PSICOBLOG 9 "CORAZON DE MALLORCA"

For those who click on the "Read More" tab you are rewarded with a funny story about Miguel. We were hanging out with some Brit climbers after I shot this short video and having a beer. One of the Brit's had worked for a company that sold "Penis Casts" to hospitals. It turns out that it is in fact possible to break the cartilage in your penis if a woman is riding you on top hard enough. Miquel was mortified, but also could see how it might happen. I believe that he was a changed man after that day and may opt for other positions whenever possible.

On another note, you will be happy to hear that there will be a couple more psicoblogs, and then I will return to my huge backlog of Brazil footage for more shorts from the trip that started this whole "verticalcarnival" never ending blog!!! To everyone who has tuned in...again thank you...if nothing else I hope it gives you a moment of entertainment...and perhaps a giggle or a smile. I'm off to Indian Creek for a pre thanksgiving adventure, so stay tuned for some footy from that...and Renan is working on a short POV solo tidbit from a quick adventure we had up in Eldo today...woohoo!!!!

If you are lucky enough to experience the extreme pleasure of a deep water soloing sojourn to Mallorca, there is a good chance you will meet deep water solo pioneer, Miquel Riera, a veritable living legend. Miquel is one of the coolest guys you could ever hope to meet, with an undying psyche for climbing, women, and partying. I followed Miquel around one day for a trip off the beaten path. This was perhaps the most intimidating day of the trip with rough waters and virgin rock!!! Enjoy the latest Psicoblog. Cheers. Cedar. Read more...

Naked Edge with Conrad Anker

Cedar is working on more PiscoBlog masterpieces from Mallorca that should be up soon, but until then I'd thought I'd post this experimental short from close to home! Conrad Anker is always psyched and motivated for adventure and has been climbing nonstop in every corner of the globe for over 30 years...good fuel for the fire a snowy, groggy Monday morning after the Adventure Film Festival madness!



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THE ADVENTURE FILM FESTIVAL

WOOHOOOO Renan and I have both had our original films selected for the Adventure Film Festival in Boulder Colorado!!! We are honored to have made the cut with over 300 films screened! This will the world premiere for my short film "Pra Caramba" that features the best footage you never saw from Brazil!!! Renan's award winning film about suffering in the center of the universe is called SAMSARA. If you have the time we'd really appreciate you coming out for the festival. Adventurefilm.org
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PSICOBLOG 8 "FIRE OR WATER"

As The North Face Team wraps up their fun, action, and whipper filled trip to Mallorca, James Pearson and Alex Honnold take it to the next level and climb a sick 13d with the crux fifty feet above the Mediterranean Sea!!! Stay tuned for two more "Psicoblogs." Read more...

PSICOBLOG Behind the Scenes "BALLERVISION"

So we stayed in a pretty baller pad while in Mallorca...but the weird thing was that it was haunted by ghosts. Check out this sick stop motion shot by Pat, who shows more promise for stop motion than rappeling!! Read more...

PSICOBLOG BEHIND THE SCENES "Anything For The Shot"

So there are more "psicoblogs" in the works, but in the meantime, I thought I'd show you this quick behind the scenes sneak peak created by Tim Kemple. Tim Kemple is one of the biggest Baller/Hustlers in the climbing industry. When he pushes the shutter button, you can literally hear a cash register cha-ching noise come out!!...it's pretty amazing. TIm is such a Baller that he even travels around with his own assistant named "Pat." Pat is a genius...as you will see in this short clip...enjoy. Read more...

PSICOBLOG 7 "SMACKDOWN"

Alright for those chosen few who click the read more link...I'm going to let you in on a secret...Shh I'm not actually in Mallorca anymore!! I'm back in Boulder after three weeks of sports action...I tried to bring you as many of these blogs from the field as possible, but it was all I could do to get you six episodes from Spain...and still manage to shoot, climb and even sleep a little. I'm sitting on 250 GBs of footage so I'll be bringing you at least ten of these "Psicoblogs" in total, so please stay tuned and let me know what you think! Renan and I will be headed to Zion soon for first ascent adventures, so hopefully we can bring you a cool piece from that. Have fun out there...Cheers and lots of love...Cedar Wright.

So we went and checked out this crazy cave call Cala Llomabards and we all gave it a go. The seas were extremely rough and it was really unnerving with the sea booming and exploding below our backs as we dangled out the huge roof. It was even more unnerving when James broke a hold and fell flat on his back...drawing blood from water!!! Read more...

PSICOBLOG 6 "DEEP BLUE"

Hey Guys. This is Alex writing a little intro for Cedar’s newest masterpiece. He’s slaved hard the entire night to bring you this newest dispatch, which focuses on Matt Segal sending everything. The rest of us are basically on vacation while Matt crushes and Cedar shoots. The weather has improved and everything is going great here. Only a few more days left, so I guess we’re going to motivate and try to finish a couple more routes . Hope everything is going well for everyone! Read more...

