UKC

Tonight's Friday Night Video is episode 4 of Stone Kingdom from Outcrop Films.

This episode features Mina Leslie-Wujastyk as she attempts to climb Unfamiliar, E7 6c, at Stanage, ground-up...

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=68851

In reply to UKC News:

I particularly enjoyed the encouragement/beta

"Climb up!" And "try hard!"

In reply to UKC News:
Nice mental recovery after the slip

In reply to UKC News:

Good video I actually found the almost constant banter and instructions a little taxing after a while.

In reply to UKC News:
Seldom have I seen a male climber being hugged in such a personal way after a great send.
I congratulate Mina to her climb. And send this thought the gender rigid climbing community.

In reply to UKC News:

Best Friday night video for ages.

Makes you feel like you are climbing it with Mina. Nice not having a soundtrack destroying the tense atmosphere of this ascent.

In reply to UKC News:

Really annoying talk from below. Climbing by numbers?

In reply to gh dg:


It's great footage of a pretty gripping ascent by a thoroughly likable main character, and all you can do is criticise (both the video and the ascent) anonymously?

Go away, nobody likes you. Not here, and not on the internet in general.

I thought the vid was great!

Nice vid - you can see the nerves but she does it anyway (oh, to be that age again). Go Mina.

In reply to UKC News:
Mega vid. With regards to the encouragement - some of us like that when trying hard - some don't. Go your own way. Great effort Robin Barker for the fa.

In reply to UKC News:

The talk from the ground was not beta, it was affirmation of what Mina already knew: SOOTHING affirmation, and that was the point. That was possibly the most human climbing video I have seen: a masterpiece in miniature.

In reply to Alun:

I thought you were a little harsh on gh dg... from a "viewer" perspective the "being talked through every move" IS a little annoying and of course for a ground up ascent this type of guidance clearly is a big help.

However, the ascent is awesome, irrespective of pre-placed runners or talk-over; most over us dont have the guts or the skill to do such an ascent.

But I think there is a bit of a UKC culture where to make any point about an ascent that isn't gushing congratulations leads to your "nobody likes you" you are not wanted here dialogue - I dont think this is helpful.

Further I think the way this is billed as a first traditional lead is over playing what it is - having pre-placed gear for the top means this is not a ground up trad ascent - it is a high ball with pre-placed gear for the top out.

I saw a guy a few weeks back solo Unfamiliar because he didn't have the right gear for the break - most people at the crag wanted to look away when he was finishing it off - pre-placed gear significantly affects the "traditional" grade on this route to the point where it is debatable whether it is the right grading system to use at all when combined with a large pile of mats.

Anyhow, anyone that leads/ head-points/ solos this route with or without top rope practice is a great climber; and from my perspective whatever my thoughts on the style of this ascent Mina is a great ambassador for UK climbing.

Cheers,

S

In reply to ianbayman:


Really? I think if I heard that amount of "soothing" affirmation while I was on a dangerous lead, I'd lose it completely! They all sound kinda scared. But each to their own....

In reply to Alun:


Well, as it was his/her first post, then I've yet to make up my mind. About you, I've got a better understanding.

Mina's a great climber, and my daughter is particularly looking forward to getting her poster, but there's no denying that the route was used as a catapult to get her into looking at hard trad. It plays to her strengths well, and as the film maker said, it was never going to be about a pure ascent. So gh dg has a point.

For me, the success of the clip was in showing a human face to an athlete; as she's never taken a whipper onto trad gear, the fear borne of uncertainty comes off her in waves. So despite the pre-arranged gear and the beta, and the mats and spotters, it's clear that she is making a very big mental commitment.

A wonderful contrast to the pastel-coloured puff-pieces that tend to do the rounds.

Martin

In reply to simon cox and Martin/Maisie

Absolutely spot on.

A number of men have also climbed the route "ground up" and also had the gear placed on ab. Their reason - because "it was scary and pumpy placing that gear and didn't fancy it".

Fair enough, but it made me chuckle - welcome to the world of trad - at any grade!

In reply to simon cox:

All very good points, and I agree also with maisie about it the video being a nice contrast to the typical puff-pieces that are around.

I also have no problem with people criticising either a video or an ascent, as long as they do so fairly. Not everybody likes everything, and not everybody has to like (or even respect) the style in which other people choose to climb a route.

What I dislike are the single line trashings dished out anonymously, which are commonplace on places like youtube. But UKC is/should be a better place than youtube, and I still object to the comment made by dh gh. Although now I realise that "nobody likes you" might be taking the playground-talk a bit too far!

In reply to UKC News:

Watched this via the other channel last night and really enjoyed it. For me the climbing by numbers instructions were slightly distracting but not hugely so. Great effort, particularly at that wee sketchy moment near the top and she recovered.