EMFF 2012 - Saturday Morning

THE FILMS

THE LONG HOPE

I have seen this epic film once before in Sheffield, and I couldn't pass up the chance to see it again. Another great film made by Paul Diffley that tells the story of Dave MacLeod's quest to free the Longhope Route. The film portrays the great history of the huge adventure in Hoy that was first climbed in 1970 by Ed Drummond and Oliver Hill. There are also interviews with Dave Turnbull & John Arran who talk about the route, the history and their first free-ascent in 1997. Dave's goal was to free the headwall crack that Turnbull and Arran avoided - he thought a more direct line was possible. The film and the story is fantastic and features some amazing climbing by Dave and Andy Turner to complete the climb in only 10 hours! There is also a very emotional journey that sees Ed Drummond return to St. John's Head to the route. Well worth the DVD purchase, I would say.

BEN

I have had the pleasure of seeing this short film online prior to this screening. A lovely piece by Kate Owen that looks at a few individuals who make use of Ben Nevis and Glen Nevis everyday. It features a local farmer, fell-runner, photographer and climbers Dave MacLeod and Kevin Shields.

WHITE SILK ROAD
This film followed a group of Australian snowboarders to the slightly unusual ski destination of Afghanistan. I found the film, journey and story very enjoyable and quite different to many of the other snowboarding/skiing films I have seen over the years. There was a huge contrast between the war-torn city and the poor villagers who live in the snowy mountains. Some great footage of first descents and of the group teaching the locals to snowboard and build jumps.

EMFF 2012 - Friday Night

It's that time again: The 10th Edinburgh Mountain Film Festival.

This year, the lineup was looking amazing and with a rare completely free weekend, Emily and I went all in and bought full weekend tickets. My Dad was also keen to come over and check it out as we had told him so much about it.

Last year, the Friday night session was at the EICA but this year every session was to be held at the George Square Lecture Theatre; a large venue with great facilities. Herbie's flight was delayed from the Isle of Man so he had a bit of a mad dash from the airport but only missed a couple of minutes of the first film that was changed due to some 'technical difficulties'.

THE FILMS

OF WET AND WILDNESS

A short film by Paul Diffley that follows a group of kayakers exploring some rapids in Spain. The film is short but highly atmospheric and poetic; featuring dramatic narration and stunning HD slow-motion images of kayaking tricks.

ECHOES

A brief portrait of the current life and routine of Nick Bullock. Now a professional climber, Nick left his full-time job in the prison service to focus solely on climbing and adventures. I had already seen the film online and his latest book (also called Echoes) is next on my reading list. But I was more than happy to see the film on the big screen as it is one of the most inspiring short films I have seen this year and has matched up with my own thinking and direction of late. A brilliant short film.

HIDDEN GULLY

This short film was made by a couple of Scottish skiers who made a ski ascent of Hidden Gully, a grade II climb on Aonach Mor. It was clear that these guys were quite accomplished skiers and they had some great footage of scottish skiing as well as some of their runs in the Alps earlier in the year. Their message was: sometimes the best adventures are in your own back yard!

I BELIEVE I CAN FLY (FLIGHT OF THE FRENCHIES)

This was only a small portion of this full-length film that follows a group of French folk who travel to Norway for some BASE-jumping and high-lining. This film had some stunning footage and was also very amusing, with the personalities of the individual characters really shining through. The highlight was a clip of one chap free-soloing on a high-line - crazy stuff but very entertaining.

THE LECTURE

BORGE OUSLAND - AGAINST ALL ODDS
I must say: I was really looking forward to hearing about Borge's adventures to both the North and South poles and I didn't really know much about the guy. He didn't disappoint. Borge came across as a very interesting and humble chap, who I could have listened to all night. He spoke of various adventures that he had embarked upon including: successfully reaching the North pole in winter and walking across the Arctic Circle solo. The highlight for me was his story about arriving at the North pole and seeing a helicopter land in front of him and out stepped an Arab Sheikh who had also decided to visit the North pole that day! A riveting talk - certainly one of the best speakers I have heard.

Bynack More

Bynack More - Oct 2012 from Chris McMorris on Vimeo.

Ready for the off at Glenmore Lodge

An Lochan Uaine, Ryvoan Pass, Glen More

With the October holidays upon us, Emily and I headed to Nakiska for the week - I was hoping for an early cold snap for the Scotswinter! The weather was looking like it would be best today, with a fresh dump of snow last night. There hasn't been any cold spells to speak of so far so it looked like an early winter climb was out of the question. Instead, we set our sights on Bynack More - the most Northern Munro of the Cairngorms.

