Valley Uprising: Documentary or Entertainment Film?

It's a documentary, but not the type OP was looking for.

While there is some interesting history presented, the film was more about climber culture in Yosemite, than climbing in Yosemite.

Laron Lemon wrote:I went into the movie hoping to learn more about who set what routes, what kind of work/time they had to log to complete the problems...

Sounds like you want to hear about gym routes on artificial walls. And boulder problems. You know, the things that make Yosemite special.

Man i want some of that weed that would blow up from the gas! despite the fact that it was submerged underwater, then aired out to dry; must have been some strong... gas?

Shaun Johnson wrote:Man i want some of that weed that would blow up from the gas!

Not a complicated recipe.

Take weed.

Add gas.

Done.

Gunkiemike wrote: Sounds like you want to hear about gym routes on artificial walls. And boulder problems. You know, the things that make Yosemite special.

Not at all. Trad lines, Aid lines. Multipitch spectacles that are absolutely amazing. Not a montage of Alex Honnold Free soloing, or the hippie antics of the 60's and 70's. Where is the climbing porn?! Do you know of any documentaries about the history of Western climbing (U.S)? I am genuinely interested in more climbing history ever since a friend sent me a video some guy created for Joe's Valley. (:

Brian L. wrote:It's a documentary, but not the type OP was looking for. While there is some interesting history presented, the film was more about climber culture in Yosemite, than climbing in Yosemite.

"Assault on El Capitan" is not a bad film, also provides a lot of insight into Yosemite climber culture.

amarius wrote: "Assault on El Capitan" is not a bad film, also provides a lot of insight into Yosemite climber culture.

Thanks man. Feel free to let me know of any others. I want to nerd out on some climbing history. (: A friend told me to read Pilgrims of the Vertical, and it appears to be a really good start. Cheers.

Brian L. wrote:It's a documentary, but not the type OP was looking for. While there is some interesting history presented, the film was more about climber culture in Yosemite, than climbing in Yosemite.

Although the film was entertaining, I was disappointed in the lack of history, and the number of routes covered, especially the feats of female climbers.

What films or books do you know about? Thank you!

Laron Lemon wrote: Not at all. Trad lines, Aid lines. Multipitch spectacles that are absolutely amazing. Not a montage of Alex Honnold Free soloing, or the hippie antics of the 60's and 70's. Where is the climbing porn?! Do you know of any documentaries about the history of Western climbing (U.S)? I am genuinely interested in more climbing history ever since a friend sent me a video some guy created for Joe's Valley. (:

This is a great book about the history of climbing in North America:

amazon.com/Climbing-North-A…;ie=UTF8&qid=1464812377&sr=1-1&keywords=climbing+in+north+america

It does, however, require the task of reading!

FrankPS wrote: This is a great book about the history of climbing in North America: amazon.com/Climbing-North-A…;ie=UTF8&qid=1464812377&sr=1-1&keywords=climbing+in+north+america It does, however, require the task of reading!

A book!? What kind of ancient crap is that? If it cannot be summed up into a video that is less than two hours, with at least some type of dramatized, exaggerated conflict, I want nothing to do with it.

Sarcasm aside, thank you. (:

A friend told me about Pilgrims of the Vertical. I am going to pick that one up too, when I get more doll hairs. (:

Mark E Dixon wrote:Been discussed a couple of times already- mountainproject.com/v/valle… mountainproject.com/v/reel-… @EmCos- Looks like a painful fall in your educational film.

Thanks man!

For a climbing documentary it was awesome. Very Stacy Peralta feel. The area has too much history to cover everything. I thought it was great. Really showed the establishment of the place.

I have watched this documentary at least 15 times, bought it before it was available for free. It motivates me. There's no way it could be a comprehensive history of climbing at Yosemite, but it does capture the culture and mood of the day. And that is where the roots of this sport lie, which is not in the mainstream, so I love it.

