Between Summit and SkyJust a quick look at climbing, or perhaps a simplification of it, by what the so called experts say. To be honest though - and many purists will more than agree, they seem to live by the credo – climbing is very simple, anyone can do it. So when I say “experts” I actually just mean those men and women who live for it, those who’ve made this, their passion, also their profession. “Mountains are not Stadiums where I satisfy my ambition to achieve, they are the cathedrals where I practice my religion.” A note on myself: I'm in the midst of several writing (1 designing) projects, so in considering my blog and wanting to put up a post on climbing, words kind of failed me at an inopportune time, but thankfully I'm not the first to arrive at this juncture - not for naught is the saying "I'm speechless" rendered so commonly whilst gazing at the horizon from a mountain summit. It is a space where words are not needed (and sometimes being short of breath is also a contributing factor). It's this silence that resonates loudest in the hearts of all climbers. Hence I've tossed in all these quotes because they say what needs to be said... I do have serious inclinations to take my climbing to new levels (pun intended) and take it more seriously (whether mountaineering or rock climbing), but its about the personal journey, and in short, the philosophy that conveniently stands above all is summed up well enough in the last quote of this post! Hopefully it will inspire you - "Writing about climbing is boring. I would rather go climbing." “For me, the value of a climb is the sum of three inseparable elements, all equally important: aesthetics, history, and ethics. Together they form the whole basis of my concept of alpinism. Some people see no more in climbing mountains than an escape from the harsh realities of modern times. This is not only uninformed but unfair. I don’t deny that there can be an element of escapism in mountaineering, but this should never overshadow its real essence, which is not escape but victory over your own human frailty.” I included the above film because I believe Messner's sentiments (From 36.00' - 39.00') about the invisible paths/lines on the mountains are so true of life. “...seen from above, landscapes are made up of mountains and watercourses. Just as a transparent model of the human body consists of a framework of bone and a network of arteries, the earth's crust is structured in mountain ridges, river, creeks, and gullies.” "The best climber in the world is the one who's having the most fun." [Image Credits: wall.alphacoders.com, alexbuisse.com]
0 Comments
It may seem pointless to review an award winning film such as this, one that is part documentary, part tribute, part sports film and part ‘love letter to skiing’ – but it warrants a watch even from a neutral observer that has never seen snow in their entire life. Plainly stated, this offering from Sherpas Cinema is fine film all on its own and a complete feast for the eyes, and most of your other senses too. Up front it’s a record of the unparalleled power, majesty and inimitable call of nature and man’s unrelenting spirit, ever willing to answer that summons. Plot Yes there is a vague plot to this film despite it being a real-life sports film with no actors. Its divided into 12 chapters all chronicling various stages within the cycle of being a skier or simply an extreme sports adventurer, though many elements are quite relatable because it tackles issues on a human and even spiritual level. The plot line though is merely to have some kind of central mechanism around which to form the film, so that one doesn’t just have a bunch of random ski experts performing cool tricks and slaloms for over an hour. The true strength of this film however, lies in the truly spectacular cinematography and photography with an innovative cyclic theme running throughout, mastered with technical brilliance. Target This film is way more than a ski film, in fact it’s just so happens to ‘also’ be a ski film, because it transcends such conventions by delivering something artful and exhilarating; and in doing so, Sherpas Cinema have provided a window into the skiing world that appeals to anyone. I recommend this film to anyone. Bottom Line As a layman myself – having not skied once in my short life (which will soon be rectified) – I can say that what immediately appealed to me was the mountains and the climbing (featuring top climber Renan Ozturk – one of the few names I knew, along with photographer Jimmy Chin) and of course the crisp imagery, but soon I found myself lured by the notion of skiing. This of course is one of the goals, to draw more people to the sport, and it does so effortlessly. Another seemingly effortless achievement is the way they portrayed the link between the simplest of things, like old rattle toy, and how its likened to time, the turning clock, the spinning earth, the tides of the oceans, and even man – our cycle of living, dying and rebirth, whether spiritual rebirth or that which exists in nature. It does all this without too much though, but simply by connecting a stream of breathtaking images and footage, all amidst the multi-generational journeys undertaken on the slopes of many a snow covered mountain. Into the Mind is easily a technical achievement as much as it is an exciting and thrilling adventure sports film. For what felt like the first time, you actually feel like one of them as a few of the athletes wear head mounted cameras, waking up in a windswept tent, hiking up a frozen mountain and then waving at death as you ski down – made it all the more personal. There’s plenty of danger, and the tragic elements form a central focus, but it only serves to add another deeper dimension to this portrait, along with a stellar soundtrack. It makes for a well timed exploration of a rather exclusive sport, as the world is currently focussed on the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi – so that if you didn’t have an appreciation for it before, then you will after watching this film. Everyone, whether on a ski slope or in everyday life, goes on their own journey, but our paths are forever interlinked and entwined, it’s part of what makes us human – the personal connection, and another, perhaps final added dynamic to Into the Mind, is camaraderie between all these people, bound by a vision and similar passions, willing to go to extreme and often dangerous lengths to satisfy them… It’s also why (another Winter Olympic phenomenon) why all the athletes tend to get along so well – its more often not so much about the competition, as it is about the ride, or ski, itself. It’s about men and women, the spirit of freedom and adventure, and the endlessly varying echo of nature. (My rating, for what its worth: 90% ) *Apologies, due to technical difficulties beyond my control or prevention, this post is delayed by a week, so the Sochi ref would've made more sense then, but I left it there anyway... Russia has won, and congrats to them, for that and also owning that Olympic logo faux par.