Autumn Trees, Ryvoan Pass, Glen More

Emily on the cycle in towards the River Nethy, Cairngorms

Looking at the route in from Glenmore Lodge, it looked like quite a way in so we opted to take the bikes. Some good organisation and an early breakfast, saw us getting on our bikes just after 9am. It was a chilly morning and the cloud was low and rain was threatening. Sure enough, a few minutes into our cycle, the heavens opened and we reached for our waterproofs. The track was pretty much a road through the forest and we made swift progress through the trees and arrived at An Lochan Uaine in no time at all. The rain had stopped but still threatened and there was now a fair breeze. We headed down the steps to admire the water, but were halted by a film crew who were busy making a Norwegian dance video. We weren't too put out, as the water was rather 'choppy'.

Looking South down Strath Nethy from the River Nethy, Cairngorms

Heading into winter in the Cairngorms, Bynack More

Heading on, the track quality degraded and became undulating as we rode through the Ryvoan Pass. We took the right branch of the fork and headed around the corner and up a rather steep incline - much to Emily's disgust. I think it's safe to say that she isn't the biggest fan of cycling up-hill!

Loving winter in the Cairngorms, Bynack More

Emily heading into winter in the Cairngorms, Bynack More

After working hard, our reward was a gentle run down to the footbridge across the River Nethy where we left the bikes. Looking South through Strath Nethy, the cloud base was down to around 700 metres but the air was still and the rain still absent. Now on foot, we made quick progress on the good path and gained height quickly. Into the cloud, we stepped into winter and a fair amount of snow and frost. It was interesting to see the vegetation that was all around - it appeared as though everything had been frozen in the state of spring or possibly summer. Due to the return of winter in May this year, many of the new shoots of the plants have been late in emerging; now frozen once again.

Wintery Tors on Bynack More, Cairngorms

Emily enjoying the winter in the Cairngorms, Bynack More

We made swift progress in the cloud along the flat and the snow was a little deeper - possibly two inches. Randomly a woman and young boy appeared in front of us, out of the mist, and walked by. The boy looked frozen and seemed to lack any kind of appropriate clothing; only an anorak. The path then started to climb up the North ridge of the main event: Bynack More. Emily and I were commenting on how new the path looked and how good it was, when I spotted two bright orange jackets in the mist just up ahead. These two guys were braving the weather and hard at work building the rest of the path we were actually walking! We stopped to shake their hands and to thank them for all their hard work - we also commented on the frozen boy we had passed and they agreed that they had also been concerned by his unsuitable clothing - some people...

Emily on the summit of Bynack More, Cairngorms

On the summit of Bynack More, Cairngorms

The path disappeared, visibility decreased and the snow got deeper. I lead the way up the ridge and we passed some interesting (and rather wintery!) granite tors - a welcome sight in the limited visibility. The West side of the ridge was rather blustery so we traversed left to gain shelter and continued up the East side out of the wind. At the the top, we spent a few minutes hunting in the clag for the summit cairn - which we soon found a triumphantly climbed to the top. There was a large amount of fresh snow at the top, but no sign of any ice - much to my dismay! We descended back down the ridge and found a sheltered spot for some lunch. As we set, the cloud started to thin and the sun tried hard to make an appearance... but didn't.

Looking West to Stac na h-lolaire after descending Bynack More, Cairngorms

Looking up towards the North ridge of Bynack More, Cairngorms

We headed down the same way we had ascended the ridge. The path builders had long gone, and as we walked down onto the flat once again, the clouds lifted, the sky turned blue and the sun shone down on us. We had stunning views to the West towards the crags of Stac na h-looaire - stunning. The way back down to the footbridge was extremely enjoyable and we were soon preparing to jump on the bikes. It had been tough going on the way in, but now I was reminded why I had insisted we bike into the bridge; the descent was now fast and exhilarating - much to our delight. In what seemed like a matter of moments, we were standing on the banks of An Lochan Uaine. Its turquoise waters were now completely still and we had it all to ourselves. Now we could see what all the fuss was about in the various guides and literature - this is truly a special place indeed. After snapping numerous photos, we sped back down the remainder of the track to Glenmore Lodge.

Looking Northwest towards Meall a' Bhuachaille, Cairngorms

An Lochan Uaine, Ryvoan Pass, Glen More

Before heading back to Nakiska, we stopped at Loch Morlich to enjoy the last of the day's light (and I also wanted to see what the Northern Corries were like!). The loch was lovely and still, as the sun disappeared behind the trees on the faraway bank. Looking up at Coire an t-Sneachda and Coire an Lochain, I could see that there had been a considerable dump of snow, but it looked like it was all melting and things were looking rather black. Nothing looked like it was in condition, so I was happy that we had made the most of the winter day. Things were now feeling rather mild, and I was pretty sure most of the snow would be gone by tomorrow.

