Committed 2 Wins In Banff

We are making the long journey home to the UK from Banff, Canada. Whoever booked the flights clearly didn't take time to look at a globe, for I am currently sitting in an airport at Houston, Texas, feeling rather tired.

At Banff this year the Brits scooped just about all of the climbing related awards:
Rockfax won Best Guidebook
Al Lee won a judges special prize for Patagonian Winter
And Hot Aches won 3 Awards, yes 3 ?!?

Banff Mountian Film Festival is probably the most presigious of all festivals to win awards at, so we were pretty happy chaps, as you might well imagine.


The awards we received were. Best Climbing Film. Best Short Film. Audio Post Production Award


It is only 10 days now until Committed 2 will be out. A reminder of course that you can pre-order your copy at the link on the right.

--
Dave B

ps. Quote of the week was from Andy Kirkpatrick (via Al Lee) 'Andy can't be here to receive the award as he is currently in the States teaching Barak Obama to slackline...'

Committed 2 Trailer

Committed Volume II presented by THE NORTH FACE


“This film had my jaw dropping, my palms sweating and at times my heart threatening to pack up, but above all this film had me inspired. Superb. Highly recommended” - Ian Parnell

Committed Volume 2 is finished at last, and will be released on November 22nd 2008.

We are now taking pre-orders for the DVD on our webshop. It is going to be a rush getting all shops supplied, so guarantee your copy by pre-ordering now. We aim to be posting out on 21st November.




Thanks to the huge number of people who have helped out on this year's film. There is a listing and film credits here. A particular thanks to our title sponsor, THE NORTH FACE, and supporting sponsor CLIMB MAGAZINE whose input has helped make this a DVD that we are really proud of.

Watch the FILM TRAILER

For more about the film see our films page.

Tomorrow we are heading to Canada, to Banff Mountain Film Festival, where three of our films are finalists this year. As you might imagine, we are looking forward to a well-earned break!

More news soon...

Award for Committed 2

We were really pleased tonight to pick up an award for our new DVD - which isn't even out yet, another 4 weeks to wait I'm afraid, but for very good reason, I assure you.

The new DVD contains 5 separate films, and most of these will be premiering at Banff and Kendal film festivals soon. however we decided to show one of the films at Edinburgh Mountain Film Festival. It was one of our favorites from the DVD, in fact.

Grit Kids features the audacious climbing talents of two teenagers from the Peak District. You might remember our blog posts from earlier this year.


The Whittakers (featured in the film) are not going to be at Kendal (they are going climbing...) so we thought it would be cool for them to see the film for the first time in the theater in Edinburgh. And we are really happy to have seen how well it was received. As a film maker you know you have done your job well when it is the climbers, rather than the film makers, that people go up to afterwards and say "that was amazing"...

...and enough people did think "that was amazing" for Grit Kids to pick up the Go Fast People's Choice Award at the Edinburgh Mountain Film Festival.



It was cool to watch the reaction to a film that we found quite hard to make. All the other films on the DVD have been quite straightforward. But the Whittakers just kept climbing and climbing. The decision on what story to tell was a tough one.

Committed 2 is out in early November. The trailer will be out in a couple of weeks, so we will keep you posted.

dave b.

The Walk of Life. E12

The Walk of Life

[photo: Hot Aches productions]

The release of Committed Vol 2 has been put back to early November 2008. The reason? Simply that we were waiting, gambling, hoping that James Pearson would succeed on what has been his hardest climbing project ever. A line that for James, both inspired and challenged him at a whole new level.

James Pearson on The Walk of Life, E12 [Hot Aches productions]

Yesterday we made our 7th filming trip down to the north Devon sea cliffs at Hartland Point. James' project climbs directly up an immaculate expanse of rock, a 48 metre cliff.

James Pearson working the moves on The Walk of Life, E12 [Hot Aches productions]

This section of rock does have some history. Many climbers had attempted the top half over the years, each adding to the ladder of pegs that protected it.

James Pearson working the moves on The Walk of Life, E12 [Hot Aches productions]

The super talented climber Ian Vickers then succeeded in climbing a line in what sounds like 'sports style', with pre-placed quickdraws in the pegs, but that line, Dyer Straits comes in from the easier arete at half height before traversing out onto the face. This was graded E8.



