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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"The Competitor's Spirit" with Sierra Blair-Coyle

So, I am helping Blue Water Ropes create a blog which will feature their athletes and mere mortals climbing on their ropes! This is the first video I created specifically for http://bluewaterropes.blogspot.com/ featuring Sierra Blair-Coyle who at fifteen years old is one of the top American competitive boulderers in the world. Read more...

"Caminhando a Slackline" Serra do Cipo's first Highline!!!

Hugo and I set up this spectacular line using all natural pro. Without bolts to add confidence, Hugo was a little sketched that the whole thing was going to blow...but I felt pretty confident in the setup! Everyday after climbing for the two weeks the line was up, we would spend the hour before sunset walking the line.

Soon I was turning, surfing, and playing on the line like I do on low lines. That was when I began to toy with the idea of leaving the leash behind and walking the line on it's own terms...full commitment...full adrenaline...balls to the wall as they say! Right as the sun was going down I took a lap with the leash, untied, and then walked it solo. All I can say is that it was an intense moment of pure focus, and when I reached the other side I truly felt that I had broken through to a new reality...it was a great feeling!!!

This slackline is right at the summit of a classic 5.11d route called "Murias," which I warmed up on many times while in Cipo...one day it felt right and I climbed the route sans rope...thus completing two wild solo goals which I had set for my self!! I left Cipo feeling like I had sharpened my focus and found the edge that I was looking for!!! I look back now on these moments as priceless and dreamlike!!! I'm already planning my next trip to Brazil!!!

It's time for a flashback to Serra do Cipo Brazil...as I dig through the rather overwhelming amount of footage I realize what an incredible adventure those three and a half months were. For sure one of the highlights for me was setting up Cipo's first ever Highline with Hugo and then after a lot of practice....walking the line Solo without a leash!!! What an adrenaline rush... Read more...

Long Live Micah Dash

Long Live Micah Dash...my brother..my homie...my hero.

Long Live Micah Dash. He went out doing what he loved in one of the most beautiful places in the world...we should all be so lucky. One of Micah's nicknames was Jew Pac and Tupac's "Picture Me Rollin" was always one of his favorite songs...so that's what the slideshow is set to. This really gives you a feel for what a funny, brilliant bad ass dude Micah was. Read more...

"The Spoils"

So this is the first installation of vertical carnival colorado. I will be bringing you a new dispatch every couple weeks featuring the world class climbing around these parts!!!

Vertical Carnival is officially stateside!!! While there will be more videos from Brazil in the near future, I needed to take a break and enjoy shooting and editing something different. This dispatch features Nellissa "Nellie" Milfeld sending a run out traditional 5.12 testpiece called "The Spoils" at Bell Buttress! Few if any females have led this risky and demanding climb!!! Nice one Nellie!!! Read more...

Culture Shock!!!

These are photos that Dickey took of me on this cool 5.12 R climb called the Spoils and soloing a beautiful 5.9 plus that is nearby! I first met Dickey about ten years ago so we go way back and it's been great to hang out with an old friend and talk about the "good old days." Dickey is a truely passionate and artistic photographer who has been chronicling the adventures of the "rock monkey" community for many years, and when he gets behind the lense he couldn't be happier. The photo of Nelly and I flexing with matching shoulder gobies is classic! These shoulder gobies are from the crux of the Spoils which involves really digging your shoulder into a shallow dihedral! Boulder Canyon is a short drive from the city of Boulder and is a great place to get away from the heat and get your climb on. The spoils was one of the first 5.12s in the canyon and is by no means easy for the grade. With one flaring tcu between you and the deck...you bust the crux...woohoo! I'll be here in Boulder subletting a room for a couple of months and getting out and after it as much as possible. I'll be pulling out the video camera to display some of the beauty and awesome climbing in Boulder Canyon...so stay tuned for that...Vertical Carnival is going to be here to stay. Lots of Love!! Cedar


So by now you probably realize that I am back from Brazil...four months and four ticket extensions later!! For those of you who have been looking forward to the next short video from Brazil...hang in there...I've been pretty busy lately but am nearly done with another cool dispatch. For now, I am back in Boulder getting my life in order after nearly five months out of the country!!! I've been climbing up in Boulder Canyon with my friend Nellie Milfeld and recently did a photo shoot with my professional photographer friend...John Dickey.... Read more...

