Ye Olde Rad Blog

This Friday (the 23rd), the movie Touching the Void is scheduled for release. True story, based on the book (hard to find right now) of the same title, by Joe Simpson. Two guys climb a 21,000-foot peak (6,400-meters) in the Peruvian Andes, when things go bad. Very bad. Trailers posted here (but they suk).

BBC review here. Seems that *everybody* likes this film. In fact, I have never seen a film reviewed at Rotten Tomatoes without a single negative comment.

I am *so* excited to see this movie that I can hardly stand myself. I don't know why I get so excited by the idea of mountaineering. I mean, I have never done it. The closest thing was hiking to the top of Half Dome. But that involved no haress. Maybe it's because I'm so terrified by the idea of hanging off the the side of a mountain, a thousand feet up. Yet, every night, before bed, I read a little of Freedom of the Hills (reviews posted here): the mountaineer's bible.

One of my favorite things to do when vacationing in Yosemite is to hike to the base of El Capitan (a 3,600-foot wall of granite, like 3 Empire State buildings stacked on top of each other) and watch climbers ascend. I can sit there for hours.

I don't want to ruin it for you, so I won't describe the story, but what happened is pretty amazing. When asked what kept him going, Joe answered, "I didn't want to die alone." He was interviewed on Real Sports last week.

Another great mountaineering book is Into Thin Air, by Jon Krakauer. Someday, I would like to rope up and give it a try. But for now, I continue to read, and learn, in the safety & warmth of my bed .. and then dream. You can bet I'll wear my hiking boots to see that movie. I hope it screens somewhere local, so I don't have to drive up to LA.