James chose to remove the rotting pegs and climb the route on trad gear. He also chose to climb the face direct from the bottom, somehow finding a path through the expanse of nothingness on the bottom 12 metres.

James Pearson setting off on The Walk of Life, E12 [Hot Aches productions]

The other climbers that have passed by during our time at the crag all shared a feeling of awe about this piece of rock. It is huge, intimidating and very very blank. But only James can have an appreciation of the true level of difficulty involved.

James Pearson mid way on The Walk of Life, E12 [Hot Aches productions]

Comparisons have been made with Indian Face on Cloggy. For both these, the psychological challenge is perhaps the biggest factor for the climber. This is not like a gritstone route where a climber can get into the 'zone' and it is all over before they realise.

Here the climber is on the route for 45 minutes (Indian Face was about 23 minutes for the 3 ascentionists). That period of time allows the doubts to kick in. "What am I doing here? This is crazy". That period of time also has a big impact on the cumulative difficulty of the moves, compared to just doing them in isolation. So it is not just a head game. It is scary, yes, but hard and also incredibly sustained.

James Pearson mid way on The Walk of Life, E12 [Hot Aches productions]

James will describe the level of difficulty and his experience on his blog.

The grade of E12 is a mighty grade indeed. But James is certainly one of very few to have a track record that enables them to make such an assesment. He also has a responsibility to say honestly what he thinks.

As a film maker I cannot comment on the grade, but what I can point out, and what people will see in the film, is that James' experience on this route was far harder and more challenging that anything he has done before, considerably harder - a different level. This includes routes like Equilibrium (the 'benchmark' E10) and his own routes that he felt were harder, then harder again.

James Pearson mid way on The Walk of Life, E12 [Hot Aches productions]

Some other thoughts about the route.

A very quick summary about the route is that is is about 48 metres long. The first 12 metres has some of the hardest climbing and is also unprotected. James thinks this would be E10 in it's own right if it were, for example, a gritstone route.

The face is concave. The bottom is a steep slab, then it gradually tilts back to vertical. Beyond the first section there is one good piece of gear. Thereafter the gear is very poor, very difficult to place, and very difficult to tell if it is placed well. Most of the pieces are no 1 or 2 sliders and the seams into which these are placed are either chossy or parallel sided and frictionless.

Rich Mayfield keeping the ropes dry, belaying James

James fell during his first redpoint attempt, a monster fall. I was filming on ab and through the view finder I did not expect him to stop. I was certain he would just keep plummeting. But the gear at that point did hold. I stripped the route for him that day, and the micro cam that held the fall was in a shocking placement, and it was mangled and bent.



That day was a quite terrifying experience. We have filmed many routes with James, and he has never fallen before. This time he got away with it. But the consequence of failure meant that he had to eventually return and face that first 12 metres again, and then to hold it together for all that time higher up.

---

So that's it, James, you can relax for a month or two. Do some bouldering. No more scary routes for a while, please.

The pictures on this blog are screen grabs, hastily taken from the footage.
David Simmonite was taking photos and has some superb pictures.

Thanks to all the people who have passed through there while we were filming, and particularly Sam and Rich who were there yesterday.

So that's it. C2 is now 'in the can', as they say...



A personal thought:
I think this route will become one of those seminal hard routes in the history of our strange sport, the Indian Face of the new generation. An incredible line on a stunning rock face, and a style of climbing and level of difficulty that demands nothing short of the complete armoury of skills from a top climber; huge technical ability, finger strength, unrelenting footwork, stamina and vast, vast reserves of mental toughness.

Steve McClure climbs Rhapsody & Sonnie Trotter climbs it again

Steve McClure makes the third ascent of Rhapsody

I'm exhausted. 5 weeks of jumaring up the headwall at Dumbarton. But it is finally over.

Some more news:

On Friday Sonnie re-climbed Rhapsody. Yes, re-climbed it. This time he succeeded in his original objective of climbing the route in a single push whilst placing all the gear on the lead.

Today Steve McClure became the third person to climb the route. A climber in fantastic form succeeded on a super-fast ascent. 4 days spread over 2 visits. Success on the third redpoint. But only just. Most climbers will recognise the thoughts behind that facial expression on the last photo in this sequence.