I was also disappointed by this film. Not enough climbing to be fun-to-watch, yet the human interactions were so overly simplified to be suitable for mass consumption that it isn't a quality drama/documentary either. A caricature of reality that didn't engage me at all. I can't think of any reason to watch it a second time. I barely had to pay attention the first time to follow the boring much-repeated-in-the-climbing-literature story line. Certainly didn't learn anything new, or gain any perspective that had even an inch of depth.

Funny also how the peacocks get so much attention in this film, but the people I'd rather hear the opinions of don't have anything to say that belongs in this tightly edited film.

On the upside, I didn't have to pay to watch it.

Great movie. We forget that climbing is above all else, fun. This movie was fun, exciting, and reasonably informative about Valley climbing,

The book Camp 4 is a complete bore. It's there if you need it.

Best climbing video ever..... should have won an Oscar.

LA premier... was sold out, thats 7,000 seats! I was crushed to be turned away!

And Laron, if you really want to know who "set" the routes. Start reading Guide Books, I suggest you pick the oldest ones first. Read up on how climb X was established and by who and when. Some names will start to stand out....Kor, Wiessner, Robbins, Pratt, Durance, the Conns .... lots of people.

I don't think VU was meant to be a "complete history of the Valley". Because it is really a partial history of the StoneMasters and SOME of the climbers who followed and "live the life"

Guy Keesee wrote:...if you really want to know who "set" the routes. Start reading Guide Books, I suggest you pick the oldest ones first. Read up on how climb X was established and by who and when. Some names will start to stand out....Kor, Wiessner, Robbins, Pratt, Durance, the Conns .... lots of people.

You might also notice how much more adventurous and vague the descriptions were in those old guidebooks. Hardly the move by move and this is the exact rack you'll need topos of today.

One line from Steve Roper's guide to the Valley has always exemplified this for me: "Wander left and upwards 400 - 500 feet following indistinct cracks and flakes, aiming for a ledge with a bush on it on the skyline, below a right leaning corner."

Of course when you get there you realize there are multiple ledges with bushes on them and 3 or 4 right leaning corners.

Oh, and "setting" routes is what's done in the gyms.

Marc801 wrote: Oh, and "setting" routes is what's done in the gyms.

Several people have made similar comments, and I disagree. Has Chris Sharma never set a route? Has Adam Ondra never climbed those routes he set? And set his own? I think he did. Also, those crack climbs you mentioned, that a guide book was written for, why do you not consider those routes being set by Harding or whoever else? Were they not the first to climb it, and document it? I am genuinely curious about your position, and look forward to your response. (: Cheers.

I thought it was a great movie. Not sure what category it belongs but who cares. Yes, it covers a lot of the well known highlights from the last 50 years and doesn't cover a lot of lesser known events but the movie can only be so long. It would be a 900 hour movie if they included everything!! It tried to show not only the climbing aspects of the people and periods but also the context within America at those times. It seems to me Laron Lemon just didn't care much for the 'subculture' stuff. Kinda makes me wonder why he is even here and/or climbing... Climbing is nothing but a subculture and Yosemite climbing has and will always be a subculture within the subculture of climbing. Laron, you probably don't smoke 'tons of weed' so you probably won't get it.. Anyone who was there (in time and/or location) will understand it as it was meant to be. Out of curiosity, Laron, can you please list some climbing movies that you think are better? VU wasn't meant to teach you anything, buy a book or take some lessons...

Laron Lemon wrote: Several people have made similar comments, and I disagree. Has Chris Sharma never set a route? Has Adam Ondra never climbed those routes he set? And set his own? I think he did. Also, those crack climbs you mentioned, that a guide book was written for, why do you not consider those routes being set by Harding or whoever else? Were they not the first to climb it, and document it? I am genuinely curious about your position, and look forward to your response. (: Cheers.

Hmm, maybe "several people have made similar comments" because you are wrong. Please tell us which outdoor crags you frequent where the verb for "to establish a new route" is commonly accepted as "set."