Event: California Premiere of Rocky Mountain Highball
Place: Railto Cinema - Berekely
Address: 2966 College Ave. Berkeley, CA 94705
Date: June 4th
Time: 7:15 PM
Hosted by Scott Neel (director) and Kevin Jorgeson (athlete)

“Rocky Mountain Highball” is a new climbing film that presents an in depth look into why some climbers push themselves to boulder at the vertical limit. The film documents the many facets of bouldering by interweaving numerous classic climbs in Colorado with interview footage from the leading figures of the climbing world.

Director/Filmmaker Scott Neel, and Yama Studio have brought in a huge cast of world renowned climbers, like Paul Robinson, Mark Wilford, Kevin Jorgeson, Lynn Hill, Daniel Woods, John Sherman, John Gill, Steve Mammen, and Jason Kehl. Having filmed more than 70 climbs with more than 35 athletes, this film proves to be an exciting journey through the world of highball bouldering.

Please visit www.RockyMountainHighball.com for more info, to view and download the official trailer, and check out the interactive cast line-up.

Labels: Climbing Movie, Film, Kevin Jorgeson, Rocky Mountain Highball

Something special this week for our Climbing Clip of the Week...how about getting to check out Part 1 of Hans Florine and Yuji Hirayama's unbelievable, record breaking, brand new Speed Record on El Capitan.

The video is, to say the least, awe inspiring and I'm sure everyone who watches it will feel like they need to practice a whole heck of a lot more than they already are. Nevertheless, for a great way to end Friday, I think it'll do.

So, without further ado, check out the awesome video below of Hans and Yuji's record-shattering assault of The Nose. We'll see you Monday, in the meantime, we need to get more clips of our very own climbers doing what they do best. If you have any, or even just links of yourselves on YouTube, send them in...we'd love to feature you!

Labels: Climbing Clip of the Week, Climbing Movie, Climbing Video, Hans Florine, Yuji Hirayama

Hello and Happy Friday! Here's hoping that your New Year's Day was amazing and that 2009 is already treating you kind! I don't know about you, but personally, I'm ready for a weekend, all of the Holiday action has worn me out and I'm looking forward to a weekend filled with doing as little as humanly possible. That said, I figured a perfect way to kick off that sort of weekend, is by watching someone Else strain themselves to the limit.

For your viewing pleasure this fine Friday, I found a great Climbing Clip of the Week that you might just find interesting. How about "Nose in a Day" in Yosemite? Yeah, thought you might perk up at that. There is some great climbing in this video, and what's more, it just makes you want to do it too, despite how Holiday Exhausted you might be.

That said, we'll be back, energetic and filled with even more great information on Monday. Spend this weekend doing whatever you need to do to recover and recuperate from what was most likely a tiring Holiday week! Enjoy the Climbing Clip of the Week and we'll see you Monday!

Labels: Climbing Clip of the Week, Climbing Movie, The Nose, Yosemite National Park

Hello and here's hoping that your belly is stuffed full with all of yesterday's goodies. Hopefully you had an amazing Thanksgiving, and that you don't have to go ANYWHERE to work this fine "Black Friday!" For your viewing pleasure and so you don't have to strain yourself with any reading in the haze of all that turkey, we have an awesome, and somewhat "personal" Climbing Clip of the Week this Friday!

That's right, this week we have a former Mission Cliffs climber, Kevin St. Laurent, doing a first ascent of a V2 Boulder problem in Tintamarre Point. This little video was shot while he was sailing the Caribbean last year. Wow, could we be any more jealous right now?!

Without further ado, enjoy this beauty:

Labels: Black Friday, Caribbean, Climbing Clip of the Week, Climbing Movie, Kevin St. Laurent, mission cliffs, Thanksgiving

It's official, Halloween is only 3 days away. Whatever your costumes may be, whatever your trick-or-treating schedule or route, it's time to fill those bowls and gear up for the silliest and spookiest holiday of the year. That said, many of our gyms will be closing at different times, and I'll be sure to let you know all of them as I figure out the hours. For starters, I know Diablo Rock Gym will be closing at 6:00pm, GWPC is closing at 6, and Berkeley Ironworks at 8.

Speaking of the good ol' DRG, Tomorrow night, October 29th at 7:00 pm, we're going to be having an awesomely laid-back, low-key and most importantly FREE Movie Night! The word of this event is CASUAL so bring your comfy clothes, your good spirit and your desire to watch an awesome movie. The movie being shown will be King Lines, by Big Up Productions and it should be nothing short of great.