More info to follow, and I'm sure a great deal of interest from the climbing community.

Back to Back - XI,11s

From a first ascent on the grit we then headed north to the Scottish Highlands for another of our film projects The AllRounder and an appointment to film Dave MacLeod.

Something was wrong. We arrived in Fort William to pick Dave up at 6pm, but he wasn't there. Almost certainly he must have found a belayer and gone again up to his winter project on Ben Nevis?

Dave MacLeod attempting his Ben Nevis project in 2006, XI,11. Hot Aches Images.

I had been up to the route two years ago with Dave to second him and take photos. I recall a frigid three hours at that first belay. Thin boots with bolt on crampons needed for the highly technical moves. Minimal clothing to be able try and climb hard.

That day Dave failed, as he did on many other attempts, all ground up from the start. I was relieved that day. The prospect of seconding the became quite terrifying as I waited. In theory I can climb that sort of difficulty, about M11. The reality of course is that continental mixed climbing is a million miles away from the full on Scottish experience. An M11, pre-practiced, protected by bolts, 15 minutes to climb it. This is all quite different from the huge scottish walk-in, blizzard conditions, onsight climbing, 12 hours on the route (in this case). So yes. I was quite terrified.


So how was I going to second the route? It had taken Dave many attempts and still he was falling off. How could I possibly second the moves, clean, first time. Not a hope in hell. And the crux pitch is a traverse, so each failure means falling down into the void. Scary. The only prospect for seconding this was aid climbing, or cheating. The latter being one of my specialist subjects.

At 8.30 we heard from Dave. He phoned to say he was still 2 pitches from the top (and had left the house at 6.00am). Relief.

Dave was back off the hill at 11.00pm. His hardest winter day ever. A new grade XI,11 finally climbed. So our appointment to go and film another XI,11 the next daywith him looked rather in doubt. But no, Dave was still up for that! so we retired to get ready to film the next day.

Dave MacLeod on The Hurting, XI,11. Hot Aches Images.

Monday saw us in The Cairngorms, to film The Hurting. Another of Dave's routes, and an extremely dangerous and technical climb. I had abseiled this in preparation for filming, and again thought about the prospects of climbing it. About M11, but two crux sections with groundfall certainly should you make a mistake. Tiny holds, sometimes your pick just behind crystals. I can't stress enough how different this is to the kind of mixed climbing abroad.

Monday was a wild day, -25 degree windchill, wind blowing vertically upwards, freezing your eyelashes and our camera lenses. Buffeted all over the place. Totally wild and crazy.

Dave MacLeod on The Hurting, XI,11. Hot Aches Images.

So for the second day in a row MacLeod climbed an 'Scottish Winter XI,11' the two hardest routes in the UK, and both unrepeated.

Congratulations to Jo French who climbed Dave's Ben Nevis route with him. You must be mad!

Dynamics of Change, E9 - Another Last Great Problem on Grit

Dynamics of Change

Pete Whittaker on the Crux of Dynamics of Change. E9 7a. Hot Aches Images.

When the belayer asks to have their own spotter… you can tell the route is somewhat serious.

Dynamics of Change climbs the arete to a break, then swings outsteeply to the right before joining Brail Trail at the top . Hot Aches Images.

Last Great Problems on England’s grit stone are something quite special; unclimbed lines that are talked about, looked at, and occasionally tried by the best climbers of each generation. The LGP List compiled by J Reid is well known amongst British climbers.

Pete Whittaker on the Crux of Dynamics of Change. E9 7a. Hot Aches Images.

The route that we went to film on Friday is listed under the ‘Bold and Technical’ category:

“Braille Trail Direct. Burbage South Some one will do it! Straight up the arete to the horizontal break (small Friends) then some hideously difficult climbing to gain the 'rest' on the arete of Braille Trail. Take in the rock-over crux of this but without those pegs!”

The climber we went to film was the youngest from the Whittaker clan. So young in fact, that he had to get permission to leave school early that day in order to have enough time for the climb before it got dark.

We met Pete at the crag at 4:15pm. Two hours of daylight remained.

