Pilgrimage DVD 000 by Josh Lowell Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've long been a big fan of Josh Lowell's climbing videos (www.bigupproductions.com). They are the best bouldering DVDs out there. Pilgrimage is good but doesn't quite live up to the standard set by Josh's earlier videos Rampage and Dosage in terms of pure climbing footage.
One explanation is that the climbers were hit hard with stomach illnesses. You can see them dehydrated and gaunt. But they climb on. And tear apart beautiful problems.
The production value of Pilgrimage is much better than previous BigUp DVDs (no more shaky handy-cams). And there's even a story line!
We get to see the return of Katie Brown (a child climbing phenom who was thought to be the best female competition climber in the world at the age of 17 and first female to on-sight a 5.13d) to the limelight and hear her story of why she dropped out of the climbing scene for so many years. We hear Sharma talk about his rise to fame and dealing with his icon status. And we get to see them search for and climb hard problems in Hampi, India.
If you've already seen Rampage and Dosage, then Pilgrimage will be a great addition to your collection of climbing movies. The scenery and footage are gorgeous. The problems are burly. I just wish there was a bit more pure climbing footage and a bit more footage of Katie Brown's climbing style.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Pilgrimage DVD 000 by Josh Lowell

Click here for more information about Pilgrimage DVD 000 by Josh Lowell

Read More...

The Man Who Skied Down Everest Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Winner of the 1975 Best Documentary Oscar©, and certainly among the greatest adventure documentaries of all time, THE MAN WHO SKIED DOWN EVEREST (Image) might also be the first extreme Zen film.
The opening, widescreen shot shows Everest (29,002') through a gap in the clouds just as the morning sun hits the forbidding peak. And then this quote: "Throughout time, mas has aspired to great heights in search of peace of mind and a quiet heart. This is the story of such a man..."
The man in question is Yuichiro Miura, poet, adventurer and world champion skier (he set a speed record). The film follows his audacious attempt to ski down the upper slopes of Everest. The film, shot in 35MM Panavision, begins in Katmandu where 800 porters begin a trek of 185 miles with 27 tons of equipment.
Along the way, Miura visits Sir Edmund Hillary, who, in 1953, was the first climber (with his Sherpa partner Tenzing Norgay) to conquer Everest and return. Hillary says, "When we stop looking for challenges, human beings will be in a very bad way."
The poetic Miura is quoted as saying, "The challenge of the peaks is the challenge of life itself: To always struggle higher." Later he's quoted again: "We have wandered from the paths of the wind and become children of fear."
After trekking 185 miles across the high passes to Tibet and the base of Everest they take on 400 Sherpas. It takes another 40 days to traverse the next three miles.
Exquisitely photographed in beautifully composed shots, the breathtaking vistas are a dance of light and shadow and the memorable, poetic thoughts of Miura as he acclimates for his high altitude challenge in his "life of adventure to escape the labyrinth of the city."
During the treacherous climb, death claims six team members as they cross an icefall. About a thousand feet from the summit, Miura dons his skis, and with oxygen and a parachute, begins his descent. Zooming, almost free-falling, over ice and rock, he travel upright almost a mile and half. And then it happens. The wind knocks him off balance, he hits a big rock and falls, skidding, bouncing, across rocky ridges, skipping like a stone for 1,320 feet. He is stopped by a snowfield seconds away from the sure death of the Bergshrund Crevasse.
I have never seen a movie anything like this. If you have a big, widescreen TV, the pristine, high resolution images of this exotic place and extreme challenge will fill your field of vision and bend your mind until it literally takes your breath away during the last five minutes. This is an ultimate armchair adventure.


Click Here to see more reviews about: The Man Who Skied Down Everest

Click here for more information about The Man Who Skied Down Everest

Read More...

A Day In The Life; 5 Women Who Rock Climb Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)A beautifully created real-life mini documentary of 5 woman climbers who's lives have forever been changed by one of the most extreme adrenaline sports, Rock Climbing.
Whether you desire to rock climb, or to go outside of your comfort zone to experience something you've always dreamed of, this DVD will inspire you on every level possible. A must have for ALL woman!

Click Here to see more reviews about: A Day In The Life; 5 Women Who Rock Climb

The one and only climbing video about the LADIES. Paul Dusatko's directing efforts in A Day In The Lifeuncover the parallels between sending a climb and overcoming the obstacles of real life. A Day In The Lifeintimately enters the lives of 5 women climbers; Beth Rodden, Tiffany Campbell, Stephanie Forte , Roxanna Brock, and Brandi Proffitt. Each woman represents a different age, personality, and lifestyle. From the 40-hour office cubicles, to the 1,000-foot walls of Red Rocks, Nevada , their inner strengthand determination create a story of hope and inspiration.Featuring the first female ascents of Lurking Fear 5.13c, Soul Train 5.14a, and Cholos V9.

Click here for more information about A Day In The Life; 5 Women Who Rock Climb

Read More...

Dosage V Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I purchased this video to use in a Sports Literature class at the high school level to illustrate teamwork in a sport that might seem more of a solo-activity. The students--non-climbers--and I were blown away by the level of climbing on display. The exotic locations give the video a higher level of interest than some of the competing videos I've seen (the China footage had a fun edge to it as well), and the inclusion of Beth Rodden, who climbs at a level most male climbers can only dream of, was an excellent decision. The senior boys were very impressed that a girl with such a girlish voice was doing something most of them would never dare in a million years.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Dosage V

Dosage V combines gorgeous cinematography from Emmy Award-winning cameramen Josh and Brett Lowell with a progressive soundtrack and tight editing to transport the viewer to Yosemite, China, Arkansas, Spain, Colorado, and New England to witness the year's most outstanding climbing accomplishments. Highlights include: Beth Rodden's first ascent of Meltdown (5.14c), one of the hardest traditional routes in the world; Chris Sharma's next-level sport climbing projects in Catalunya, Spain; And young-guns Daniel Woods and Paul Robinson pushing the limits of bouldering in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.Dosage V because it includes footage of Beth Rodden working on a 75 foot seam up a slightly overhanging wall next to a thundering waterfall. After forty days of effort, Beth made the route's first ascent, naming it Meltdown and calling it the hardest climb she's ever done.

Click here for more information about Dosage V

Read More...

Higher Ambitions Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Just watched the new video last night and I highly recommend it. I'm pretty jaded when it comes to mountaineering films - too much Hollywood, and too many 'content-free' films. This is neither. A compelling story, fantastic footage, and a sense of realism that's missing from most climbing films.
I just came back from the Himalaya (Tibet) myself, and can say that Higher Ambitions captures the 'feel' of climbing in China.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Higher Ambitions

Two years in the making, Higher Ambitions captures a relentless pursuit for the summit of one of China's most revered and challenging peaks to climb. This personal and inspirational film reveals the motivation and drive that propels individuals onward while overcoming obstacles and setbacks. Siguniang Shan also known as the Four Maidens Mountains are located in the Sichuan Province of southwest China. Here within the Qionglai Mountain Range, Siguniang's 20,500-foot presence is a stunning scene that stirs the emotions of those who see it for the first time. For the Chinese climbing community, this peak has been considered too difficult to climb. But that's about to change.Follow along on a twisted journey as two Americans and six Chinese climbers attempt to summit this mountain. Experience the hardships and an ironic twist of fate that makes standing on the summit of this mountain a uniquely symbolic triumph. In the end, history is made and a sense of accomplishment is felt with the completion of this film.

Click here for more information about Higher Ambitions

Read More...