UKC

Our Friday Night Video this week is a short film from Neil Hart about James Pearson climbing . It was first climbed by Johnny Dawes in 1986 and became infamous after the film Stone Monkey was released. I was utterly captivated the first time I saw Johnny bridging up the groove in his bright...

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In reply to UKC News:


Wow. Those Genius really are the shoe of choice for a new generation

youtube.com/watch?v=8lgLYGBbDNs&

In reply to UKC News:

Really enjoyed this one, and yeah, the 'shoe praise' is up front, but I didn't really have a problem with it. Excellent drone footage throughout, probably some of the best I've seen. My only complaint was that the music was way too loud compared to the voice-over sections. I had to constantly adjust the volume to keep watching.

In reply to UKC News:

A really great film with some superb aerial footage so hearty congratulations to all involved!
Cheers
Dave

In reply to BALD EAGLE:

Totally agree, Dave. Is it just me or is James Pearson a superb participant/presenter of climbing films? It's never just another hard route, there's always a little story why the route has a particular meaning for him, why it matters. So, if it matters to him, it's far more likely to matter to us, the viewers.

Invariably the climbing is highly demanding. He's lifting the veil and showing what it's like to do iconic routes which are way too hard for us. But, in a risk business, there's always a sense that he's exercising as much control as one could ever have. Sometimes in climbing films you think, 'Well that was fantastic, thank God they got away with it... but please don't keep on in this vein else it may all end in tears.' There's never that feeling in James Pearson films. He seems a very good role model for responsible climbing.

Sure he's got sponsors and they'd like their products displayed on his T shirt or whatever. Fine by me. He's got to wear some clothes anyway so why not!

Yet another superb climbing film.

Mick

In reply to Fraser:

I actually took the bit the shoes as a compliment to the Dawes rather than a plug - although it obviously was, as was the T shirt. But the lad has to make his money somewhere.

In reply to UKC News:

Good little film. I actually found the bit on the top pitch more most engaging!

In reply to TXG:

Yes, I think we can assume that 5.10 is no longer James's shoe sponsor

Although aren't Mythos quite soft? I've never worn them. Whereas the blue Boreal Ballets Johnny wore were the ultimate edging machine of that generation.

Very endearing little film. I particularly liked the long shots conveying the atmosphere of that huge gloomy wall.

In reply to AlanLittle: I liked the film too though would have preferred less of the zoomed out drone footage.

The blue ballets were not so stiff - I had a pair. Sportiva megas were much stiffer. But all very much stiffer than mythos.

When were the first mythos introduced - that must be 15 years or so

In reply to wbo:
more like 25 years.

Tony

1991 I think

In reply to UKC News:

Makes you realise quite how flowing and rather excellent Johnny Dawes climbing is when you compare it to James' style. Both effective but I know which one I prefer to watch.

In reply to wbo:

Interesting. I had Ballets and Megas, and preferred the Ballets for slate

In reply to Robert Durran:

I see what you mean. The little deadpoint to thumb sprag manoeuvre was very "how would Johnny do it?"

In reply to Mick Ward:

Exactly, the sponsorship is what makes the video free to watch after all.

Unfortunately I'm such a rubbish climber that I have to pay North Face before I'm allowed to wear one of their T shirts but the point still stands.

Another great film.

In reply to wbo:

The Mythos were really soft! My wife bought a pair in Bishop; we did one long route in the Sierra and the rands wore through! Not the best use for them, probably...

In reply to GrahamD:


I never thought about that perspective, you could be right. I've no problem with these guys making their overt 'pitches' at us wannabes. I bought my first pair of Mythos in '97 but they were no doubt available before then, as Tony suggests.

In reply to alan moore:


I bought a pair for some reason ages ago. They were so soft that they were all but useless. The thought of using them on slate is absolutely horrendous......... but then the thought of slate at all is horrendous!

In reply to Robert Durran:

I climb in nothing but Mythos shoes but then I don't climb steep slate edging routes. I did the Dervish in Mythos shoes but it's not steep. Personally I find Mythos shoes superbly comfortable.

In reply to Mick Ward:






Absolutely Mick I have always really, really enjoyed James's climbing films whether he is the main participant and presenter/narrator such as The Walk of Life at Dyer's Lookout or just assisting his other half Caroline in Shifting Dreams on the Grand Capucin. Really great and inspiring videos!
Happy Sunday to you!
Dave

In reply to BALD EAGLE:

And happy Sunday to you, Dave. Don't forget to keep your own films coming - we love 'em too!