PSICOBLOG 5 "THE WEATHER MAN"

I hope everyone is enjoying these Mallorca Psicoblogs brought to you by my insomnia and The North Face. This has been a labor of love. Emily and James have headed home, but Matt, Alex and I are here for another week and a half of gut wrenching action. so stay tuned....Cheers. Cedar.

Mallorca is a climbers paradise, and is probably the best place in the world for Deep Water Soloing. For the last few days we have ventured out of the more popular areas and onto some of the more obscure, and horrifying ocean cliffs! In the process I have learned that if you hit the water wrong..it can draw blood! This dispatch features Matt Alex and James on The Weather Man, a wild 5.13c with the crux 50 feet off the ground... Read more...

PSICOBLOG 4 "SUPER SOAKER"

Currenty we are all running to Pakistan where we hope to make some shallow water solos of some slightly bigger mountains. The jog should take us a few weeks at a steady 200k a-day pace, but dont worry about a future lack of content, Cedar's logistical genius has it all figured out.

As you read this, 10,000 hermit crabs are scribing pictures in the sand, which will later be photographed by the Mallorcan nudism awareness team as they fly along the coast tracking the movement of these strange beach-dwelling creatures. Via the marvels of modern technology, the images will magically morph into a stop-motion movie that is so realistic you wont realize we have left at all.

As a taster, here is the 4th psicoblog, the first produced by the crabs. Im sure you will agree that the quality is far superior to Cedars usual work - these little beasties really have a talent. Routes in the film include Los-kot and Two Smoking Barrels, and Snatch and are two of the most fun routes I have climbed anywhere. Klem has a real eye for a line and there are a few more of his routes I am psyched on - stay tuned for more...

Good morning one and all. James Pearson here, reporting from not so sunny Mallorca. The rain has arrived hard and done its best effort to "F" us in the "A", but we are all genuine men here, real tough guy types and in the words of a pseudo-straight Austrian fashionista, "our assholes are just for shi#%ing"

At times the blasts of thunder have sounded like a gas main exploding, and raging torrents regularly wash dogs and small children away, but this has not stopped the unrelenting crush-fest! In fact, even with soaking wet holds, the routes on the island have put up little of a fight and so in search of a challenge worthy shriveling Alex Honnold's enormous throbbing testicles we have moved on to pastures new..... Read more...

Psicoblog 3 "The Whole Crew"

Hey this is Alex Honnold, writing a little guest intro for Cedar's newest dispatch.
Mallorca is pretty much the most fun place I've climbed. We're staying in an awesome house, climbing on perfect rock over the clear ocean. Paradise, I think.
In this video Cedar attempts to introduce the rest of the team and show what we've been up to the last few days. It would probably be edited better if there hadn't been an all night rave last night. One of the objective hazards of climbing in paradise. But seriously, we're climbing a lot and we're psyched to get out to some of the newer areas and check out new routes.
If Cedar isn't too lazy, there will be plenty more dispatches of us falling into the ocean. I think Emily has to leave soon, which will cut down on the blood curdling screams, but we'll try to keep it exciting anyway. Read more...

PSICOBLOG 2 "TAKING THE PLUNGE"

So Emily Harrington has arrived on the scene and gotten here first tumble in the rinse cycle! She crushed some routes and whipped off some routes...and generally had a good time yesterday. This blog captures here first moments on Mallorca's wild limestone, and also features my jump off the top of the 60 foot Diablo wall...with a camera!!! Alex Honnold, and James Pearson just arrived, so stay tuned for more climbs...and whippers with this all star North Face cast!!! Read more...

PSICOBLOG ONE "TESTING THE WATERS"

This is the first North Face sponsored North Face "Psicoblog." These short videos will chronicle North Face Athletes Cedar Wright, Emily Harrington, Matt Segal, and James Pearson pushing their limits on the wild sea cliffs of Mallorca. The climbing here is known as "Deep Water Solo," or "Psicobloc" climbing and involves climbing ropeless on cliffs as tall as sixty feet with nothing but the swirling ocean below to catch your fall. This has to be one of the most thrilling and pure forms of climbing I have ever experienced. This episodes capture the my initial impressions of the area, while I wait for the rest of the team to arrive!! I will create about ten of these short videos from the field in Mallorca. Hope you enjoy them!! Cedar Wright.

Wooohooo!! Welome to Mallorca Psicoblogs!!! I've been in Mallorca for over twenty four hours now and had my first taste of Deep Water Soloing. I have to say I LOVE IT!!! I started out my experience with a thirty foot whipper into the ocean!! Stay tuned for more dispatches with The North Face rockstars Emily Harrington, Alex Honnold, Matt Segal, James Pearson!!! Read more...

MALLORCA PSICOBLOG!!!

