 |
|
 |
Urban Climber Mag Reviews
Urban Climber Mag welcomes print, photo, and DVD material for our Reviews department, both online and in print. Please contact Justin.Roth@skrammedia.com for more information.
|
|||
 To the Limit
By Mike Adamson - Thirty-one pitches and 2,900 vertical feet climbed in just 2:45:45—watch as the über-strong Huber brothers (Alexander and Thomas) push themselves To the Limit ($29.95, firstrunfeatures.com) to set what in 2007 was then the speed record for the Nose of El Capitan.  With Bare Hands: The Story of the Human Spider
Alain Robert, the world famous free soloist has just released his autobiography, With Bare Hands: the story of the Human Spider (published by Maverick House Publishers). The French "Spiderman's", biography will have you clutching each page, holding on and hardly able to breathe, as he tells tales of clinging to giant buildings. Order it from Amazon.com HERE.  Dosage V Review
If you haven't picked up the new Dosage V DVD, or gone to one of the premier events, you're really missing out. Not only do you get to see Beth Rodden make the first ascent of Meltdown (5.14c), you get to watch Chris Sharma get shut down on his new ridiculous 5.15/9b project.  Way of the Warrior
By Chris Weidner - I wish I could do one-armed pull-ups like the 16-year-olds at the gym. Then maybe – just maybe – I could send my damn project. On the other hand, physical strength is just one aspect of rock climbing. Mental strength is also crucial. Unfortunately, most of us have only a vague understanding of what this means. Arno Ilgner’s audiobook, The Rock Warrior’s Way: Mental Training for Climbers ($29.95, warriorsway.com), helps remedy that.  Underdeveloped
By Matt Samet - Allah be praised for the streamlined, simple climbing film — it's a welcome relief. Showcasing the principal Irish cragging areas of the Mourne Mountains, the seacliffs of the Burren and Fairhead, and the boulders of Glendalough, the spirited Underdeveloped (£17.99, underdevelopedireland.com ) is, in the words of the filmmakers, "...simply a story of a bunch of friends from Belfast who went climbing. ..."  Where the Wild Things Climb
By Kristin Bjornsen - If you want back-bumper belaying, noisy crowds, and dirt-free routes, the Adirondacks are not for you. This upper-New York State park makes you work for its treasure of slabs, splitters, and blocs, with half the climbing lying wild and isolated more than a half-hour from the road.  Clear Creek Canyon Rock Climbs
By Kristin Bjornsen - Just 20 minutes from Denver, Clear Creek Canyon serves up more than 400 routes, several of them testpieces authored by the likes of Peter Beal, Tommy Caldwell, Kurt Smith, and Daniel Woods. The stylish Clear Creek Canyon Rock Climbs ($28, sharpendbooks.com ) gives you the inside scoop on all of them.  The Ultimate Euro Tour Guide
By Kristin Bjornsen - Welcome to the Euro tour, with stops at Malta, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. Your guide will be the South Western Europe & Morocco Rock Climbing Atlas ($38.95, rockclimbingatlas.com )  Spray Review
Review by Justin Roth - The chillaxed vibes of Northern California's beaches and inland crags set the tone for Brian Solano's new film, Spray ($29.95; spraymovie.com). The movie opens with shots of beach bouldering and surfing in Humboldt County, an area that serves as a sort of base for the climbers (the film is broken up into geographic segments, and the climbers continually return to the mellow, sandy area).  Yoga for Climbers
Review by Matt Samet - I'm a fair-to-middling yoga bumbler, but have been to enough classes to do a passable Downward Dog and have come to appreciate this ancient practice as a low-impact healing and wellness tool nonpareil.  Rock Jocks, Wall Rats and Hang Dogs
Book review by Tim Pendleton - Have you ever wanted to sleep hanging hundreds of feet above the ground off of a sky hook? If this sounds like your bag you might want to pick up Rock Jocks, Wall Rats and Hang Dogs (1994) by John Long. If you don't know who John Long is you might want to find out.  California Dreamin'
My limited time bouldering in California involved sweat-soaked approaches through unwieldy manzanita only to reach holdless slabs or too-sunny, splitter-cracked highballs. I would've preferred that rabid dogs eat my pancreas, truthfully, than motivate.  Sherman Exposed: Slightly Censored Climbing Stories
I can almost guarantee if you sit down to read the first two pages while drinking a beer (which is probably in good style), beer will come streaming out your nose. I know it did mine, that bartender was pissed. And two things will happen: you will learn who The Vermin is and why you should listen to what he has to say. |
|
Copyright 2008 Skram Media LLC, All rights reserved.