SNEEK PEEK: speaker series_trailer

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Video #27 "Conceicao"

So as you can see from the previous post I am now with a heavy heart after the tremendous loss of my good friends Micah Dash, Jonny Copp and Wade Johnson. Micah was one of my best friends...a brother from another mother, and I'm just crushed. His body has not been found and it seems that his final resting place will be in the mountains which he loved so much. While some people are lacking closure because Micah was not found, I find it a poetic ending to a beautiful life and think it adds to the true legend that Micah was and always will be. Long Live Micah Dash, Jonny Copp, and Wade Johnson!!!

To take my mind of of my sadness I have been hiding in final cut, editing this dispatch that you are checking out. Stay Tuned from more dispatches with the very very best saved for last. Next up Highlining in Cipo, and then...WOW! For those who have become regulars here at vertical carnival...GOOD NEWS! I'm keeping the blog alive...so stay tuned for more original videos capturing me and my friends adventures in Colorado, California and Beyond!!! Cheers every one and lots of love..>Cedar.

Took an hour drive from Serra do Cipo and discovered world class quartzite bouldering in a place called Conceicao! Brazil is truly a wellspring of quality rock. From Limestone, to Quartzite, to Granite, to Basalt, to Volcanic, and from the very small to the very big...this is the land of amazing rocks Read more...

Huge Loss of Micah, Jonny, and Wade in Sichuan Mountains China.

I first met Micah about eight years ago when he joined the Yosemite Rescue Team. Micah was a bad‐ass wall climber but had a lot to learn about free climbing the cracks. I remember stumbling around a corner one day at Arch Rock just in time towatch him take a giant whipper on a 10a‐plus fingers to offwidth crack called Midterm!As a seasoned crusty Yosemite veteran I hazed him with the appropriate amount of teasing and slander. To my surprise and delight, three years later Micah was cranking 5.12 cracks onsite and redpointing 5.13 quickly. “Remember Midterm” he yelled down to me one day from the top of a heinous Indian Creek finger crack that he on‐sited, and that I an hour earlier had whipped off, “this feels way easier than midterm,” he smirked. The tables had turned. Micah continued to progress at a blistering pace and was soon sending the gnar in the mountains and living the dream of a sponsored bad ass! Through Micah I met Johnny Copp who became Micah’s partner in the mountains and friend for life. Johnny struck, me as the archetype of everything an alpinist should be, big, burly, seemingly undaunted by the sort of situations that make most men pee their pants. He wore one of those infectious smiles that beamed positive energy, and the two of them together was a super strong if not somewhat comedic super team of the small and big. Micah was my brother and the loss I’m feeling right now is impossible to put in words…and I really haven’t event registered the reality that Micah will probably not be walking through the door gnawing on a carrot like a hyperactive rabbit and showing his rippling abs and asking if he looks fat. Right now the world just seems cruel and unfair…I’m going to miss you brother…I love you man….Cedar.

I have lost good friends Micah Jonny and Wade to an Avalanche in the Sichuan Mountains of China. There are no words for how deeply this tragedy is rocking our community..... The Latest Updates on Adventure Film
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video #26 "Super Herois"

I want to make an hour long film about my time here in Brazil. A lot of the locals have said they'd like to be able to purchase a DVD, and I feel like I'd be letting my Brazilian friends down if I didn't create something for them to watch in years to come...so.... I will begin work on a short film when I get back to the U.S. That means that I will sit on some of the best footage so that everyone has something to look forward to next year when the D.V.D. is released. But I have plenty of other stuff to keep you guys entertained for the next month or so, then I will be creating short films about my coming adventures in California. Vertical Carnival will live on....so please stay tuned...and thanks again for being a part of my creative outlet...lots of love...Cedar Wright.

This dispatch features local hardman Magråo on another Cipo mega-classic called "Super Herois," a 58 meter 28 quickdraw journey up some of the best stone I have ever climbed on. The moves are sustained, gymnastic, and in your face! You get to the top of this one and you feel like a Super Hero! Sitting in Rio digging through the two hundred gigs of footage that I shot in Cipo, I have decided that.... Read more...

Video #25 "Animais Selvagens"

Hey there guys!!! Hope life is good! I am enjoying my time back in Rio and realizing what an amazing amount of footage I have compiled. The last few days have been spent between the beach and the computer. I've been enjoying some much needed rest after over a month of climb, climb, climbing! As far as the future...I can guarantee at least four more dispatches and probably a couple more before I head home, and I've been purposely saving the wildest footage for last...so prepare for the next level!! As I mentioned before, I think I will keep the blog going with adventures in Yosemite and wherever else the wind may carry me so... for those who have grown accustomed to the vertical carnival...it will most likely be a party that does not end. Wooohoo! Stay tuned....I should have another episode up by the end of the week!

