Touchstone Blog Archive
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
HD Climbing Show Coming to National Geographic Channel?
Rumors are stirring, and for the first time it's the kind of rumor we'd actually like to see come true! We just caught wind of a rumor that a climbing show might be coming to the National Geographic channel in HD! Looks like it is a bit more than a rumor as ClimbingNarc.com found out some information that there is indeed a climbing show being finalized, the only problem is, no U.S. network has been chosen to pick it up and air it. Yet.
According to Sender Films, they are working on a climbing series that is based on the movie "First Ascent" and they hope to begin airing it sometime this summer. If all goes according to plan, the series will be a six-parter and will follow some of the top climbs and climbers. Here's what they had to say:
Rumors are stirring, and for the first time it's the kind of rumor we'd actually like to see come true! We just caught wind of a rumor that a climbing show might be coming to the National Geographic channel in HD! Looks like it is a bit more than a rumor as ClimbingNarc.com found out some information that there is indeed a climbing show being finalized, the only problem is, no U.S. network has been chosen to pick it up and air it. Yet.
According to Sender Films, they are working on a climbing series that is based on the movie "First Ascent" and they hope to begin airing it sometime this summer. If all goes according to plan, the series will be a six-parter and will follow some of the top climbs and climbers. Here's what they had to say:
"We are currently polishing off the first two episodes. The first documents Chris Sharma’s latest 5.15 efforts in Spain and Clark Mountain, created in close collaboration with Big Up Productions. The second follows Renan Ozturk, Cedar Wright and Sean Leary on an epic trip to South America in honor of the great Roberta Nunes. We are going to be cranking all through the summer shooting and editing these and four other shows from Alaska to The Himalayas. First Ascent will be airing on Nat Geo’s international channels later this year."I don't know about you, but I can't wait for a U.S. network to pick this up. It's time Climbing got the popularity it deserved.
Labels: climbing, ClimbingNarc, National Geographic, Rock climbing, Television
¶ Tuesday, May 12, 2009 0 Comments
Friday, January 9, 2009
Climbing Clip of the Week: Indoor Climbing Tips
For this Friday's "Climbing Clip of the Week" I thought it may be helpful for any and all of you out there that have never been rock climbing, or are just now starting out, to show you a few videos that kind of give you the basics behind indoor rock climbing, and what you can expect to encounter when you find yourself sitting in one of our amazing Touchstone Climbing gym facilities.
For the first clip, I found a pretty awesome, pretty short and extremely helpful little video that starts with the basics...the Holds you'll find on an Indoor Climbing Wall. This video helps by showing you a few of the various types of holds that you'll find scattered across most climbing gym walls. By knowing what each of them are, it could help you to understand how best to hold them, and help you discover which types of holds you are best at, and which you need the most work on.
Check out this helpful little video and then the next time you go into Touchstone Climbing, look up at the wall, get acquainted, and start climbing your way to the top! Have an amazing weekend, and we'll see you bright and early Monday Morning!
For the first clip, I found a pretty awesome, pretty short and extremely helpful little video that starts with the basics...the Holds you'll find on an Indoor Climbing Wall. This video helps by showing you a few of the various types of holds that you'll find scattered across most climbing gym walls. By knowing what each of them are, it could help you to understand how best to hold them, and help you discover which types of holds you are best at, and which you need the most work on.
Check out this helpful little video and then the next time you go into Touchstone Climbing, look up at the wall, get acquainted, and start climbing your way to the top! Have an amazing weekend, and we'll see you bright and early Monday Morning!
Labels: Climbing Clip of the Week, Indoor climbing, Rock climbing, Touchstone Climbing
¶ Friday, January 09, 2009 1 Comments
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Santa Climbs In California
Only in California does Santa Clause dig rock climbing. That's right, you heard me correctly, with only 2 days left until Christmas Morning, it looks like Santa took a brief vacation and decided to do some serious rock climbing before the big "Delivery Night."
I just stumbled across this article that shows Santa doing exactly that...climbing, and with the Holidays officially surrounding us, how appropriate. According to the photo, he's climbing at Cerro Cabrillo and while his form is a bit off, the spirit is there, but then again, Spirit is one thing Santa could never be accused of lacking.
Rumor has it, Californians have also seen Santa skateboarding, surfing and even mountain biking in the past few days. Maybe he's feeling the economic pinch too and his sleigh is a little less full this year; maybe his naughty list is so huge this 2008 he feels confident in his ability to take a few days off...whatever the case may be, Santa is living large. Lets see if we can get him to join Touchstone Climbing. I don't see how he has much of a choice!