King Lines, according to Big Up Productions, "follows Chris Sharma on his search for the planet's greatest climbs. From South American Fantasy boulders to the sweeping limestone walls of Europe, Sharma finds and climbs the hardest, most spectacular routes. Off the coast of Mallorca he discovers his most outrageous project yet: a 70 foot arch rising from the Mediterranean Sea..."

See you there!

Labels: Arts, Chris Sharma, Climbing Movie, DRG, Halloween, Hours

Don't miss Perfecto the Movie at the Victoria Theatre this coming Thursday night, July 10th at 8pm.

Hosted by Mike Call, Boone Speed, and Touchstone's Ethan Pringle.

This movie is about Mallorca and deep water soloing.

Buy your tickets NOW at Mission Cliffs and save $. Tickets at the door $12 and $10 in advanced.

Labels: climbing, Climbing Movie, Ethan Pringle, event, mission cliffs

There are a bunch of movies that climbers need to see for a good laugh.

Clint Eastwood’s Eiger Sanction has some pretty entertaining climbing with some excellent 70s clothes. In one sequence, when he’s climbing in the desert, Eastwood is leading in one scene, then miraculously in the next scene on the same climb he’s on a top rope! Who’s above him is anyone’s guess. Then – poof - in another cut there seems to be no rope at all – he’s soloing.

Star Trek geeks will recall Captain Kirk soloing El Capitan in The Final Frontier. When Kirk falls, Spock catches him with a pair of jet boots. (Hey! Where are my jetboots!?!?)

And the ultimate bit of movie climbing is in Sylvester Stallone’s Cliff Hanger. Bogus climbing highlights include a bolt gun that fires bolts with hangers into the rock instantly. (Hey! Where’s my boltgun!?!?)

Stallone solos almost everything in the movie, even when he’s allegedly going on an official search and rescue mission. How will he get anyone down if he’s soloing with no gear?
Stallone also makes a great show of dynoing with a great heave and a loud grunt for every single move on the routes, even when the terrain is vertical and he’s making short moves from jug to jug. This macho melodrama is a must see.

Labels: climbing, Climbing Movie, El Capitan

THE REEL ROCK Film Tour brings high-octane climbing and adventure films to enthusiastic audiences across the world. In its inaugural year of 2006, REEL ROCK packed theaters in over 50 cities from Anchorage to New York, entertained more than 10,000 people, and received rave reviews from audiences, sponsors, and local and national media.

REEL ROCK 2007 will feature King Lines -- Chris Sharma’s search for the planet’s greatest climbs -- the groundbreaking new movie from Boulder’s own Sender Films and BigUp Productions. Chris Sharma is the strongest and most famous rock climber in the world. For the past decade he has dominated his sport, and at 25 years old, the Santa Cruz, CA native is just hitting his stride. King Lines documents Sharma’s quest to be the first to climb the most difficult and outrageous rock formations around the world. A segment from Chris Sharma’s King Lines recently won an EMMY award in the category of Outstanding Photography. Sharma will make rare appearances at several of the major REEL ROCK shows in 2007.

Tickets:
SF: Mission Cliffs & www.victoriatheatre.org, & at the door.
Walnut Creek: Touchstone Concord, & at the door.
Berkeley: Ironworks & at the door.

For more information, and to view the trailer, please visit:
www.reelrocktour.com.

Labels: Chris Sharma, climbing, Climbing Movie, event, REEL ROCK TOUR

Big Up Productions and Sender Films have teamed up with Windstopper® to produce the first-ever nationwide rock climbing film tour. On October 3-5, the 2006 REEL ROCK Film Tour comes to Walnut Creek, Berkeley, and San Francisco.

REEL ROCK features two groundbreaking new climbing films by the top producers in the industry: Dosage Volume IV, by Josh Lowell, and First Ascent, by Peter Mortimer. Events are being held in September and October 2006 at roughly 60 venues of all sizes across the United States, with additional tours in Canada and Europe. Reel Rock shows are high-energy events for climbers and mountain enthusiasts to get excited about, incorporating gear give-aways, athlete appearances and signings, fundraising for The Access Fund and local causes, and DVD sales.

This three-day event takes place at:
The Walnut Creek Pyramid Brewery -- October 3rd at 8pm; advanced tickets are available at Ironworks Climbing Gym.
The Berkeley Pyramid Brewery -- October 4th at 8pm; advanced tickets are available at Ironworks Climbing Gym.
San Francisco’s Victoria Theater -- October 5th at 7pm; advanced tickets are available at Mission Cliffs Climbing Gym.