Wow! I don't know what is harder to believe, that I've been out of the country for over three months, or that this is the 25th dispatch. This episode displays some of the raw beauty of Cipo and gives you a feel for what a beautiful place Cipo is to climb...and just be. Thanks for watching...Cedar. Read more...

Video #24 "Calada da Noite"

For those of you following the blog and hoping for more videos, you will not be dissapointed, I can promise you at least five more Cipo Videos, and I am considering keeping the vertical carnival going back in the U.S. by creating short videos of my adventures in Yosemite! Cheers, thanks for being a part of vertical carnival, and LOTS OF LOVE, Cedar Wright.

Follow local hardwoman Anne up another Cipo classic called "Calada da Noite" loosely translated as the "the cover of night." Calada was one of the first climbs I did when I got to Cipo and I knew I wanted to film someone on it before I left! The rock is impeccable, the moves varied, and the crux culminates with a technical and esoteric mantel...CLASSIC! Read more...

Video #23 "Jah Sinos"

So after nearly two months in Cipo, I am finally back in RIo hanging out with Jah and Hugo and reviewing the thirty plus hours of footage that I compiled, when I wasn't busy climbing on the world class stone! Now that I am in the land of highspeed internet, I will try to bring you a couple videos a week that pay tribute to the beauty and hard climbing that Cipo has to offer. Expect at least five if not more short videos, in the next few weeks. And it's only going to get better, I'm saving the best for last....Jah and I free soloing "Murios" a beautiuful 45 meter route follows a striking streak of golden stone in Cipo, and perhaps the most amazing footage of all, Hugo and his friend Marcio jumping off the Tabeleiro a 1200 foot waterfall near Cipo. So To everyone following the blog stay tuned and thanks for being a part of my adventures! Lots of Love, Cedar Wright!

This dispatch features Lucas, aka "Jah" climbing "Sinos de Aldeberan" one of the most classic sport climbs I have ever done!! A 55 meter Journey up a striking gold, orange, and black streaked arete capped with a wild roof feature. While it is a "sport climb" the bolts are well spaced and when you mantel the summit, your arms and mind are pumped. It doesn't get any better than "Sinos!" Read more...

Video# 22 "Fortes Brasileiras"

For those of you wondering when the good times will come to an end...I have good news...with all of the amazing footage I have compiled and three more weeks in the country...there will be many more dispatches to come, including Jah Soloing hard sport routes, and cruising the megaclassic "Sinos" route. There will be Hugo basejumping off the tabeleiro, and there will be other hard routes like Super Herois and Projecta de Vida, 5.14 to come...so stay tuned, and thanks for being a part of my trip...lots of Love Cedar.

"FORTES BRASILEIRAS" Vertical Carnival Video 22 from Cedar Wright on Vimeo.

This is the second dispatch from Serra do Cipo where I have been living and climbing for the last month. There are a lot of strong women climbing on the limestone here, so this is my way of giving them props!!! Read more...

Video#21 "Out of Town"

So!! I have achieved what I initially though impossible and conquered the ultra slow internet connection here in Serra do Cipo to bring you the first in what will be many dispatches about this truly beautiful limestone paradise. I have been to many of the world's destination sportclimbing areas in the U.S., Spain and China, and think that this area is every bit as good as any of the top notch crags etched my "classic" climbs memory bank.

Future dispatches to look forward to include "Jah" doing one of the most bad ass solos I have ever witnessed which culminates with a show stopping dyno over a hundred feet off the ground. I also have filmed the locals cranking some of the areas most classic climbs so stay tuned for dispatches that show beautiful climbs like "Sinos" one of the top five best single pitch climbs I have ever done! Hugo and I set up a Cipo's first ever highline a week ago as well so stay tuned for yet another slacklining dispatch, and if all goes as planned I will be filming Hugo basejumping off of the Tabaleiro waterfall and then heading to Salinas so who knows how many more videos and how much more time the vertical carnival will see, but it won't be over soon.

I want to thank all of the climbers that I have met or who have given me beta on the blog or on the internet and apologize again for not being able to feature and visit every classic area that has been suggested. The good news is I am super psyched on Brazil, and will definitely be back. So...lots of love to everyone who has checked out this blog, and here is to lots of adventures and fun for you in the future. Cedar Wright!

The first in what will be four or five videos featuring soloing, hard sport climbing, highlining, and the raw beauty of Serra do Cipo, a little known world class limestone climbing mecca in the countryside of Brazil. Read more...