Our Annual Selection of the Top Ten Bouldering, Sport, Trad, Alpine Climbing Videos

Ashima: Return of the Warrior Ninja Princess

Say what you will about strength to weight ratio and the benefit of little hands for crimping but no matter how you look at it Ashima Shiraishi is a force to be reckoned with. Jason Kehl’s distinctive directoral style and dramatic flair tell the story of Ashima’s return to Heuco with her mentor Obe Carrion to attempt to climb V13, an impressive feat for anyone but truly remarkable considering Ashima is only 11 years old! After watching this video it’s hard to say which is more inspiring, Ashima’s incredible physical abilities or her unwavering positivity.

Featuring: Ashima Shiraishi's standard-smashing return to Hueco Tanks, TX in March, 2012. Featuring her ascents of Crown of Aragorn (V13) and Barefoot on Sacred Ground (V12) at the age of 10. Directed by Jason Kehl. For more about her, check out the film Origins: Ashima and Obe, available on DVD or HD Download as part of the 2011 REEL ROCK Film Tour.
Producer: Big Up Productions
Directed & Edited By: Jason Kehl
10:13m

Zombie Roof Solo

This short uses skilled cinematography and editing to capture Will Stanhope’s seemingly risky accent of the Zombie Roof crack in Squamish, Canada. However it goes further than the usual shallow treatment of solo climbing, and instead provides us with the context that led to Stanhope’s decision to climb this roof without a rope.

Featuring: Perry Beckham and Will Stanhope explain the history behind Peter Croft's first ascent of the Zombie Roof [5.12d] in Squamish, B.C. and the process behind Will completing the first free-solo of the route.

Filmed & Edited by David Pearson

Additional Videography by Chris Christie

Thanks to:
Matt Maddaloni
Chris Trull
Dave Diegelman
Anders I. Ourom
Scott Young
Sonnie Trotter
Randy Atkinson
Peter A Haan

Music:
Moby - Walk with me, Isolate, Pale Horses
Dustin O'Halloran - We move lightly
From: David Pearson
8:23m

Chris Sharma - BACK in Céüse

Chris Sharma’s mature and dedicated contribution to the climbing community is well known. In this video we are given a close look at one such contribution as he talks us though his process for unlocking and bolting a new hard route on this storied limestone cliff in France.

Featuring: Chris Sharma & Daila Ojeda sport climbing and bolting in France. Read full interview and more pictures here : petzl.com/en/outdoor/news/in-field/2012/07/25/chris-sharma-back-in-ceuse
Producer: Petzl
8:59m

Sasha Gerzha - Jungle speed

This video is a meditation on projecting. With its beautiful cimeatography, toned-down music and total absence of dialogue we are brought into the focused mind state that a project can inspire. The video spans multiple attempts and shows the climb in great detail so we really get a sense of the effort and dedication that went into this send.

Featuring: Jungle Speed it's a 9a line ubicated in Siurana (Catalunya), in La Capella's sector. Sasha Gerzha, a 21 russian boy without any sponsor yet, realized this route in november 2012. We went to there with him to recreate the ascension. The result is this short video. We hope you like it!
From: vertikup
5:49m

THIS WAY - Jason Kruk & Hamish Fraser

Squamish pioneer Hamish Fraser describes the bold process that was used to establish the multipitch slab route Genius Loci. Tales of run out bolting are overlaid with stunning footage of Jason Kruk climbing the route.

Featuring:
Squamish - Genius Loci.
Featuring Arc'teryx Athlete Jason Kruk and Squamish pioneer Hamish Fraser.

In 1991, tallying more than 20 days in ground up style, Hamish Fraser, Peder Ourom and Mark Gandy established "Genius Loci", a stunning 5 pitch route leading up the Squamish Chief Grand Wall.
Despite it's classic and legendary status, close proximity to the ground, and modest grade (by modern standards), the route has believed to have not been freed in a single ascent until 2012.

Thank you to:
Matt Maddaloni
David Pearson
Charlie Long
Tony Richardson
Andrew Querner
Jason Kruk
Hamish Fraser
Brian Goldstone
Brent O'Hagan

Music
"See You On The Other Side" - Peter McIssac
"Strobe Light" - Yung Sir
From: AliasCinema | Alex Lavigne
8:59m

Shit Climbers Say

Louder than Eleven and Andrew Tower did a great job with this video. From subtle to over-the-top there are for sure a few in there that any climber has heard or said at some point. There’s something so funny in poking fun at ourselves.

Featuring: Written by
Andrew Tower

Starring
Andrew Tower
Taylor Fultz
Jordan Shipman

Video
Jon Glassberg
Jordan Shipman

Edit
Jon Glassberg

Thanks to
Boulder Rock Club
Urban Climber

Louder Than 11 - LT11.com
From: Louder Than Eleven
2:31m

A Perfect Circle - Steph Davis

In 2011 Steph Davis set out to climb and then base jump from four towers in the Moab desert, her favorite place on earth. Interspersed with footage of the climbs and jumps Steph talks about her 20 years of climbing from many different angles, the uncertainty of leaving behind formal education to become a professional climber, the joys of sharing your passion with your partner and the risks and rewards of free soloing.

