UKC

PRESS RELEASE: See free-climbing legend Tommy Caldwell live in Sheffield and London

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 UKC Gear 10 May 2017
, 5 kbThis July, free-climbing legend Tommy Caldwell is coming to Sheffield and London ??" and BMC members get exclusive access to early-bird tickets.

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 Andy Say 10 May 2017
In reply to UKC Gear:

'the man that demolished El Capitan’s Dawn Wall and raced along Patagonia's Fitzroy Traverse with Alex Honnold'.

Who? 'A badass rock climber, that’s who. In 2015, after years of effort, Tommy Caldwell finally conquered the Dawn Wall, the forbidding 3,000-foot-high southwest face of El Capitan, in California's Yosemite Valley. This astonishing ascent – hailed as ‘the hardest climb of all time’ – was achieved thanks to Tommy’s immense reserves of determination and ambition to see it through.'

'And, even more, was not [sic] the first time Tommy's unending grit saw him through moments of incredible survival. The Dawn Wall was a climb that represented the end of a difficult recovery from the trauma of being held hostage by rebels during an earlier climbing expedition in Kyrgyzstan.'

Call me old, bitter and twisted but I do find the language and tone of that quite strange as a BMC press release. And when did the BMC become a gig promoter like O2?
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 AlanLittle 10 May 2017
In reply to Andy Say:

Not to mention that there's no need to specify "free" climbing legend.
 Andy Long 10 May 2017
In reply to AlanLittle:

The word "free" has a peculiar resonance in The Land of the Free. Spurious use of it in the media is presumably why "free climbing" and "soloing" have become mixed up in the popular mind both there and now here.
Alex Messenger, BMC 10 May 2017
In reply to Andy Say:

Hi Andy

OK, you're old, bitter and twisted

It's be a great event. Tommy's a fantastic speaker (as anyone who saw him in Kendal a couple of years ago will agree). And all BMC members get first grabs at tickets until May 15. Sheffield is allocated seating, so that means you get first pick of the prime seats.

We're developing more events and special events deals for BMC members. Last year we ran the Alex Honnold tour and the BMC TV Breakfast Club, all with special discounts for members. This year, BMC members got 15% off all tickets at Sheffield Adventure Film Festival, and now first access to the Tommy tour.

If anyone's not a member yet, join us at https://www.thebmc.co.uk/membership and we'll send you the access code straight away.

See you all there.
1
 AlanLittle 10 May 2017
In reply to Andy Long:

Yes I know, and that's precisely my point. It's an Americanism that has no place in a BMC announcement.
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 Andy Say 10 May 2017
In reply to Alex Messenger, BMC:

> Hi AndyOK, you're old, bitter and twisted

You got me, Alex

And all BMC members get first grabs at tickets until May 15. Sheffield is allocated seating, so that means you get first pick of the prime seats.We're developing more events and special events deals for BMC members.

You ARE O2....
 Andy Say 10 May 2017
In reply to Alex Messenger, BMC:

> It's be a great event.

And you still need to brush up on your syntax.
 Luke90 10 May 2017
In reply to AlanLittle:
> Not to mention that there's no need to specify "free" climbing legend.

Surely that's entirely relevant in the case of a climber whose most lauded recent achievement is a free ascent of what was previously an aid route and who is credited with the first free ascents of several other former aid routes.
 tehmarks 14 May 2017
In reply to UKC Gear:

'Demolish' is a peculiar verb to use to describe climbing a route. It's so far removed from the reasons that I climb - to play in nature and to climb in the best style I personally can, while respecting the rock and the environment - that I just don't get it. I was switched off in the space of about one sentence of the press release.

I'd have thought the BMC - the organisation who represent our interests as climbers - might be able to conjure up more appropriate language. As it stands, it sounds like some sensationalist crap aiming for mass appeal. Not my cup of tea.
 danm 14 May 2017
In reply to tehmarks:

Each to their own, you'll be missing something exceptional. I saw Tommy at KMF and it was by far the most inspiring and interesting climbing lecture I've ever seen - quite moving as well as he described how the setbacks in his life had forged his success.
 tehmarks 14 May 2017
In reply to danm:

Oh, I have no doubt that he'd be an excellent speaker, and if I wasn't busy climbing I'd consider it fur sure - I just can't get my head around the sensationalist way the press release is written.
Andy Gamisou 14 May 2017
In reply to tehmarks:

> 'Demolish' is a peculiar verb to use to describe climbing a route.

Depends on the rock type.
 Ian Parsons 14 May 2017
In reply to Luke90:

> Surely that's entirely relevant in the case of a climber whose most lauded recent achievement is a free ascent of what was previously an aid route >

In the best traditions of pedantry - and to clarify the historical record - may I just lob in a reminder that this isn't entirely accurate. Caldwell and Jorgeson didn't make the first free ascent of an existing aid route [and there was, of course, no existing route called Dawn Wall]; they made the first ascent of a free route [now variously called Dawn Wall or Free Dawn - I'm not sure of its "proper" name] which free-climbed sections of [I think] six existing mostly aid routes together with some new and even harder linking sections, but which had only enjoyed a previous independent existence in its entirety as a free-climbing project.
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 Luke90 14 May 2017
In reply to Ian Parsons:

Thanks, that was genuinely interesting pedantry!
 Ian Parsons 14 May 2017
In reply to Luke90:

There's a first time for everything!
 olddirtydoggy 14 May 2017
In reply to UKC Gear:

I'd buy a ticket if it was nothing to do with the BMC. For anyone who is going, have a good one.
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Alex Messenger, BMC 15 May 2017
Hi olddirtydoggy

Here's some good news for non-BMC-ers:

As of today, the tickets went on general release, so you don't need to use the BMC members' access code (that just gave priority seating choice).

Links to booking:

https://www.thebmc.co.uk/tommy-caldwell-BMC-tour-sheffield-london

As Dan said, Tommy's a very inspiring speaker and we've just been sent a copy of the book - it looks great.

Hope to see you all there.

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