* Here's the second trailer for this breathtaking film. For the first trailer and my original preview of it in a post from last year, click here: "Mind Blowing - Into the Mind Film Teaser", along with a bonus trailer. [Image and trailer credits: Intothemindmovie.com] So awesome I had to share: the Film was officially released at a premiere on the 28th of September in Canada, but further screenings are still scheduled for later in October, so I'm unsure of when we can expect it to reach SA. This may be a "Ski" film (literally about Skiing), but Sherpas Cinema has proven itself in going beyond genre (and sport) and filming way more than simply extreme action sports films, as the trailer itself illustrates in a visual feast... I've never Skied in my life, but projects like this kind of get you interested, in the very least. Beyond that though, its just a kickass production that also happens to be a sports film. There is an actual storyline to this it too (in that its not just a bunch of cool segments that coincidentally have skier's doing their thing), its about rising to the ultimate challenge and risking your own mortality to achieve success. The sound editing, visual effects and score are all by Sherpa - a first for them as they sought to outdo their previous work, the award winning "All.I.Can" - you can view that trailer HERE. Enjoy! The word 'romance,' according to the dictionary, means excitement, adventure, and something extremely real. Romance should last a lifetime. Bonus video: Conrad Anker in Denali I added this for the warm feeling I got in my heart, the slight wetness on my eyes and the itch in my legs and feet - its just THAT beautiful... another reminder - hit the full screen tab! “Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” Alex Honnold: Some call him brave, a genius,some call him crazy, others call him stupid... whatever your angle, there's no denying that Honnold is carving out his own legacy, even when proverbially picking up Dan Osman's baton - I can only tip my hat to you sir - the level of commitment needed, where a mistake is unthinkable - when considering his movement, technique, ability and courage... it does lean very strongly toward art! Age: 28 Country: USA Occupation: Professional rock climber Known for: Being a mind bogglingly astounding rock climber. Free solo ascents of big walls (including his recent work on half-dome El Capitan in the Yosemite National Park) Random Facts:
The next video is fairly "tame" by his standards, but the scenery and photography is just breathtaking. Reminder: click the full screen button when viewing - its a lot better that way! This one's more like it - The second half of this short clip from 'Alone on the Wall' is heart in mouth stuff! If you've got time to spare, here's the link to the piece on him by 60 Minutes. The video below by The North Face I found on "Never Stop Exploring" - you can find the link at the bottom of the post. “When all the movements just feel so crisp, and precise and perfect, you don’t feel pain in your fingers so much. You can tork on them super hard…you just feel stronger…” What is it about mountains, rivers, valleys, cliffs, jungles, frozen no-mans-lands and every other area most would regard as unlivable? What is it that draws us closer and makes us forsake all rationality and venture off into the desert to climb a dune and listen to the sounds of silence? A few days ago Sir Ranulph Fiennes (former SAS Special forces captain, second cousin to actors Ralph and Joseph, author of The Feather Men - which was turned into a film starring Clive Owen and Robert De Niro) departed Cape Town on yet another expedition. Setting sail for Antarctica aboard the ice strengthened Agulhas, their mission: to traverse the frozen continent in the dead of winter (a feat previously regarded by all authorities who cared, as impossible - a veritable suicide mission as the human body was not made to withstand such conditions - the entire trek will be conducted in pitch darkness because by the time they get there, the south pole will be in the season of no sunlight). Apparently technology has advanced sufficiently to allow the six man team the "go-ahead" nod by the commonwealth. So it becomes a "slightly-less-than-suicide mission". Among his many feats, summiting Everest on his 3rd attempt being one of them (at 65yrs of age), he and a small team completed the Transglobe some 30 yrs ago circumnavigating the globe by passing over the North & South poles - and remain the only ones to have done so (its in the Guinness book of world records). Although this is surely their most dangerous challenge. Team member Anton Bowring (63) stated this on his blog "It will be extraordinary if something bad doesn't happen during the crawl across 2,400 miles of ice in temperatures of -70°C and perpetual darkness where crevasses can swallow up a 25-ton bulldozer in the blink of a frosted eye."
Another adventurer and Laureus Award winner/Committee member, my countryman now residing in Swiss country, Mike Horn - He won the award for circumnavigating the globe unassisted along the the equator - is currently conducting his Pangaea Expeditions project. This initiative takes young people on adventures to highlight the plight of the world and open the eyes of the young to the magnificence that exists waaay off the beaten track - a world which they will inherit, a world in desperate need of protection and preservation. Of course these men are at the extreme end of the spectrum. For most of us, the spirit of adventure entails a hike up a mountain or a week long camping/road trip, bundu-bashing and star gazing among other things. And you don't need to be the next Erden Eruç, Nellie Bly, Bear Grylls, Freya Stark, Amelia Erhart et al. to feel itchy feet every now and then. "... The second one, it was like we was both back in older times and I was on horseback goin' through the mountains of a night. Goin' through this pass in the mountains. It was cold and there was snow on the ground and he rode past me and kept on goin'. Never said nothin' goin' by. He just rode on past... and he had his blanket wrapped around him and his head down and when he rode past I seen he was carryin' fire in a horn the way people used to do and I could see the horn from the light inside of it. 'Bout the color of the moon. And in the dream I knew that he was goin' on ahead and he was fixin' to make a fire somewhere out there in all that dark and all that cold, and I knew that whenever I got there he would be there. And then I woke up..." -- No Country for old Men, 2007 -Article by Steven Benjamin. The links to Ranulph Feinnes and Mike Horn's official websites: http://www.ranulphfiennes.co.uk/ http://www.mikehorn.com/en/mike-horn/ Why I write... Posted a few days ago, here's a piece I wrote on 'Why I write...' published on Shinazy Linda's blog BOBB - 'Bitchin old Boomer Babe'. Click HERE
|
[Banner illustration by Joel Kanar]
WRITING
|