banff mountain film festival magazine

LESSONS FROM CERRO TORREFURTHER NORTH OF THE SUNARCTIC SWELLS WITH CHRIS BURKARDWIN A TRIP TO AFRICA

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A Program of

201415 WORLD TOUR

BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL MAGAZINE

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As presenting sponsors of the 39th BANFF Mountain Film and Book Festival, National Geographic and The North Face celebrate mountain culture and the spirit of adventure.

For more information on grants that support young explorers and encourage the next generation to discover the outdoors, visit: nationalgeographic.com/yeg for National Geographic Young Explorers Grants and explorefund.org for The North Face Explore Fund grants.

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Banff Mountain Film Festival 2014 15 7

welcome

Features12 Where Are They Now?Catch up with the hits from past festivals

including the boys from North of the Sun, Hazel Findlay, Leo Houlding, Sufferfests Cedar Wright and the Keeper of the Mountain herself, Elizabeth Hawley.

22 Cerro Torre: A Snowballs Chance in HellHow to go about making a near-impossible documentary with David Lama, one of the worlds fi nest climbers, and fi lmmaker Thomas Dirnhofer.

26 Arctic Swell, NorwayChris Burkards winning photo essay about surfi ng north of the Arctic Circle.

32 The Rise of the Dirtbag ClimberFrom Jack Russell Terriers to naked slack-liners, Sender Films/Big Up productions have specialized in fi lms documenting dirt bag climbers. This latest installment, Valley Uprising, is an epic history of climbing in Yosemite National Park.

Departments

Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour Magazine 201415

8 Welcome

10 Mountain Livin

37 Film Award Sponsors

39 Book Award Sponsors

40 Contest

42 Last Words

Cover Photo: Louise Falls, Banff National Park Kennan Harvey.

Top: David Lama on the Compressor Route Corey Rich, Red Bull Content Pool

Top Right: Leo Houlding in the fi lm The Last Great Climb. Courtesy of the fi lm makers.

Bottom Right: Dale Bard, Jim Bridwell, Fred East and Jay Fiske atop El Capitans Pacifi c Ocean Wall, 1975 Warner Braun.

CONTENTS

I had to learn my lesson, that it is not possible to fi lm scenes according to plan when making a documentary fi lm

22pg.

12pg.

32 pg.


8 Banff Mountain Film Festival 2014 15

It seems like everyone has a story to tell these days. Just venture outside for a day and youll see P.O.V. cameras strapped to someones arm, or their helmet or their ski pole, or maybe even their dog. Dump your footage onto your home computer, add some music, do a quick edit and slam, bam youre a fi lmmaker!

So whats to set apart someones home movie from a really meaningful fi lm that speaks to audiences around the globe? Here at The Banff Centre, the largest arts and creativity incubator in the world and the home of the Banff Mountain Festival and World Tour, were in the business of inspiring creativity of nurturing artists from around the world so they can tell their story in creative and original ways, uninhibited by the worries that seep in from daily life. We offer a creative refuge, and storytelling is our specialty you might say. Thats what sets us apart.

The Banff Mountain Festival team spends months sifting through fi lm submissions to bring you the absolute best mountain and adventure fi lms possible. And how do we do tackle the task at hand, you might ask? While everyone on the team has a slightly different screening method, were all

looking for a few key elements across the board. First and foremost, as you might have guessed, the fi lm has to have a great storyline. Weve all seen fi lms where skiers perform huck after huck off steep Alaskan walls and sure, it may be amazing athleticism and tasty cinematic eye candy, but the really great fi lms tell us about the people performing those stunts and what makes them tick. We fi nd out the backstory of what being a climber or explorer or adventurer

means when you commit wholeheartedly to something you love. We pride ourselves on being masters of separating the really meaningful, unique stories from the mundane. Of course, amazing cinematography, a catchy soundtrack, perhaps a bit of humour all contribute to a great fi lm and complete the package.

Our goal is to get you inspired, year after year. Which means were OK spending what seems like endless hours watching fi lms in a dark room on your behalf if it gets you amped up about being outside, committing to a cause, or changing your lifestyle for the better. Well happily take one for the team if thats what it takes to keep you coming back!