(image via SanLuisObispo.com)
Only in California does Santa Clause dig rock climbing. That's right, you heard me correctly, with only 2 days left until Christmas Morning, it looks like Santa took a brief vacation and decided to do some serious rock climbing before the big "Delivery Night."
I just stumbled across this article that shows Santa doing exactly that...climbing, and with the Holidays officially surrounding us, how appropriate. According to the photo, he's climbing at Cerro Cabrillo and while his form is a bit off, the spirit is there, but then again, Spirit is one thing Santa could never be accused of lacking.
Rumor has it, Californians have also seen Santa skateboarding, surfing and even mountain biking in the past few days. Maybe he's feeling the economic pinch too and his sleigh is a little less full this year; maybe his naughty list is so huge this 2008 he feels confident in his ability to take a few days off...whatever the case may be, Santa is living large. Lets see if we can get him to join Touchstone Climbing. I don't see how he has much of a choice!
(image via SanLuisObispo.com)
Labels: California, Rock climbing, Santa Claus, Touchstone Climbing
¶ Tuesday, December 23, 2008 0 Comments
Friday, December 19, 2008
Climbing Clip of the Week: Ice Climbing The Ghost Wilderness
This week, I decided to do something a little different for the Climbing Clip of the Week. The first reason I chose this, was because of the Winter weather blast that has been blanketing the entire West Coast; the second reason, is because it IS Winter, and the scenery in this ice-climbing clip is breathtakingly gorgeous.
If you've ever ice-climbed you can account for just how tricky, how exciting and how rewarding it is. It feels totally different than traditional climbing and uses an entirely different skill set than traditional climbing, but anyone that loves one, almost always loves the other.
So, without further ado, enjoy this week's Climbing Clip of the Week. Stay warm, stay dry, get all your shopping done this weekend and most of all, have an amazing weekend filled with climbing, fitness and friends!
If you've ever ice-climbed you can account for just how tricky, how exciting and how rewarding it is. It feels totally different than traditional climbing and uses an entirely different skill set than traditional climbing, but anyone that loves one, almost always loves the other.
So, without further ado, enjoy this week's Climbing Clip of the Week. Stay warm, stay dry, get all your shopping done this weekend and most of all, have an amazing weekend filled with climbing, fitness and friends!
Labels: climb, Climbing Clip of the Week, Ice climbing, Rock climbing
¶ Friday, December 19, 2008 0 Comments
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Need a Rock Guide? Look No Further!
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving my friends, and I don't know about you but I am more than ready to absolutely eat until I can not eat any more. It's the season and the Holiday to give thanks and to stuff ourselves silly after all, right? Speaking of giving, we just wanted to give everyone out there a quick heads up about something everyone should know about. Basically, if you want a rock guide, we have just the man for you.
That's right, here's a little blurb we got our hands on from one of our very own. Seriously, if you need a rock guide, look no further. Check it out:
There you have it. If you're in need, we've got you covered. Check him out, hit the mountains and know you're in safe and very capable hands!
(Image via sanbeiji on Flickr)
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving my friends, and I don't know about you but I am more than ready to absolutely eat until I can not eat any more. It's the season and the Holiday to give thanks and to stuff ourselves silly after all, right? Speaking of giving, we just wanted to give everyone out there a quick heads up about something everyone should know about. Basically, if you want a rock guide, we have just the man for you.
That's right, here's a little blurb we got our hands on from one of our very own. Seriously, if you need a rock guide, look no further. Check it out:
If you are looking for a rock guide, look no further than Touchstone staffer, Steve Schneider. Steve just recently passed his rock guide exam, and is now a fully certified rock guide with the AMGA(American Mountain Guides Association). This is the highest level of certification that the AMGA offers on rock. His professionalism, experience, and certification are balanced by his witty, blonde humour. Steve also just completed his 100th ascent of El Capitan, just the third person to do so behind Steve Gerberding(108), and Hans Florine(130ish). Contact Steve via his website: blondeambitionguiding.com
There you have it. If you're in need, we've got you covered. Check him out, hit the mountains and know you're in safe and very capable hands!
(Image via sanbeiji on Flickr)
Labels: El Capitan, Mountain Guides, Rock climbing, Steve Schneider, Thanksgiving
¶ Wednesday, November 26, 2008 0 Comments
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
GWPC Story Night! December 3rd!