Advanced tickets for all venues are $10, or $12 the day of the show. Climbers Tommy Caldwell, Beth Rodden and Klem Loskot will be in attendance. For movie trailers and tour info visit: www.reelrocktour.com.


About the Films:

First Ascent
The latest and greatest release from Sender Films (www.senderfilms.com) and director/producer Peter Mortimer, creators of the multi-award winning Return2Sender and Front Range Freaks.

First Ascent features today’s top rock climbers as they lay siege to steep faces and soaring alpine walls in pursuit of climbing’s pinnacle achievement – the First Ascent. Mortimer brings us on this globe-trotting journey to capture the hopes, fears, and truly radical feats of men and women on climbing’s cutting edge.

The film takes us from high Himalayan peaks to deep water soloing on the coast of Thailand, and from the sobering heights of the Black Canyon to Timmy “Urban Ape” O’Neill’s monkey business on the buildings of Hollywood. A preview segment from First Ascent premiered in January, 2006 at the Alpinist Film Festival in Jackson, WY to a capacity audience of 900 members and won the festival’s Grand Prize and People’s Choice Award.

Dosage Vol 4
Big Up's Dosage series is the definitive annual portrait of climbing's state-of-the-art. Volume IV follows the biggest names in sport climbing, trad climbing, and bouldering as they make historic ascents at spectacular locations around the world. Highlights include: Tommy Caldwell's marathon El Capitan linkup, free climbing both The Nose (5.14a) and Freerider (5.12d) in under 24 hours; Chris Sharma's first ascent of Dreamcatcher (5.14d) in Squamish, BC; Dave Graham's first ascent of Coup De Grace (5.15a) in Ticino, Switzerland; Lisa Rands’ first female ascents of scary grit routes in England's Peak District; Sharma and Graham opening a new level of hard bouldering in Hueco Tanks, Texas; and much more.

Director Josh Lowell is a leading creator of climbing films. His company, Big Up Productions (www.bigUPproductions.com), has released seven films, including the top-selling titles in the industry. Lowell has worked extensively with the legendary climber Chris Sharma for years. His Dosage Volume II was the winner of six international film festival awards and was featured in Sports Illustrated and National Public Radio.

REEL ROCK TOUR Film Sponsors:
Petzl, Climbing Magazine, Mountain Gear, Montbell, La Sportiva, Prana, Osprey, Nikwax, and Entreprises

Labels: Access Fund, Berkeley Ironworks, Chris Sharma, climbing, Climbing Movie, El Capitan, event, mission cliffs, REEL ROCK TOUR, The Nose

On Sunday, June 18 at 8 PM/7 Central, A&E Network will broadcast the world premiere of TOUCH THE TOP OF THE WORLD, a suspenseful, action-packed film based on the first blind person ever to climb Mount Everest. Peter Facinelli (Six Feet Under, Fastlane, The Scorpion King) plays Erik Weihenmayer.

In 2001, Erik Weihenmayer began his ascent up the tallest mountain in the world, Mount Everest. Erik’s journey began very early in life when he was diagnosed with a genetic disorder that ultimately led to total blindness by the time he was 13. With the support of an amazing family, Erik never allowed his handicap to hold him back. His mom defiantly fought to keep Erik in school with his fellow students. His father encouraged him to remain physically active, and he went on to become a champion wrestler in high school. In the wake of the sudden death of his mother, Erik and his family began taking climbing trips to keep their lives intact. Soon Erik was taking on greater challenges, including mountain climbing, while finishing college and starting his teaching career.

After conquering numerous major peaks, Erik decided to confront his biggest challenge -- Mount Everest. He was joined by several of his climbing buddies who risked their own lives in this pursuit. Along the journey, the team faced unbearably treacherous conditions, but Erik and his colleagues finally made it to the top of Mount Everest, quite literally the top of the world.

The A&E Original Movie TOUCH THE TOP OF THE WORLD is based on Erik Weihenmayer’s memoir of the same name. The screenplay is by Peter Silverman, multiple Emmy-nominee whose credits include Something The Lord Made, We Were The Mulvaneys, and Hill Street Blues. The director is Peter Winther, whose production credits include a number of major Hollywood blockbusters, from Independence Day to Godzilla to The Patriot.

Photo by: Ken Woroner

Labels: climbing, Climbing Movie, event