Deb SmytheFestival Director

Joanna CrostonProgramming Director

BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL WORLD TOURMagazine Editor Matt MathesonMagazine Contributors Louise Healy, Bronwyn Lawrie, Nicky Lynch, Jenny SpurrFestival Director Deb SmytheProgramming Director Joanna CrostonWorld Tour Manager Jim BakerSenior Producer, Film & Media Woody MacPhailStrategic Partnerships Manager Laurie HarveyWorld Tour Coordinator Seana StrainWorld Tour Program Coordinators Mark Louie, Suzanne White, Brenda Williams, Ccile NeffTechnical Producer, Film & Media Leanne AllisonWorld Tour Onsite Coordinators Kristi Beetch, Michelle de Camp, Holly Elliott, Amelie Goulet-Boucher, Heather Hendrie, Deb Hornsby, Paul Price, Ray Schmidt, Charla Sharp Tomlinson, Jamie CarpenterFestival Coordinator Christine ThlFilm Coordinator Karin StubenvollFestival Coordinator, Guest Relations Kaari Van NostrandProduction Admin. Coordinator Bonnie HamiltonVideo Packaging Martin Finnerty, Graham King, Willi Schmidt, Mark Tierney

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONSMarketing Offi cer Nicky Lynch Media Relations Louise HealyFestival Design and Artwork Kelly Stauffer

The Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival and World Tour is a proud program of The Banff Centre. We would like to express our gratitude to Banff Mountain Film Festival founder John Amatt, and to former director Bernadette McDonald, whose visionary leadership elevated the Festival to the world stage.

BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM & BOOK FESTIVALThe Banff CentreBox 1020, Banff, AB, Canada T1L 1H51-800-298-1229Email [email protected] banffmountainfestival.caBanff Mountain Festival Box Offi ce 1.800.413.8368

PUBLISHED BY COTTAGE LIFE MEDIA54 St. Patrick Street, Toronto, ON M5T 1V1, (416) 599.2000Publisher Al ZikovitzAssociate Publisher Randy CraigArt Director Michael ZikovitzProduction Manager Jodi BrooksAssistant Production Manager Denise Grayemail [email protected]

2014 Cottage Life Media

No part of the publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher and The Banff Centre.

Welcome to the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour!

A Program of

Major Partners

Supporting Partners

Presenting Partners

Bow Valley Power provides Green Energy to deliver the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour in Canada and the United States.

The Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival is proud to be a

founding member of the

Our goal is to get you inspired, year after year


ITS TIME TO CARVE YOUR OWN STORY.Watch the new lm series, Sculpted in Time by Sherpas Cinema, to see

why nature rules in Banff National Park. Visit SkiBanffNationalPark.com

#mybanff #sculptedintime

Banff Adventure Filmmakers WorkshopThe Adventure Filmmakers Workshop is a chance for independent and emerging fi lmmakers to turn their projects into reality, under the guidance of some of the worlds most respected adventure fi lmmakers. Explore the concepts that are key to every great adventure fi lm in an intensive eight-day fi lmmakers workshop.

Banff Wilderness Photography WorkshopThe Banff Wilderness Photography Workshop provides emerging and seasoned photographers with an opportunity to learn how to tell compelling visual narratives through images with guidance from internationally acclaimed landscape photographers.

Banff Mountain and Wilderness Writing ProgramDelve into a writing project, of any genre, in the area of mountain or wilderness culture. In this unique residency program, six writers work closely with accomplished editors and guest faculty to immerse themselves in their writing projects (essay, memoir, biography, feature article, poetry or work of fi ction). This includes writing with a focus on adventure, mountain culture or the environment.

MOUNTAIN LIVIN

So youre in the mountain mood and cant get enough of fi lms, books, hiking, skiing, climbing, ANYTHING that taps you into mountain living. Well, when youre fi nished watching the fi lms and are still craving a fi x, here are some workshops and radio waves to keep you going.

