Climbing

#BlackLivesMatter, Adventure Activism, Climbing, Diversity, National Geographic, Rock & Ice / 23.03.2014

At the young age of 14 Kai Lightner is doing amazing things in the world of sport climbing. In the spring of 2013 he ascended exceedingly difficult routes that included Southern Smoke (5.14c) and Transworld Depravity (5.14a) in the Red River Gorge of Kentucky. On the same two-week road trip he climbed Proper Soul (5.14a) in the New River Gorge of West Virginia. I wrote about him in the August/September issue of Rock & Ice magazine. And in August of last year Kai took his fourth champion title...

Adventure Media Review, Afghanistan, Breaking News, Charitable Giving, Climbing, Film preview, mountainfilm, philanthropy / 17.03.2014

A new documentary addresses allegations leveled by the television news magazine 60-Minutes and acclaimed author Jon Krakauer against philanthropist Greg Mortenson. Husband and wife filmmakers Jennifer Jordan and Jeff Rhoads of Skyline Ventures Productions announced Friday their plans to create a new project that explores the controversial fall from grace of the once beloved founder of the Central Asia Institute and the subject of the international best-selling book Three Cups of Tea. A scathing exposé first broadcast on national TV in 2011 accused Mortenson of lying about the events that...

Adventure Activism, Climbing, Diversity, Expedition Denali, Life Out Loud, National Parks / 24.02.2014

[caption id="attachment_458571" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Photo by Hudson Henry[/caption] On June 24,2013 Adina Scott made a satellite phone dispatch from 17,200 feet on Mount McKinley in Denali National Park. As part of the climbing team Expedition Denali, she and the 18 others had already spent a total of 16 days on the mountain and nearly a week camped at 14,200 feet. Now, they were making a valiant push toward the top. Speaking under clear skies, she was suddenly within striking distance of the highest peak in North America, a mountain...

Climbing, Diversity, Interview, Life Out Loud, Magazines, Rock & Ice / 21.02.2014

When one of the world’s best climbers notices you, you must be doing something right. As several young climbers waited for an autograph during a February fundraiser at the Stone Summit gym in Atlanta, Chris Sharma stood intrigued, watching 13-year-old Kai Lightner smoothly lap a 5.13. Emily Taylor, Kai’s coach, recalls, "When we made the introductions, Chris asked Kai to climb with him." Kai is an exceptional young talent, with great potential. Despite a few disadvantages he has already gone far. In March 2013, Kai sent Southern Smoke (5.14c) and Transworld...

Adventure Media Review, Climbing, Film Review / 20.11.2013

When it comes to adventure really all you need is a peek into the lives to those on the cutting edge. Typically films in the action sports genre create a reality TV inspired false sense of narrative, a convoluted concoction that tells an incomplete story that is simply in fact untrue. But in the latest project by Chuck Fryberger and Kyle Berkompas the audience is exposed to a tiny piece of the experience enjoyed by climbers who don’t always summit but who are constantly striving to reach their...

Adventure Media Review, Climbing, Film Festival, National Geographic, Paragliding, Skiing, Snow, Snowboarding, Surfing, Winter / 07.11.2013

The 2013 adventure film festival season came to a grand finale the Banff Mountain Book & Film Festival in Alberta, Canada. The producers of the many great works of literature and cinema created took center stage to receive awards for their tremendous accomplishments. There in the spotlight before the thunderous applause of a grateful audience the best authors, filmmakers, and outdoor athletes in the world brought to a close an exciting 12 months of exploring. And as the first hard snow of winter fell over the great Canadian Rockies...