An Lochan Uaine, Ryvoan Pass, Glen More

Sunset over Loch Morlich, Cairngorms

We headed back to the car and reflected on what a great day it had been. It had certainly been a day filled with everything that Scotland in winter has to offer.

Cairngorm and the Northern Corries from Loch Morlich

Book Review: No Way Down: Life and Death on K2 by Graham Bowley

After reading, and greatly enjoying, Psychovertical by Andy Kirkpatrick, I was keen to see what other gems of mountaineering literature were out there. A quick look along the bottom shelf of my bookcase revealed yet another book that I had been leant by a family member but never got around to reading: No Way Down.

I can remember Herbie going on about it a few months back and saying how 'nuts' the story was and how so many people had died. Intrigued, I decided to make it my next read - and I very glad that I did.

The book starts with a brief history of the K2 and some of the (very!) early attempts to conquer its mighty summit. Some crazy tales of how vast royal entourages made an assault on the mighty peak. This, I must say, was the most enjoyable part of the book for me personally; as I am extremely fond of mountaineering history. The main story then starts by setting the scene in early August back in 2008 by introducing the reader to each of the mountaineers who were planning a summit bid. Bowley has clearly researched each individual's history and personal story and it is clear that even in high altitude mountaineering: there are folk who come from many different backgrounds and from all walks of life - but on the mountain, everyone is equal. It was interesting to read about each of the mountaineers; their previous success and near-misses. What is clear from the background of these mountaineers, is that no-one stood out as being 'under qualified' to be on that mountain and all deserved to be there and making a push to claim the top.

The tale of the cerac collapse then begins by describing the mass approach to the summit, the long train of climbers, how slow the progress was, and how late in the day events were unfolding. It is at this point that I was thinking that some sort of human error or mistake would lead to accidental death or a multitude of tragedies, as Bowley builds up the suspense. After most parties summit, the real tale of death and survival unfolds before the reader's eyes and we are given an account from many of the mountaineers' perspective - a truly fascinating read. It is at this point that Bowley inserts minor elements of speculative fiction (e.g. some of the final thoughts of those that perished, and some small elements of what actually happened at the very end), but without this, the story would not flow as well and the reader may well feel a little 'cheated' and wanting more answers. Where fact is unsure, Bowley offers opinions of others that were actually there and other possibilities in an attempt to answer most questions and doubts that the reader may have.

Picturing the tragic events that unfolded that day and imagining oneself in that position is a difficult thing to do and the reader wonders what they could have done differently or if there were any other alternatives to the decisions that were made. A brilliantly well-written and fascinating story that will strike fear into the heart and soul of anyone, whether they are a mountaineers or not.

I think I found this book so enjoyable because it focused on the facts about what actually happened and not on the minor details or the 'nuts and bolts' of mountaineering. The focus of the story is very much on the individuals who where there and those that lost their lives on K2 over those eventful few days. The result is a text that many folk will be able to relate to and appreciate the fear and hardship that these brave souls endured.

I would be interested to know if anyone who has read this book has gone on to summit K2, because I can tell you right now that it has certainly put me right off!

Reel Rock Film Tour, Dunfermline

Tonight, Emily and I headed to Carnegie Hall in Dunfermline for the 2012 Reel Rock Film Tour. The event was great value for money and seemed to be well supported. The lineup of films was extremely strong, as you can see below.

THE FILMS

THE DURA DURA

This film follows the battle between Adam Ondra and Chris Sharma to climb the world's first 5.15c near Sharma's Spanish home. The film is very funny and has a very interesting comparison between the two athletes - both with very contrasting styles of climbing. The film hypes it up as a bit of a battle, but in reality I think they have a very sound friendship and both have the simple desire to see the other succeed. Very entertaining and well worth a watch.

THE SHARK'S FIN

A very moving film that tells a great story of a team's second attempt to climb Mt. Meru. Conrad Anker, Jimmy Chin and Renan Ozturk return and succeed in conquering the iconic Indian peak. The feat is all the more remarkable due to Renan's serious skiing accident only a few months before the attempt. Anker's will-power and character really come through in this fantastic short film.

