In reply to UKC News:
What an amazing film. I thought: Ok, a 48 minute film about climbing trees, I can skip through it if it gets boring or too tree-huggy. But I was riveted, didn´t want it to end.
You could make a film with exactly the same dialogue, just substituting "crag" for "tree" all the way through, and it would be a perfect rock climbing script. These people are so eloquent and passionate about their sport, and they´re also damn good climbers; they tape their toes instead of their fingers, can layback, jam, toehook in overhangs, semi-invert in offwidths; they train with Rock Rings in their kitchens and they happily take enormous whippers on lead.
The trees have names, have topos; substitute maybe "Froggatt" for the Porcupine Tree and "Strapadictomy" for the overhanging side, and it would be a fair comparison. All protection seems to be with slings; hearing them talk about their worries that tree climbers who are only looking for the excitement could damage the environment rings a lot of bells; they see themselves (with a big bow to Mick Ward) as "Custodians of the Trees", and they are also doing their best (successfully) to give this attitude to the next generation, as well as playing a big part in re-forestation.
The whole atmosphere of the film radiates both love for their environment, and an awareness of its fragility, in a way that a rock climbing film never could. A chain saw could fell one of these beauties in 10 minutes; it would take a lot of dynamite to do the same to, say, the Cromlech, and the difference is: the first instance is a very real danger, and the second just isn´t going to happen.
Many thanks to UKC for this film, I found it truly inspirational.