From: Steph Davis, Mario Richard, Keith Ladzinski, Jorge Visser
26:24m

Slovak Direct, Denali - Houseman-Bullock

Nick Bullock and Andy Houseman have done an remarkably good job at capturing their accent of his rarely traveled line up the 3000m South Face of Denali. Using only simple hand-held digital cameras, the two filmed one another to give us a rare look at the committing nature of a small team alpine-style accent. The video ends off with a fittingly epic top-out after 4 days of effort up ice, rock and snow.

Featuring: At the end of June this year Nick Bullock and myself were fortunate enough to be able to make a rare ascent (6th overall) of the Slovak Direct on the nearly 3000m South Face of Denali 6194m in Alaska. The four days we spent on the route gave us some of the most intense and committed but rewarding climbing either of us have done in the mountains. Music Liars - The Exact Colour of Doubt Radiohead - Reckoner Smalltown DJ's - Best of 2011 the National - Sorrow Unbelievable Truth - Higher Than Reason
From: Andy Houseman
20:48m

Life Enhancement Program

Joe Möhle nabs the first accent of this bolted project at The Hole in Cape Town. After completing the route he decided to do it again, but this time completely on gear. This exciting video documents his second accent of this challengingly overhung route. Möhle's confident and bold climbing is inspiring.

Featuring: filmed by: jono
edited by: garth & jono
music by: dj krush
feed me ft. tasha baxter - strange behaviour
krysia's music box

Early in February, Joe Möhle completed the first Trad ascent of an old open project bolted at a sport crag, The Hole, in Cape Town. The route was originally bolted by Jono Fisher and remained an open project for a long time. Joe initially nabbed the first ascent of it as a sport route but, not trusting the old bolts, he ended up placing gear anyway. He then decided to do the whole thing on gear.

He named the line, Life Enhancement Program. It goes at around 30/31 (8a+), and is very very impressive!
From: Jonathan Joseph
7:05m

ABYSS

Ever wonder what it would be like to stumble upon a giant field of untouched boulders? Abyss is a 45 minute film that documents this experience; in the summer of 2012 a handful climbers from Colorado were lucky enough to find and start development at a huge boulder field high in the Rocky Mountain alpine. Top quality footage of many first accents are nicely intermixed throughout the film to take the edge off an introspective discussion on new area development ethics.

Featuring: ABYSS, the latest viral film from Louder Than Eleven, provides an insider’s look at rock climbing development. Exploration of secret, alpine climbing terrain high above Colorado’s Front Range has created a flurry of debate regarding the philosophy, secrecy and ethics of development. Culminating in Ben Spannuth’s FA of one of the world’s highest elevation 5.14s, ABYSS opens the floodgates of passionate debate within the climbing community.

The scandal unfolds in this 48-minute piece, featuring such climbing talents as Paige Claassen, Matty Hong, Chris Schulte, Mayan Smith-Gobat, Dave Wetmore and Matt Wilder and narrated by Jon Glassberg. Additional commentary from the insightful minds of Peter Beal, Herman Feissner, Joe Kinder, Brady Robinson, Ben Scott, Chris Sharma, John Sherman, and Clark Shelk.

Louder Than Eleven is a Boulder based production company specializing in outdoor media to promote the sport of rock climbing by creating captivating action entertainment.

www.lt11.com
www.abyss.lt11.com
www.facebook.com/louderthan11
www.twitter.com/louderthan11

Music
Immune System - “Gehenna” - www.myspace.com/immunesystem/music
Milyoo – “Classic” – Lexington, KY – soundcloud.com/milyoo
Immune System – “The Orme”
Abel Okugawa - “Milk” www.abelokugawa.com
Milyoo – “Phoenix”
Chaptabois - “Walk” - Facebook.com/Chaptabois
Milyoo – “Multitude”
Milyoo – “Pully”
Yosemite Music - “102” - soundcloud.com/yosemite-music
Immune System – “Initiation”
Milyoo – “Classic Refix”
Milyoo – “Takedown”
Louis W T Buick (Lucky Cub) – “92” - soundcloud.com/lucky-cub
Milyoo – “You are You”
Louis W T Buick (Lucky Cub) – “EXX”
Yosemite Music – “Water”
Neon Highwire - “Isometric View (Novelty Music Scene Mix)” - http://www.neonhighwire.com/
The Slow Waves – “Underbelly” - www.facebook.com/theslowwaves - www.theslowwaves.com
From: Louder Than Eleven
47:32m

To watch more great videos from 2012, check out our Best Of 2012 that showcases 25 more videos.