After swiping my Dad's Hi-8 camera at the age of 18 to shoot some of the scruffy climbing around Salt Lake City, I filled tape after tape of pretty rough footage. Occasionally, I'd get lucky and catch something cool, like a first ascent or a new area we had found. Unfortunately, I had more psyche than skill behind the camera. But what I lacked in camera steadiness I tried to make up for by capturing the "real" moments that I was seeing.

I first heard of Chris Sharma right about the time I was helping to get Pusher off the ground as a start up hold company. A friend of mine, who was a very talented climber, came back from a big comp in California where everyone was blown away by this kid from Santa Cruz, campusing up the finals route and demoralizing most of the field.
"I'm done. I've seen the future and I am no part of it. This kid was on a whole new level." He friend told us.

Tommy Caldwell and Chris had blown through Logan Canyon and Rifle hiking most of the hard routes in 1995, so I knew he had skills. I got word that he was going to be in the Virgin River Gorge, trying Boone Speed's direct start to "Route of All Evil", so Boone and I grabbed our kits and rolled south.

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What happened next changed my future. It was around 75 degrees and dead still. Chris was a skinny kid with strong hands, smiling and polite, but not too confident about his chances in the heat. He got on a 5.11 warm up and had to stop and hang at every other bolt, he was so pumped.
"This kid is the future?" I asked myself. Boone looked at me with a raised eyebrow. He wasn't sold either.
But I dutifully got into position and filmed as he started to fondle the starting crimps, and something changed in his demeanor. Movements became precise; holds looked bigger when he grabbed them; there was no doubt in him. He put up the first 14c by an American that day, one that still commands respect today.

The next week he told me he wanted to go to Smith Rocks to try "Just Do It", which had only seen 2 ascents, none by an American.

I told Dave and Rob at Pusher that they would have to hold things down at the shop; I was a believer.

The footage of this is part of a "Flashback" series MVM is doing. For more from the old Pusher videos, check out a copy of the Matt Lund Tribute Video, available Oct. 1 through the MVM store. All proceeds go directly to the Matt Lund Fund (www.mattlundfund.com).

-MC

Award-winning climbing filmmaker, Paul Dusatko along with EVOLV release Integrity 7's 6th climbing DVD: "Bouldering 101 With Matt Birch."

Bouldering 101 is the follow up to the best-selling instructional DVD "Sport Climbing 101 With Chris Lindner." Hosted by UK mega cranker, Matt Birch, Bouldering 101 covers everything from spotting to projecting. Like SC 101, the DVD is ideal for both newbies and seasoned road apples as Matt shares his tips to sending everything from V0 to V14.

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Bouldering 101 With Matt Birch releasing September 7th, 2008 The one and only bouldering instructional DVD.... Learn how to Boulder with one of the most accomplished boulderers in the world!

Bouldering 101 DVD Includes easy to navigate chapters including:
* Bouldering Vocabulary & Equipment
* Ratings & Grades
* Basics of Bouldering: Climber
* Basics of Bouldering: Spotter
* Becoming a Better Climber
* Training Tips
* Bouldering Ethics
* Bonus Features including footage of Matt Birch climbing some of the top rated boulder problems in the world including Chris Sharma’s iconic problem, The Mandala, V12
And much more….
Shot on location at the Buttermilk Boulders - Bishop, CA

Check out the samples we put on MVM today.

-MC

We got word from Chuck Odette via Joe Kinder that Chris Sharma visited Maple last weekend. He didn't just do well- he onsighted two of the hardest routes there, without any trickery, beta or kneepads.

Here's what Chuck had to say:

"I was in Maple on Sat. when Chris "on sighted" Devine Fury (14b). Took him 23-24 minutes to do the route. He had to YELL a lot to get through the crux which I'm guessing he made 14c or 14d by missing the "approved" sequences with no knee bars, scums or even drop knees.
Pretty much straight on one-armed his way through the crux section mid-way out.

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photo: John Evans


"Chris on sighted T-Rex (14b) on Thursday and didn't even know what it was. He called me Thursday night and described it to me. I came down on Saturday to confirm it. He said it was really pumpy. On Friday, he was a little tired so he on sighted Sprout (13a/b), Toxic Turkey (13b/c)and Whole Shot (13d/14a) and I think Squeal Like a Pig (13b)."

Considering Chris's recent ascent of "Jumbo Love", his fitness could be at an all time high and onsighting .14b (or c or d) should be right about the level you would expect- a number below his redpoint limit.

Great effort. And only the beginning of what could be an on-sighting spree in the US as conditions get good and no more long term projects to bog him down... for now.

-MC

Jon Cardwell completed Kinematix, his first 5.14d/9a at Gorges Du Loup in France.  Kinematix was put up by Andreas Bindhammer in 2001.  There has been some controversey over this route due to it being the most repeated 9a in the world and the grade has been questioned.  The fact that the cliff is very acessable with little hiking surely aids in the many repetitions.  (note: Gorges Du Loup is widely known for it's gym-like-manufactured routes)

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Dave Graham completed his nemesi Lung Fish 14b/8c as well as the first onsight of Gropius which was 8b but since holds have broken, may be considered 8b+.  Time will tell.  

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Ethan Pringle had a great week in Rifle as well with ascents of Girl Talk 8c+, which he put on 8a.nu as 8c and made a one day ascent of Matt Segal's Arangutan Overhang which Ethan claims is more like 8b than 8b+.

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Carlo Traversi with VERY little hard route experience had an amazing weekend with ascents of Simply Read 8b, Benign Intervention 8c, and Girl Talk 8c+.

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Sources: Niceclimbing.com, 8a.nu