So...I'm headed to Mallorca to meet The North Face Team Athletes Alex Honnold, Emily Harrington, James Pearson, and Matt Segal. Mallorca is a small island off the coast of Spain, where we will explore the island's unique potential for a style of climbing called "Deep Water Solo" or "Psicobloc." If you aren't familiar with D.W.S, it is not for the faint of heart, and entails climbing the wild orange limestone cliffs which surround Mallorca's coastline... without a rope!! Failing on a climb means a spectacular and horrifying plunge into the swirling sea, followed by an adrenaline surging swim for safety!!! Tim Kemple and I will be filming the nail biting mayhem and I'll be posting short video dispatches from the field....so stay tuned!!! Cheers Cedar Wright Read more...

CELEBRATE

The precursor to the road-trip, not a pure climbing video but a good tribute to an amazing climbing couple living an international life of adventure....CELEBRATE Norwegian style!

I first met Seth in the North Cascades in the early sketchy days of alpine climbing. We also shared our first big effort on a Himalayan Peak, a very sketchy mission. His psyche for climbing, culture experience and generosity rubs off on everyone he interacts with.
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Norway Wall Classics part 2--STETIND

Part 2 of the Norway Road-Trip. Packed 4 deep in the Northern Alpine Guides Mitsubishi L300 minibus we took multiple mini ferry rides to most iconic peak of the country, Stetind. Not only is this peak a wild volcano-looking spire of granite (1,700 ft of rock!!), but the approach is also magical: endless blueberry patches, waterfalls, enchanted mushroom/mossy undergrowth and finally pristine alpine lakes.

Unfortunately we got hammered by a torrential rain storm close to the summit so there is not much climbing footage... Amee and I were able to top out the last few steep 5.10 pitches and were lost on the summit for a while before finding the descent while the rest of the team found an escape ramp.

Shot with seth's D90 and edited with much car-sickness on the windy single lane roads.

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best from up north,

~renan
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Lofoten Islands Norway

Northern road-trip in Norway! This is a work in progress for Northern Alpine Guides, and features the owners/newly weds Seth and Maren on the 13 pitch 5.10 classic West Pillar of the Priest or "Presten" formation.


Its really unique to have a sustained route of this nature (nearly every pitch is 5.10) on a spire rising right out of the sea. These magical islands above the arctic circle (24 hr daylight in the summer!) are home to a rich history of trad climbing, mountaineering, and hard-core cod fishing.

You know it's a good trip when: you lose your new camera on the plane, your debit card gets "captured" by the ATM, you leave your credit card @the gas station, it rains every night and you have a single wall tent, you spill a big bottle of Dr. Bronners in your duffel, the iPhone drowns in a wet pocket & finally someone steals your frying pan...more to come....

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"I'm a Boltin' Man..." 5.14 Gnarnia in Ten Sleep Canyon!!!

I first met Kevin and Alli through a few years ago in Red Rocks and was impressed not only by their climbing prowess but by their good natured down home vibe. They are now two of the only local climbers in the extremely Po-Dunk town of Ten Sleep. I really fell in love with Ten Sleep while I was there and was delighted by the "Country" charm of this strange little town. Combine that with the fact that this is probably the largest single resource of Limestone I have ever seen and I can see why All and Kevin call this place home. YEEEHAW

Cedar.

Kevin Wilkinson is a walking canadian send fest...and a really nice guy!!! He's been quietly putting up test piece after test piece in Ten Sleep Canyon on the wild pocketed limestone. I had the pleasure of capturing his proud send of a brand spankin new pocket pulling 5.14-gnar crank fest!!! Probably more fun to watch then to pull on all those monos!!! Read more...

"If That Ain't Country..." Wyoming's Limestone Frontier

So I made this trip with my friend Nelly and every evening we'd head to the local bar in Ten Sleep and have a few beers. One evening this classic cow boy singer rambled in and I recorded the sound track for these short films! Even though Kevin and Alli are the star climbers...the real star is this guy!! At some point about eighteen hours into editing these two "Ten Sleep" Videos I asked myself...why do I do this??? I'm not getting paid a dime and it's a shit load of brain frying work...the answer I realized is this....It's a labor of love...and the fact that everyone keeps watching gets me psyched to keep the films rolling so stay tuned for more short films from me and Renan

For those interested in the technical details all of my dispatches have been filmed using a pretty nice prosumer camera called the HMC150...I edit on Final Cut, and now I'm using a really cool color correcting plug-in called magic bullet which gives the Ten Sleep Dispatches their funky filmic look....cheers. Cedar.

I took a little road trip to Wyoming and what did I find?? A little known, limestone Frontier called "Ten Sleep Canyon." The town of Ten Sleep has to be one of the most "Country" places I have ever been with cowy boys literally pulling up to the local saloon on horses! This Dispatch Features hard cranking local Alli Rainey and a few other "characters!" Read more...

Alaska Alpine Style

The full story of the AK adventure, a written piece, all the technical details and more photos on the Black Diamond Website


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