WIDE BOYS

A short film that follows Tom Randall and Pete Whittaker and their quest to climb the world's hardest off-width: Century Crack. It's a very inspiring story and features some amazing footage of the lads training in Tom's basement. There are also some amusing american characters, as the film also features some of the tough off-width climbers across the Atlantic. My favourite film of the night and I can't wait to see the full-length version.

HONNOLD 3.0

This guy is even more crazy than when I saw him last in: Alone on the Wall. This time he attempts to climb all three Yosemite's big walls: Mt. Watkins, El Cap, and Half Dome... in under 19 hours... free solo! Ridiculous - but he pulls it off and makes it look very easy... even at night with a headtorch! The film also features Alex attempting a VERY highball boulder problem. A must see film, even if you're not into climbing.

A great evening that was well supported and excellent value for money - highly recommended!

Book Review: Psychovertical by Andy Kirkpatrick

Despite being a climber myself and a general outdoor 'all-rounder', I've never particularly been interested in climbing and mountaineering literature. Touching the Void, for example, wasn't really for me; because I couldn't relate to the situation? Perhaps...

As a general rule, I tend to steer clear of climbing 'novels', but a few weeks ago I was looking for my next piece of bedtime reading and spotted a copy of Psychovertical on the shelf. No doubt it had remained on the shelf since being baught for me as a gift by a relative one Christmas past. With an open mind, I decided to give it a chance... and I was certainly pleasently surprised.

Psychovertical by Andy Kirkpatrick breaks all the rules when compared to other climbing 'stories' and doesn't feel (or read) like a climbing tale of adventures, hardships and over-hyped 'epics'. Andy is clearly more of a climber than he is a writer and this is a breath of fresh air, as the text reflects that it was written by quite a 'normal' bloke; not by someone who is blinded by their own ego.

Kirkpatrick switches between his life story and the tale of his impressive solo of Reticent Wall. This style of following two stories combined with a very easy-to-read writing style and humour, makes Psychovertical very enjoyable to read and extremely hard to put down. Andy's account of his childhood and early life comes across with humour and honesty. I found it fascinating to read about his learning difficulties at school and being diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of 19.

It is clear that Kirkpatrick hasn't lived the high-life or gained fame or fortune through climbing or writing. Indeed the book outlines the frequent struggle he has endured with the latter - although this particular text isn't badly written whatsoever. Despite leading a fairly 'normal' daily routine, Andy has managed an impressive tick-list over the years and as the book and story progresses, the reader is treated to numerous short tales of adventures in the Alps and epics in Patagonia - never a dull moment. I really liked the way that he is open and honest about not having much of a clue when he started out in the Alps and gaining experience through errors and tricky situations - this I felt that I could easily relate to on some level.

I honestly couldn't put it down. The book is a great read and very funny in places. I suspect that folk who have no knowledge of climbing would enjoy it just as much as I did and I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone, as it is so entertaining. Another outcome has surprised me somewhat; I am now quite keen to rediscover some of the other mountaineering literature that I have been avoiding on my bookshelf over the years; watch this space...!

Neil Gresham & Kenton Cool - Sherpa Adventure Gear

Last night Emily and I braved the horrible Edinburgh weather and headed over to Edinburgh University at George Square. It was a well supported event with a good crowd and a few faces I recognised from the climbing world. The evening was run by Sherpa Adventure Gear, who support both Neil and Kenton on their various trips around the world.

The format was set out in a kind of interview-style; with Ian Parnell asking the questions. Neil was up first and started from the beginning - how he had got into climbing from a young age thanks to his dad, how he had attempted to climb up the side of the PE block of his school (a la Johnny Dawes)  and how he had come to live in a house in Sheffield with a load of other top UK climbers. I knew a little about Neil from his various instructional DVDs and had seen a couple of his climbing videos but other than that I knew little about his story. He described how he had gone from hard sport climbing to hard trad and then had got involved in the world of deep-water soloing. It was a very interesting tale and Neil had also managed to climb some pretty hard winter routes all over the world too. Neil was very easy to listen to, very funny and had a rather relaxed and humble manner. I was most impressed and found him to be quite inspiring.

After the interval it was Kenton's turn to tell tales of his experiences on Everest and at high altitude. At first he seemed a little erratic and a bit nervous - but he soon settled. He had some great stories and a few video clips of his most recent Olympic Pledge. Emily and I had been following the story closely on the internet but it was interesting to hear about it first-hand. Kenton also pointed out that Sir Humphry Wakefield (great nephew of Dr Arthur Wakefield, a member of the 1922 British Mount Everest Expedition) was in the audience - a special moment indeed.

A very enjoyable evening and excellent value for money.