Pete Whittaker final top rope, cutting loose, on Dynamics of Change. E9 7a. Hot Aches Images.

He swiftly got to work brushing holds and practicing the moves. His entourage arrived, mother and father on belay duty, and sister Katy to watch nervously and support.

Pete Whittaker final top rope, the crux of Brail Trail - at t he end of Dynamics of Change. E9 7a. Hot Aches Images.

As Pete tried the moves, this was the first time I had seen anyone on the line. As I watched, my jaw dropped. I could hardly believe what I was seeing. After the initial arête, the wall becomes steep. Here Pete dynos to a small hold (the point at which the arête joined Brail Trail) cutting loose, legs flying.

Effort. E9 7a. Hot Aches Images.

From here, miles above his gear, he then swings a heel up between his hands, and gradually rocks over on it. Rocks over on it. How? But somehow he was managing to. What remains ahead from this point is the final crux section of Brail Trail, but without any of the gear. Effectively soloing from this point. You might remember that this is the point at which Dave Jones falls on Brail Trail in Hard Grit.

It was 6 o’clock. Pete decided he would go for the lead. He hadn't even managed to link the moves from the dyno to the top, but he decided that he was ready. The atmostphere at the crag was tense. His family usually seem pretty blase, certainty that Pete will succeed. Today everybody was clearly concerned.

Pete Whittaker cutting loose on Dynamics of Change. E9 7a. Hot Aches Images.

As Pete climbed higher I was shaking. The other camera people were shaking. His family were shaking. And as he reached the crux Pete was shaking. Everybody was willing him not to fall off. The rock over move took an age, inch by inch he fought and grimaced and slapped and pulled. "On top-rope, on top rope" was the mantra he kept repeating as he tried to gain composure for the final crux. We could hardly watch.

Pete Whittaker on the Crux of Dynamics of Change. E9 7a. Hot Aches Images.

Pete did the final moves and pulled over the top. Relief and emotion was everywhere. Some spectators had crept up unnoticed to watch, and there was a spontanious round of applause. Pete was now dizzy and had to lie down on the top.

Pete Whittaker on Dynamics of Change. E9 7a. Hot Aches Images.

Another last great problem has fallen. A stunning line. An audacious ascent.

At just turned 17, this is surely the youngest ascent of an E9 ever.

As for the grade. It would be hard for Pete to give a bigger grade to a route with so little experience under his belt.

Pete elated on top. Lynwen Griffiths filming.

John Arran (quoted on UKC had this to say about the route)
"That's a fantastic effort by Pete. I threw a rope on it last year to look at the possibility of a Braille Trail direct start and it seemed like it may be possible for someone, but it was way too hard for me that day. It's technically at least 2 grades harder than BT and unless you're able to reach left into the BT slot for gear you'd be looking at doing the crux of BT with a possible ground fall, which would make it definitely E9 and maybe harder. Even with the BT gear it's still cutting-edge stuff." [Note that Pete wasn't able to use the gear on Brail Trail].

Katy Whittaker and Lynwen Griffiths, reflecting afterwards. Hot Aches Images.

PS. No Bouldering Mats were used to protect the landing from a fall.

Grit E7s

Grit E7s

Katy Whittaker climbing Kaluza Klein, E7 6c. Robin Hood Stride. [Hot Aches Images].

The route hungry Whittakers were back in the Peak after a trip to Spanish limestone and were waiting for good weather to get onto their latest projects.

The last time we filmed Katy she succeeded on her hardest trad route ever, flashing E6. Now she had her sights set on climbing her first E7, a Johnny Dawes route called Kaluza Klein at Robin Hood’s Stride.

E7 is a grade climbed by very few women. How many? It’s hard to be sure. Lucy Creamer, Lisa Rands, Katherine Schirrmacher, Lucinda Hughes, Airlie Anderson, maybe one or two more. A small list, and none anywhere near as young as Katy.

Ryan Pasquill belaying. [Hot Aches Images].

Coincidentally Katy’s brother Pete had climbed Kaluza in 2006 when he was just 16. In fact his intention had been to onsight it, but he settled instead for a very quick head-point. Also at the time Pete had spotted an ‘unclimbed’ line on the arête to the right of Kaluza, and after some research (and cleaning) it seems that the first ascent was indeed up for grabs.