Brought to you by the proud presenters of the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival and World Tour, The Banff Centre hosts workshops in Mountain and Wilderness Writing, Adventure Filmmaking and Wilderness Photography every year that are sure to top up your tank with mountain livin goodness. Plus they give you the excuse to make your way to Banff.

BANFF CENTRE RADIOGrab your headphones and get a blast of

rocky mountain living wherever you are! Tune in to the new Banff Centre Radio network online. Come explore mountain cultures and communities, life in Banff National Park, the best of the festival and more.

banffcentreradio.ca and @radiobanff.


BANFF ADVEN

TURE FILM

MAKERS W

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OP DIDRIK JOHNCK

The Banff Centre

I learned so much more in those three

days than I had in the ten years of being a photographer. I left with a creative

level that could have reached the moon and for once it was

reaching for me back Ryan Bolton, Wilderness

Photography Workshop 2013

For more information on 2015 programs give us a shout: [email protected] | 1.403.762.6180 | 1.800.565.9989


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In The Last Great Climb, you faced extreme weather conditions. How did you prepare for the cold?LH: Being from lower latitudes, my team and I were not experienced in extreme cold. We took a two-week training expedition to northeast Greenland in March 2012 to get some experience prior to the main event. It was really cold. We had lots of problems and mishaps but learned so much. Id say that trip was absolutely crucial to the

success of the Ulvetanna expedition. It made us realize how well-prepared and equipped you need to be just to survive on an expedition like that, let alone to succeed on such a massive, diffi cult climb.

How did you feel when the plane fi rst touched down in Antarctica, and when the plane left base camp?LH: I have never been so excited in my entire life! When we arrived in perfect conditions, extremely

well-equipped, prepared for any eventuality with a tight, strong crew, I could scarcely believe it was real. And the northeast ridge was more spectacular than my wildest dreams.

When you fi nished the climb, how did you celebrate?LH: We hammered three bottles of single malt in a base camp party and carried on celebrating for days in Novo and Cape Town a fantastic town for a celebration!

What have you been doing since The Last Great Climb? LH: Ulvetanna was the fi nal expedition with the same core crew in an epic trilogy that started in the Arctic on (Mount) Asgard, led us through the Amazon and up Autana (Venezuela), and with a few Yosemite excursions thrown in, culminated with a dream trip to Antarctica. Even before the expedition we knew this would be our last in this

Where are they now?Where are they now?Where are they now?Where are they now?Where are they now?Where are they now?Where are they now? The northeast ridge was

more spectacular than my wildest dreams Leo Houlding

The Next Great ClimbWhere are they now with Leo Houldingby Jenny Spurr

Set in the stunning mountains of Queen Maud Land, Antarctica, Alastair Lees The Last Great Climb follows top adventure climber Leo Houlding and his teammates Jason Pickles and Sean Stanley Leary as they attempt to make the fi rst ascent of the northeast ridge of the majestic Ulvetanna Peak, one of the most technically demanding climbs in one of the worlds harshest environments. We caught up with Leo Houlding to see what hes been up to since the expedition.

From left to right: Sean Stanley Leary, Leo Houlding,

Jason Pickles and Chris Rabone


ALL IM

AGES FROM THE LA

ST GREA

T CLIMB ALA

STAIR LEE

ANTARCTICA

Ulvetanna Peak


format. What we didnt know was that just over a year later Sean Stanley Leary would die in a wing suiting accident and our crew would be gone forever. It really was to be our last great climb.

Whats next for you? LH: Since our Ulvetanna trip in the same year Stanley, Jason and I all became fathers, and now Alastair (Last Great Climb fi lmmaker) is due to have his second child. We talked much about the excitement of sharing that next great adventure together. We planned annual family get-togethers at Stanleys place in Yosemite and joked about hauling kids up walls.

Now a great hole has been torn through a beautiful picture, and Stanley leaves a widow and son. It has been painful and sobering to be so close to such tragedy while at the same time experiencing the wonder of starting a family.

Hopefully, our families can still share fun times in the future and we can make sure they know what a great man Stanley was.

Follow Leo on @LeoHoulding

Where are they now?Where are they now?Where are they now?