All best wishes,

Mick

In reply to TXG:

Haha! You really need to wonder about the humourless three that disliked that comment. Perhaps they think the new generation wear Scarpa!

In reply to Mick Ward:




Thanks a million for your kind words Mick and ironically I should have a wee vid going live tomorrow so watch this space... Cheers Dave

In reply to Mick Ward:


Excellent point and I completely agree.

Far too many climbing filmmakers these days seem to follow the current trend of no narration, just background music and letting the footage do the talking. Whilst it can work on occasion for me it fails far more often than not and I'm left the feeling of: what was that all about? The meaning and significance of an ascent along with the personal feelings and complete story is what makes or breaks a video. All of this was included here, mostly as a result of the eloquent narration, which is why it's so successful.

Another recent video I really liked, and in the same vein, was the one of Michaela Kiersch on the Golden Ticket a few weeks ago.
https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item/70904/video_-_michaela_kiersch_and_the...

In reply to Mick Ward:




I agree with this point normally but in this film it fell a bit flat for me. The "story" and reasons were there but felt a bit thin but the film was really let down by the footage. The drone footage is great to set the scene but I didn't actually feel like I saw James actually climb anything. Unfortunately for the filmmaker, they drew the comparison with the Stone Monkey footage then they completely failed to emulate that classic groove footage by not really showing James climb the groove, just a few udges without context as to where he was in the groove then it appeared over.


I'd say in this case, it wasn't. Compared to the "Shifting Dreams" film, it came across, to me, as something churned out after the event for the sponsors/required media output, as it didn't capture the essence of actually climbing the Quarryman, it seem to trivialise it somewhat. If felt more like a show reel for what the filmmaker could do with a drone......

In reply to UKC News:

At the risk of sounding controversial (and possibly inciting an argument, apologies in advance), I just can't bring myself to like James Pearson for some reason although I can't quite put my finger on why exactly.
To me he always sounds a bit fake, like he's saying what he thinks will make people like him rather than what he actually thinks/feels. Like he's trying to hard rather than just being himself.
Mind you, much as I respect his climbing, I think Johnny Dawes talks a lot of Sh*te too.

In reply to SuperLee1985:

He speaks at the viewer like English is not their first language, or they're particularly dense. It's that slow, slightly accented tone that grates on me. I genuinely get annoyed and just want him to speak normally.

In reply to tspoon1981:

I think you've hit the nail on the head there.

In reply to tspoon1981:


So, say your wife didn't speak English as their first language and you lived abroad, speaking day to day with people for whom English isn't there first language you might have a slightly altered accent/way of speaking......

In reply to galpinos:

I've lived in France, my speech pattern may have altered when speaking to non English speakers, but I revert to my normal speech pattern when addressing a mainly English speaking group.

In reply to tspoon1981:

It's well know to affect people in different ways, you se it in the UK with regional accents when some people keep a broad accent from where they were born despite having not lived there for 40 years when others quickly adopt the local accent.

I've lived in France for a while too, (though think 2 years was my longest stint) and my speech patterns didn't change but JP has been over there for years, has a French speaking wife spending all his time in an international community so the chance of his speech being affected is higher.

Basically, give him a break imo....

In reply to galpinos:

I merely noted why his speech pattern grates on me, I'm sure it's been mentioned numerous times before. If you'd like to be offended on someone else's behalf, then carry on

In reply to tspoon1981:

Ha, reading my reply back it does sound a bit aggressive, wasn't meant to be. I was just proposing why I think it has affected him and thinking "live and let live". No offense taken on behalf of or to anyone........

The joys of being inarticulate in text on a forum.......

In reply to UKC News:

I'm not trying to troll but can someone explain why this is a trad route?

Having never climbed on slate myself I've heard before that the ethics were to place occasional bolts when absolutely required (ie. to stop a death fall) and when there's no natural gear placements available but from that video the crux pitch looks like it has plenty of bolts so why not give it a sport grade instead?

In reply to Sam Shilliday:

Did you see the footage of the last pitch ?

In reply to Sam Shilliday:

The groove pitch gets a sport grade of 8a, but as it's a multi pitch route it gets an overall trad grade due to the other pitches not being fully bolted, also back in the day when it was first climbed sport grades hadn't fully been adopted in North Wales.

In reply to Sl@te Head:

Okay fair enough. So the mixture of trad and sport pitches is given an overall trad grade. I didn't know that they adopted sport grades after it was set. Really cool looking route though.

In reply to Sam Shilliday:

Now that you mention it, I think this wall is due for a re-set.