UKC

Our Friday Night Video this week first appeared on last years' Reel Rock Tour. The film follows Margo Hayes as she attempts to become the first woman to climb 9a+. The film fantastically captures Margo's drive and determination and traces this back through her childhood. In 2017, Margo went on to complete her goal of being the first woman to climb 9a+ with ascents of La Rambla and then Biographie later in the year.

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In reply to UKC News:

So much more than the usual sport climbing video of power grunts and big whipper falls, a really enjoyable watch that shows what you can achieve with bucket loads of self belief. A great film to watch before heading onto your project.

In reply to UKC News:

Great film, great climber. Inspiring.

In reply to Paul Figg:

Alongside talent and hard work! 

In reply to UKC News:

Anyone else having probs calling this up? It brings up the page, flashes the Red Bull logo and then goes blank but I have no probs calling up other videos from the site.

In reply to Wiley Coyote2:

Ain't that what is supposed to happen?

She's super but the film is, in the main, terrible.

In reply to Mike Highbury:

Interested to know what is terrible about that. I thought it was a great portrait of her personality, and her achievements, coupled with some quality close up hard climbing footage 

In reply to GDes:

Likewise; it's got great climbing footage, a story of personal development including a look at her personal motivations from a young age, some input from her peers into her position in the current world climbing scene, and input from Lynn Hill and Robyn E-R to put the achievements in the wider historical context of women's sport climbing.

 

 

In reply to UKC News:

I really enjoyed that, although I found it difficult getting over the contrast between the super-ripped athlete shown in the climbing shots, and the girl in the shots to camera that seemed to show someone you'd never dream was even very active, let alone a world-beater. 

 

All the better when someone surprises you though.

 

In reply to UKC News:

Having just watched it for the third time, I think that is probably the best sport climbing based film I've ever seen. And what a brilliant antidote to that dreadful "girly" Majorca film in which she featured that was on here a bit ago. Just fantastic and totally inspiring.

But what's with all the blubbering? Nearly as bad as Ben Fogle. The woman needs to get a grip.

In reply to Robert Durran:

Agreed its one of the best sport climbing films I've seen.

Surprised you can't relate to feeling highly emotional when putting your heart and soul into something though. I welled up a bit when she clipped the chains on La Rambla if I'm honest. 

In reply to UKC News: Mega. I actually saw her do La Rambla from across the valley when I was trying my own much more humble goal to climb 8a... we’d seen her fall from the top earlier in the day and then she totally cruised it in the go she did it! Inspiring! Though not enough for me to climb my 8a that day!

 

In reply to bensilvestre:

I absolutely can - that was my point; I was being ironic. Which maybe wasn't clear unless you had read the Ben Fogle Everest thread where I defended him against lots of people's daft complaints about his becoming emotional. I actually wonder whether there is something a bit sexist going on against men showing emotion.

 > I welled up a bit when she clipped the chains on La Rambla if I'm honest. 

So did I!

 

In reply to Robert Durran:

Oh okay, phew! I hadn't read the Fogle thing. Irony online is a tricky one ha

In reply to UKC News:

Same for me. Won't play. Bummer. 

In reply to Robert Durran:

 

Just re-read this and I remember attending a women in adventure thing at SHAFF a few years ago and one of the women in the panel said something about how there should be fewer videos of women crying (I think this was after a viewing of that film where Mina quits comp climbing) because it enforces a stereotype of women being overly emotional, and I just thought - hold on, surely the opposite is true, surely we want more videos of men crying, not fewer women crying.

 

Edit: for what it's worth one of the best moments of my life was about 100m below the summit of Mount Foraker, just as a 6 hour midsummer Alaska sun set/rise was at peak intensity - I started crying quite a lot as it became clear that we were going to make it (things had gotten quite intense not long before) and then realised that both Pete and Will were also bawling their eyes out. Men should definitely feel okay showing that sort of emotion. 

In reply to Robert Durran:

At least she didn't have full on strops every time she fell off, unlike a certain (admittedly quite good) regularly featured climber.  No obviously discernible power screaming neither.  Which was nice.

 

 

In reply to Andy Gamisou:

No, the more power screams, strops and tears the better in sport climbing - all inspiring indicators of trying really, really hard which is what sport climbing is all about

In reply to Robert Durran:

True.

In reply to Andy Gamisou:

Really,  a crowded crag must sound like a porn movie.   

 

 

In reply to IJL99:

I'm glad someone else's idea of sex noise is howls of disappointment and anger.

In reply to UKC News:

Finally managed to get it to work. What a cracking film! Loved it.