Catching up with fi lmmakers and characters from past Banff Mountain Festival fi lms


ITS TIME TO CARVE YOUR OWN STORY.Watch the new lm series, Sculpted in Time by Sherpas Cinema, to see

why nature rules in Banff National Park. Visit SkiBanffNationalPark.com

#mybanff #sculptedintime

I think that as long as I can walk, I will try to climb Hazel Findlay

Life After Spice GirlTurning Fear Into Focusby Jenny Spurr

The UK climbing scene is known for its strict traditional ethics, dangerous routes and competitive machismo. Its the last place youd expect to fi nd a nice little blonde girl putting all the boys to shame, but Hazel Findlay is doing just that. Spice Girl follows Hazel as she teams up with US climber Emily Harrington to tackle the untamed big walls of Taghia Gorge, Morocco and this is what has happened since.

What have you been doing since Spice Girl?HF: After we fi lmed Spice Girl in spring 2013, I went to the Alps for the summer and climbed alpine rock routes, then I went to South Africa to rock climb there. Then I went to Yosemite and climbed El Capitan for the third time in just one day. Later on, I went to Spain and climbed my hardest sport route (Fish Eye, 8c 5.14b).

When did you start climbing, and what inspires you to keep going?HF: I started climbing when I was seven years old. My dad taught me how to climb on the sea cliffs of South Wales. Climbing has never ceased to inspire me because it is a wide and varied sport. It also takes you to some of the wildest and most beautiful natural places of the world.

How do you stay motivated when the going gets tough? HF: If you are actually at risk of hurting yourself then it isnt a question of motivation, its a question of how to get out of that dangerous situation. At those times, its best to turn your fear into focus on climbing well and not on the danger itself. As soon as you concentrate too much on the consequences of an error, you stop climbing well and are more likely to make an error.

What advice would you give to other female climbers?HF: Enjoy the fact that the sport is a male dominated sport its easy to fi nd a boyfriend!

Whats next for you?HF: Right now Im on my way to Dover to catch a ferry to France, where hopefully Ill slowly get back into climbing after four months off (due to a chronic shoulder injury). Then its off to Australia and the US before the year is up.

Follow Hazel on @hazel_fi ndlay

The mighty Hazel Findlay showing strength and

determination on the wall.


ERICKSO

N

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

MOROCCO

TaghiaGorge


Further North of the SunWhen above the Arctic Circle isnt north enough by Louise Healy

Eating expired supermarket food. Surfi ng in below-freezing temperatures, and building a hut out of fl otsam. All things that are most peoples idea of hell. Doing it all on a remote Norwegian island for nine months, through periods of 24-hour winter darkness? Now that is one crazy idea. But not for Norwegian adventurers Inge Wegge and Jrn Ranum. Its that crazy idea that spawned their award-winning 46-minute documentary, North of the Sun and won them the Peoples Choice Award at the 2013 Banff Mountain Film Competition.

Suddenly what started off as this really crazy idea was now our life, said Inge from his home in Norway. During that winter, we had time to sit down and look at nothing, or everything. We really felt what it was like to be alone.

Although 90 per cent of the food they ate during their 300-day adventure was past its expiration date (and therefore free), it was no deterrent for the fi lm-school graduates. The combination of surf, cold and completing their crazy idea seeped into their collective consciousness and propelled them to embark on similar, albeit bonkers, experiences in the wild.

In the wake of North of the Suns international success, Inge Wegge decided to head off with his two brothers and discover the surf at an equally unenviable location the frozen, uninhabited, Nordic Islands of Svalbard (way north of Norway), which had never been surfed before. It took him a year-and-a-half to even get offi cial permission from the Norwegian authorities to surf and fi lm there.

In the meantime, fellow fi lm-maker Jrn Ranum is currently shooting a skateboard fi lm on a frozen beach in Torgen, northern Norway.

Being out there in the mountains, something really changed in us, said Inge. All of these things you think are important in life, these things you think you have to do, go away. You see the difference between whats important and whats not. You learn to relax.

