The Climb on HBO

Don Frijoles wrote:

Ok, time for predictions!

Who has Prana already chosen to be their next ambassador?

I mean ... who is going to win the competition because they are the strongest climber?

I'm thinking it's going to be the guy from Southern California (don't remember his name but he'll be famous soon enough.) He's so strong, how could he lose?

Dom is already a La Sportiva Athlete prior to coming on the show I believe - you'll notice he's wearing LS in every shot. As a whole, most of the folks who are left are already pretty established at the 5.13-5.14- range. Alice, for example, had already sent a couple 5.14a before coming on the show I think.

They were careful not to say the climber have to place "all" their own protection. Close viewing will show not only preplaced cams, but the occasional bolt as well. Liability concerns presumably.

What a bunch of haters. 

This is definitely the most fun I've had watching a reality show. Its fun rooting for the contestants and predicting who will keep it together and who will crumble under the pressure. The scenery is beautiful. The climbing sequences give me the palm sweats and make me want to train harder. And travel more.

Good for Chris, Jason M and everyone who put the show together. I'm glad HBO took the chance and I'd definitely watch a second season. 

OldRag Rockswrote:

What a bunch of haters. 

This is definitely the most fun I've had watching a reality show. Its fun rooting for the contestants and predicting who will keep it together and who crumble under the pressure. The scenery is beautiful. The climbing sequences give me the palms sweats and make me want to train harder. And travel more.

Good for Chris, Jason M and everyone who put the show together. I'm glad HBO took the chance and I'd definitely watch a second season. 

No see, it's cool not to like it. You gotta hate all climbing media that was made AFTER you started climbing; that's how this works.

OldRag Rockswrote:

What a bunch of haters. 

This is definitely the most fun I've had watching a reality show. Its fun rooting for the contestants and predicting who will keep it together and who crumble under the pressure. The scenery is beautiful. The climbing sequences give me the palms sweats and make me want to train harder. And travel more.

Good for Chris, Jason M and everyone who put the show together. I'm glad HBO took the chance and I'd definitely watch a second season. 

I’d agree if it wasn’t scripted and the outcome predetermined. Oh wait that’s all reality tv.

Can we at least agree that anyone able to watch this is privileged? If you do it in your sprinter, it's even worse. 

Matthew Jaggerswrote:

Can we at least agree that anyone able to watch this is privileged?

Can we agree that anyone not able to use watchseries is smooth brained?

Adam blocwrote:

Can we agree that anyone not able to use watchseries is smooth brained?

I agree

Matthew Jaggerswrote:

Can we at least agree that anyone able to watch this is privileged? If you do it in your sprinter, it's even worse. 

Can we at least agree that this is completely irrelevant to the conversation?

Matthew Jaggerswrote:

Can we at least agree that anyone able to watch this is privileged? If you do it in your sprinter, it's even worse. 

Privileged compared to whom?  Bezos or a citizen from the Central African Republic or, ahem, Ukraine?  Yes, all Americans to some degree, even the homeless ones are privileged compared to someone else in the world.  This lens of looking at things is activist in nature and just shy of inane and absolutely pointless.  We now are aware of your freedom fighter for the oppressed status.   Congratulations on a successful virtue signal to other inane, like-minded individuals.

Dan Dwrote:

No see, it's cool not to like it. You gotta hate all climbing media that was made AFTER you started climbing; that's how this works.

It's all gone downhill since Dosage V.

Jake Joneswrote:

Privileged compared to whom?  Bezos or a citizen from the Central African Republic or, ahem, Ukraine?  Yes, all Americans to some degree, even the homeless ones are privileged compared to someone else in the world.  This lens of looking at things is activist in nature and just shy of inane and absolutely pointless.  We now are aware of your freedom fighter for the oppressed status.   Congratulations on a successful virtue signal to other inane, like-minded individuals.

and on today’s episode, two of you will be eliminated…

Don Frijoles wrote:

Did anyone notice there is an excessive amount of foot slipping when a contestant is struggling through a section? It seems artificial and added for dramatic effect. That's what non-climbers would expect difficulty to look like, but in reality the struggle is usually less dramatic fiddling with sequences, long periods of shaking out, etc.

Not being a hater, but I can't enjoy the climbing footage because so much of it is so obviously not real climbing.

If you watch closely (as my 12 year old comp kid does), there is a LOT of repeating of the same section, out-of-sequence clips, etc. Also not hating on the show. We enjoy it. It's not a real competition, it's a reality show, and the target audience is non-climbers. But spotting the mainstream editorial tricks and decisions is part of the viewing fun. We KNEW they wouldn't acutally let them climb without preplaced gear. They alway preclip two pieces, and then along the way they clearly have some scheme to make sure that even if they place bad pro they won't deck. In one place even a bolt next to the crack. :)

Andrew Ricewrote:

100 Foot Wave is an HBO thing and it was awesome. 

Agree, that's my point: most of HBO offerings are quality. HBO does lots of things that are awesome. I don't think the Climb is one of them but mostly it just seems out of place. Not necessarily bad, just on the wrong platform, and hence audience. But what do I know? I don't know shit, it was just a passing observation.

But I really think you're meaning to compare the 100 Foot Wave to The Climb, no, and justify it being on HBO? If so, the 100 Foot wave is a documentary with interesting characters and a theme of a grand passion and challenge, not a reality show that's an American Ninja Warrior knockoff meets any number of formulas we've seen before (Survivor, Bachelor, Amazing Race, etc.). 100 Foot Wave has soul, something that's always been integral in climbing and that's missing in The Climb.

Max Rwrote:

It's all gone downhill since Dosage V. Progression 

Fixed it for ya 

Heyzeuswrote:

Agree, that's my point: most of HBO offerings are quality. HBO does lots of things that are awesome. I don't think the Climb is one of them but mostly it just seems out of place. Not necessarily bad, just on the wrong platform, and hence audience. But what do I know? I don't know shit, it was just a passing observation.

There are more "reality" shows on HBO Max than a lot of folks here realize:

https://reelgood.com/tv/genre/reality/on-hbo_max

https://screenrant.com/hbo-max-fun-reality-shows/

Marc801 Cwrote:

There are more "reality" shows on HBO Max than a lot of folks here realize:

https://reelgood.com/tv/genre/reality/on-hbo_max

https://screenrant.com/hbo-max-fun-reality-shows/

Thanks! I had no idea.

I always think of HBO as The Sopranos, Game of Thrones, Westworld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Wire, Six Feet Under, etc.

I was ignorant.

I like it

Ignore the reality TV crap, at the end of the day, climbers have to be, well climbers and dig deep 

Still looking for a legal way to watch this without subscribing to HBO. Anyone?

Made it through three episodes so far. The worst is the editing of all the climbing to 5 second segments.

e.g. Climber grabs starting holds, cut to 15 seconds of chatter by Chris, back to climber, now 10 feet up the wall, watch them grab one new hold, cut to the team cheering them on, back to climber, now 30 feet up at the crux, elvis leg for 2 seconds and peel off.  I get that they need to edit for time, and who wants to watch 30 seconds of indecision, but after three episodes I have no idea how any of these guys climb, and I am losing interest quickly.