The team had recruited a new belayer for the day. The usual custodian of the ropes was Jill, their mother. Pete explained though that Jill wasn’t particularly happy when the belay duties required stage diving off the ledge, in order to take in enough slack to stop the climber hitting the ground. Ryan Pasquill seemed far more at home in performing this particular role.

Katy was up first, the epitome of cool and collected. “Far more nervous playing Mario against Pete [than now]…” apparently.

Katy Whittaker climbing Kaluza Klein, E7 6c. Robin Hood Stride. [Hot Aches Images].

The ascent was swift. A ‘big moment’ near the top when a Katy didn’t get a hold right - she span out rightwards – a moment of decision for the jumping belayer? - then she got it right, reached up, and pulled over the top.

Captain Calamity
Next up was Pete, who was equally matter of fact the ascent ahead of him.

Pete Whittaker on the first ascent of Captain Calamity, E7 6c. Robin Hood Stride. [Hot Aches Images].

Pete Whittaker on the first ascent of Captain Calamity, E7 6c. Robin Hood Stride. [Hot Aches Images].

After lots of brushing he headed off and totally cruised Captain Calamity.

Pete Whittaker after the first ascent of Captain Calamity, E7 6c. Robin Hood Stride. [Hot Aches Images].

"Hard E7" (E7 6c) was the verdict. Another impressive first ascent from the the very keen youth.

Glen Nevis

Time perhaps for a brief teaser of what we have in store for Committed 2.

We recently visited Glen Nevis in Scotland to catch up with Dave MacLeod. We went up the glen to a superb new bouldering venue first discovered by John Watson. One bloc alone promises at least three major hard new lines; the best probably at font 8b+ (V14).


On our second day of filming, Dave had become more excited than I recall ever seen him before. He had just unlocked a sequence of moves on the hardest line, using an Egyptian to stabilise him as he threw for a non existant hold.

I was impressed, but only just.

Let's face it. There isn't a single hard route or boulder problem that Dave has ever climbed without using at least one Egyptian. In fact, if I had been paying more attention, I might well have suggested, 'why don't you try an Egyptian?' But no, Dave was excited. Very excited. Totally animated, in fact. On the threshold (or at least at the solution) to a world class bouldering ascent.

What happened next...







Music by Chris Hall - AKA DJ b-burg
http://www.myspace.com/beeburg
http://www.adventuresound.com/


Terminal? Way too early to say. But if it wasn't Font 8b+ before then it certainly is now. Such setbacks are part of the deal when making first ascents. At least Dave has the consolation of pursuing his climbing dreams at one of the most beautiful locations on the planet.

Grit Kids

'Grit Kids'

The Cowperstone. Pete Whittaker attempting Warm Love, E6 7a. Hot Aches Images

Filming for the new movie is progressing at a pace with some major ascents already captured. The Hot Aches team had been throwing some ideas around and decided that now would be a good time is to take our cameras to look at the new generation of strong climbers emerging in Britain. James Pearson might have been a ‘Keen Youth’ not so long ago, but now, at 22 ,he is virtually the elder statesman. (sorry James). So the film crew headed to one of our regular filming venues, England’s Peak District, for what turned out to be one of our most exhausting filming trips ever.

The Cowperstone. Pete Whittaker high kicking on the crux of Warm Love, E6 7a. Hot Aches Images

The Whittakers are already quite well known in British climbing circles. Katy Whittaker has been climbing since she was 6 and now, still very youthful, is the British bouldering (senior) champion. Rumour has it that she is quite handy on the grit too.

Younger brother Pete has also been establishing his credentials with some very significant ascents. Last year, at 16 years of age, he climbed several E7s and last month he made the significant first ascent of an unfinished Johhny Dawes project known as Grandad Slab - which is the direct finish to Brail Trail, at Burbage South. Other more esoteric achievements include the second ascent of the complete traverse of Stanage Edge (3 miles?) Ron Fawcett set the mark for this in 1990, with a time of 6 hours. Pete was a little slower, blaming his speed on having forgotten to take with him any sandwiches or drink for the day.