This event, my good climbing friends, is one you will NOT want to miss. December 3rd, only a little over a week away, is rapidly approaching and each and every one of you in the Great Western Power Company area should be marking it down on your calendar. Why, you ask? Simple, STORY NIGHT with Hans Florine.
Yep, you heard right. December 3rd at 8:00 pm the official storytelling and presentation begins, my advice, come early to get in some climbing so you're completely in the groove come story time. Here is some more information you need to know, to be in the know:
On a separate, unrelated note, I just wanted to remind each and every one of you, members of all the different Touchstone Climbing Gyms, that all of our Touchstone Gyms will have special, Holiday Hours on Wednesday, and Friday before and after Thanksgiving. We will be closed Thanksgiving Day, but give your local gym a call to see their hours for the days before and after!
(Image via Brianz on Flickr)
This event, my good climbing friends, is one you will NOT want to miss. December 3rd, only a little over a week away, is rapidly approaching and each and every one of you in the Great Western Power Company area should be marking it down on your calendar. Why, you ask? Simple, STORY NIGHT with Hans Florine.
Yep, you heard right. December 3rd at 8:00 pm the official storytelling and presentation begins, my advice, come early to get in some climbing so you're completely in the groove come story time. Here is some more information you need to know, to be in the know:
December 3rd come for a night of Stories about one thing: The Nose.There you have it, mark it down and we'll see you there!
The first story telling of the new Nose record. (Yuji Hirayama and Hans climbed it in 2:37:05 on October 12th 2008) Hans Florine will share an evening with you at: The Great Western Power Company. With the aid of video clips and photos Hans will tell stories about Yuji Hirayama and Hans's preparations, history, planning, drama, training, and execution of climbing The Nose Route of El Capitan, the 3000ft granite cliff in Yosemite.
Touchstone Climbing is hosting the event at:
http://touchstoneclimbing.com/gw.html
Touchstone had 150 limited edition photographic prints made to commemorate 50 years of climbing The Nose route. These prints are for sale at: www.speedclimb.com/50th. We will try to reserve some to auction at the December 2/3rd event. If you want to guarantee there is one there for you, buy it online and put in the notes section of the checkout that you'll pick it up at the December 2/3rd event. (or say nothing and we'll ship it)
Light refreshments and drinks will be available. A $16 admission fee will be charged for non Touchstone climbing members. Funds raised during the event will go to benefit the Access Fund and the YCA - which created the Climbing museum in Yosemite.
On a separate, unrelated note, I just wanted to remind each and every one of you, members of all the different Touchstone Climbing Gyms, that all of our Touchstone Gyms will have special, Holiday Hours on Wednesday, and Friday before and after Thanksgiving. We will be closed Thanksgiving Day, but give your local gym a call to see their hours for the days before and after!
(Image via Brianz on Flickr)
Labels: El Capitan, Great Western Power Co., GWPC, Hans Florine, Rock climbing, Storytelling, Yosemite National Park, Yuji Hirayama
¶ Tuesday, November 25, 2008 0 Comments
Friday, November 14, 2008
Climbing Clip of the Week
Hello and Happy Friday! We made it, it's the weekend again and man have we earned it. To help you celebrate the end of another work week, I decided this week's Climbing Clip of the Week is somewhere I think each and every one of us wishes we could run away to...right now.
The clip is of some AMAZING "Deep Water Soloing" in Thailand. I don't know if it's the color of the water, the beautiful rock cliffs, or the quality of the climbing, but this is rapidly becoming one of my more favorite climbing clips. I want to be in Thailand, now.
This is also a call to arms...if you have any climbing videos or clips you want featured, please, please send them in, send us links, send is YouTube videos, whatever. We'd love nothing more than to feature YOU, our faithful climbers, on this very site.
At any rate, enjoy the video and we'll see you bright and early Monday morning! Get climbing!
The clip is of some AMAZING "Deep Water Soloing" in Thailand. I don't know if it's the color of the water, the beautiful rock cliffs, or the quality of the climbing, but this is rapidly becoming one of my more favorite climbing clips. I want to be in Thailand, now.
This is also a call to arms...if you have any climbing videos or clips you want featured, please, please send them in, send us links, send is YouTube videos, whatever. We'd love nothing more than to feature YOU, our faithful climbers, on this very site.
At any rate, enjoy the video and we'll see you bright and early Monday morning! Get climbing!
Labels: climbing, Climbing Clip of the Week, Climbing Video, Deep-water soloing, Recreation, Rock climbing, Video clip
¶ Friday, November 14, 2008 0 Comments
