it looks like he’s been to places in the world that have rocks, snow, and even slideshows.
The Bozeman Ice Fest (sponsored by Arc’teryx) kicks off today with a special guest from Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard. What, Arc’teryx couldn’t get their environmentally groundbreaking CEO to talk? Ah well, at least there is still loads of easy-access ice climbing.
Backcountry.com Athlete Cedar Wright and Lucho Rivera recently returned from Malaysia where they found their way to Tioman Island to climb the Dragon’s Horns. They were raising cash for Big City Mountaineers, a program that gets under-resourced teens into the wilderness. He pulled together $4k in contributions for the program and The North Face matched it. Only one group had climbed the Horns before. I think the bugs/jungle may have been a factor.
Tommy Caldwell’s epic Dawn Wall project has been in the works for years. This season he stayed on the wall for 26 days straight, trying to work his way through the nearly impossible climb. He’s filed several posts for Patagonia. His project has gained attention not only for its difficulty, but also for the on-the-rock coverage in the Facebook age. Tommy filed this last post after packing it in at the end of the season.
Imagine a job promoting something you dearly love. Yes, these roles exist. The American Alpine Club is hiring a Conservation and Advocacy Director. You can have a job in the climbing industry that doesn’t in involve leading ungrateful clients and spending weeks on end away from your family while risking your life. The job listing doesn’t say how much the role pays, but you have to expect to take a bit of a hit for doing something you love. Besides, it’s in Golden, Colorado, so you can drink yourself green on cheap, crappy Coors beer.