Our weekend started at The Cowperstone. Pete’s objective was to climb Warm Love, a Johhny Dawes route from 1995. The guidebook describes the crux section thus:

“involves a dynamic throw for a heel smear to reach the pebble. Brilliant! Unrepeated?”

In fact, Ben Bransby sneaked in the second ascent quite recently. The route was originally graded E7 7b. The current guidebook says E6 7a. Either way, that translates to ‘safe - but virtually impossible’. Seriously, the elusive grade of ‘British 7b’ has hardly ever been touted for a route in Britain before.

The Cowperstone. a flexible Pete Whittaker on the crux of Warm Love, E6 7a. Hot Aches Images

I won’t give too much away. The film of this is certainly worth waiting for. However, I will say that all of the attempts and then the subsequent ascent bore witness to some of the most fantastic footage that we have ever filmed; extreme contortions of both body and face in a gut wrenching orgy of sheer damn effort. It was fantastic climbing, and especially so from a man this young.

Sister Katy didn’t fancy a go at this one herself... She had other projects in her sights, and so we headed swiftly on to Burbage South where she and Pete warmed up by soloing a rapid succession of routes between E2s and an E5. Mum Jill watched on quite nonchalantly as her kids ticked off route upon route, several of which would have represented a lifetime ambition for most of us.

Then swiftly on to the Katy’s objective, Nosferatu E6 6b. Apparently Pete had blown the ‘onsight’ of this a while ago, by jumping off low down when things went wrong, and then rolling down the hill. When we arrived I looked at the clutter of boulders beneath the route and wondered just how good your aim would have to be to successfully dismount from above that.

Katy Whittaker contemplating Nosferatu E6 6b. Hot Aches Images.

Katy has onsighted E5 and ‘headpointed’ E6 before. But to ‘flash’ E6 – (to have information about the moves, but to climb first go without pre-practice), this would be her hardest climb to date. Furthermore, the route involves a dyno at the top, which the British bouldering champion declared is the one type of move that she is ‘rubbish at’.

Katy Whittaker at the top of Nosferatu E6 6b. Hot Aches Images

Katy was on good form and moved swiftly through the unprotected first half. The dyno move at the top took more consideration. She tried static several times, climbing up and down before launching for the finishing jug. A first female E6 ‘flash’ on grit? Possibly, but hard female ascents are often missed in climbing news. So quite possibly not. Maybe Lisa Rands or Lucy Creamer has managed the same? Regardless, it was a fantastic ascent on a very classic line.

The climbing for the day still wasn’t over. Pete ticked of Pebble Mill, E5 6b before the light disappeared, and the camera crew hobbled home exhausted.

Next day the plan was an early start back to Cowperstone before the sun wreaked its havoc on the precious gritstone friction. We were back here because Pete had kept flying off the day before. When we left the car park this morning the temperature was -2c. How cold does it need to be for these Grit Kids? Oddly enough, Pete had failed to climb the route the week before because his fingers were too cold. However, now the sun was now on the dark rock, and it was warming up fast. So for Pete, after a quick top rope practice there was probably time for just one attempt before the friction disappeared completely. It was all a great rush, but he grimaced every single ounce of effort, and topped out with a beaming smile.

The Cowperstone. Pete Whittaker succeding on the crux of Warm Love, E6 7a. Hot Aches Images

9.30am and the route was already in the bag. One of the film crew voted for a pub lunch, but it was way too early for English pubs to be open, and it was also Katy’s turn once more. The other major climb on her list was West Side Story, a classic V9 at Burbage North.

The film crew were in luck at last. We were at the crag so early that the line was still in the sun. Nothing to be done, but doze for a couple of hours.

Katy Whittaker on West Side Story, V9. Burbage North. Hot Aches Images.

West Side Story has been climbed by a few women in the past, but apparently none of them finished directly up the highball continuation. Once the sun moved off, Pete and Katy were both trying the problem,

Pete Whittaker on West Side Story, V9. Burbage North. Hot Aches Images.

but this time it was Katy that latched the dyno, and with no hesitation she continued on upwards. ‘I would have got so much flack [from some particular Lancashire climber] if I hadn’t done the direct finish’.

Katy Whittaker on West Side Story, V9. Burbage North. Hot Aches Images.