UKC

Tim Emmett and Angelika Rainer were crowned Red Bull White Cliffs champions on the Isle of Wight last week, after lead-climbing the 115m chalk cliff in 6 and 21 minutes respectively. This is the second year that the unique drytooling event has taken place, held at Scratchell's Bay and attracting an international group of ice, winter and alpine climbers.

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In reply to UKC News:

You just know when Tim lifted that trophy he shouted. "Yeah Baby!"

In reply to UKC News:

Are there any photos which do contain a Red Bull logo?

Find the sponsored to the max, keepin' it xtreme style of these events dispiriting and has no relation to the sport/pastime I enjoy.

Must be getting old.

Still looks like fun for the participants.

In reply to UKC News:

but i was going to lead that........................................!

In reply to UKC News:

Most important thing is that Red Bull is foul.

In reply to Steve nevers:

Great for taking the taste of MDMA out of yer gizzard though.


D

In reply to UKC News:

Looks like a closed shop from the photos, were any spectators aloud does anyone know?

In reply to Mark Collins:


I couldn't hear any

In reply to Steve nevers:

It is foul but it works. Exactly as well as equally foul drinks that are half the price.

In reply to davidbeynon:

Give me a cup of coffee instead any day.

In reply to Mr. Lee:

I'll go with that. I only keep the cans for emergencies on long drives.

In reply to TMM: > Are there any photos which do contain a Red Bull logo?

Presumably RedBull spent £50k or more on this as well as paying the photographers. I'd expect to see logos for that!

I'm always a little uneasy with commercialisation too; however the event or anything like it simply wouldn't have happened without their support. Good on them, and the organisers.

In reply to UKC News:

From the Regional Access Database for The Needles Area: 'The National Trust do not allow gardening of climbs and do not encourage new routes.'

They seem to be encouraging this competition / publicity stunt. Money evidently talks, or have the NT changed their views and now allow ordinary climbers to put up new routes here?

In reply to UKC News:

Italian athlete Angelika Rainer set a time of 21:33:75

Respect...most of the day spent on a route takes commitment.......

In reply to Bulls Crack:

And 75 seconds in a minute!

In reply to UKC News:

Not wishing to take anything away from the individual climbers and I know this won't be a popular view, but this just seems so utterly lame.

In reply to john arran:


I get it, allowed. Blimey that took me a while, thanks for bringing it to my attention

In reply to UKC News:

Perhaps this event would be more popular with the public if they allowed spectators and open to more climbers and not just an elite. Although it did look fun for the elite that got to go and got to climb the chalk without having to go through the terrifying experience of equipping a decomposing cliff (I have, not recommended). As per Redbull, yes of course it's a publicity stunt like everything else they do, but they might as well share a bit of their wealth with the incredibly talented team (Scott Muir, Cubby et al) that worked down in the Isle of White for a week. They could have spend it on some motorsport event or similar.

In reply to Ramon Marin:

>Perhaps this event would be more popular with the public if they allowed spectators and open to more climbers and not just an elite.

If they're going to have people doing speed climbing competitions on lead with protection in chalk I'd have thought restricting the competitors pretty much to the elite was a good idea.

Anyway, frankly the less popular with the public this kind of crap is the better. I thought we'd decided we weren't going to have climbing competitions outdoors?

jcm

In reply to Ramon Marin:

Yes would agree. The lack of audience does make this feel like a publicity stunt rather than an 'event'. Probably difficult for the public to view though. It's a long abseil to the base of the cliff, I think its tidal, and difficult to escape, so any audience would probably need to arrive by boat. I imagine it would be a logistical headache. Not much to see from the top either.