Climbers in The New York Times
With the ever increasing popularity of rock climbing and the expansion of digital services, the internet world has become a larger presence on the mountain. Where once, Yosemite was a vast wilderness, now it is possible to update your Facebook status from the side of El Capitan.
Alex Lowther, a climber living in New York City, recently wrote an article about the phenomenon of increasing media presence in climbing. The New York Times piece sites Tommy Caldwell’s recent attempts at freeing the Dawn Wall on El Capitan. Caldwell spent 19 days on the side of El Cap almost but not quite alone. Caldwell kept a constant stream of how he was climbing, what the next difficult pitch was, and what the weather was like on the side of the face. The route, when finished, will be one of the most difficult lines on El Capitan with 3,000 feet of climbing, seven pitches of 5.14, seven of 5.13, and 14 more difficult leads.
There is some criticism of the phenomenon or live action climbing feeds. In the New York Times article, Katie Ives, the editor of Alpinist Magazine, quotes, “instead of actually having the experience be the important part, it’s the representation of the experience that becomes the important part — something is lost.”
You can read more about Caldwell’s ascent and the rest of the New York Times article here: Caldwell's push ended in a climbing.com article.
Reel Rock Tour
The 2011 Reel Rock Tour is coming to the bay area. With footage of slack life super star Sketchy Andy, the tiny crusher Ashima and her coach Obe, local Mortar rocker Sean Leary and Yosemite's Dean Potter speeding up the Nose, and Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgenson's attempt on the Dawn Wall, this year's Reel Rock Tour is guaranteed to be awesome.
Mission Cliffs is selling tickets for the Thursday, September 29 show at the Victoria Theater in San Francisco, 8:00pm. Peter Mortimer and Josh Lowell the two filmmakers behind the tour will both be there to host the show.
Berkeley Ironworks is selling tickets for the two shows Friday, September 30 show at the Clif Bar Headquarters in Emeryville, 6:00 and 8:30.
On September 22nd, the Reel Rock Tour will be giving a free show at the Yosemite Facelift.
Check out the movie trailer:
Last years show sold out so get your tickets soon!