Suddenly what started

off as this really crazy idea was now our life Inge Wegge

Jrn Ranum and Inge Wegge outside the winter hut they

made and (below) celebrating collecting three tons of garbage.


PHOTO

S BY IN

GE WEG

GE

AND JRN RANUM

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

NORWAY(far north)

Svalbard(very, very far north)

ARCTIC CIRCLE


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Whats going on now?CW: Im currently in post-production on Sufferfest 2 and trying to buck the trend of the sequel not living up to the original. Because of the momentum of the fi rst fi lm we were able to bring a lot more production value to it; weve kept the spirit of the original Sufferfest though.

Whats new for Sufferfest 2?CW: The original Sufferfest started with several conversations down in Chile about alternative energy: what a different world might look like where we could still basically enjoy the sports we love and the travel we love, but somehow in a lower impact way. To that end, Honnold has progressively been contributing to various alternative energy charities in different parts of the world, and when we started talking about this new Sufferfest he had said that he would like to actually be participating in some of the non-profi ts he had been supporting. Given that I was looking at the desert towers and the work some of our sponsors were doing down there with solar energy, it was a cool way to do something meaningful, have an adventure, and raise some money and awareness for the many people who are actually roughing it out there in the Navajo Nation.

How do the two fi lms rank on the Suffer-scale?CW: Its funny because the two fi lms could honestly duke it out for which one was more heinous. In the same way that both of those landscapes were totally unique, the way that we suffered for each was kinda unique. With Sufferfest 2, for example, we were way more cold and uncomfortable in the desert than we were in the high mountains of the Sierra.

Whats next?CW: There could be a Sufferfest 3? I think if were going to do another Sufferfest, well go back to the roots just me and Alex. And I think at this point it cant just be another bike tour. It has to be something even more epic. Also, something where I really try to kill Honnold. Maybe if we could combine ski touring with sea kayaking or something. Well see. The basic idea with Sufferfest is to come up with an audacious goal, step outside of your comfort zone and try something new and maybe, or maybe not, pull off the goal.

Follow Cedar on @cedarwrightFollow Alex on @alexhonnold

Suffertown USAWhat do you do after a Sufferfest? Suffer some more!by Matt Matheson

So youre Alex Honnold and Cedar Wright, a couple of world-class climbers whove decided to bike across California and climb all of its 14,000-foot peaks. Youve dubbed the journey the worst trip of your lives and compiled it as a documentary entitled Sufferfest. Youve since sworn to never tackle something like that again. What do you do next? Climb Sleeping Beautys Castle at Disneyland? Nope. You dream up something so Suffer-full that you simply have to embark on another Sufferfest. Sufferfest 2: Desert Alpine, to be specifi c.

Sufferfest 2: Desert Alpine, takes the boys to the 45 desert towers throughout Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico on a 700 mile journey to the Navajo reservation in Arizona. Once there, the duo participates in a series of solar system installations for six remote homes as part of Alex Honnolds non-profi t, Honnold Foundation.

We caught up with Cedar Wright to hear about how this came about and whats next for him and Alex.

Top Left: Installing solar panellingTop Right: Cedar and Alex on the trailBottom: The view of desert towers to be climbed


WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

COLORADOUTAH

ARIZONA NEW MEXICO

Sufferfest 2country


the two fi lms could honestly duke it out for which one was more heinous

Cedar Wright

ALL IM

AGES CEDAR WRIGHT


2014 Clif Bar & Company. Trademarks and registered trademarks are owned by Clif Bar & Company, or used with permission. CB14.852

Hawley at her PeakWhat happens after a mountain is named in your honour?by Bronwyn Lawrie

Elizabeth Hawley, 91, is widely recognized as the worlds foremost chronicler of Himalayan mountaineering despite having never climbed a mountain herself. She bucked the conventions of her time by setting out on her own to Kathmandu in 1960, where she began chronicling Himalayan expeditions for The Himalayan Database. Today, more than 50 years on, she continues to update these records with rigorous accuracy and dedication. We caught up with Allison Otto (Filmmaker Keeper of the Mountains) and Hawley to fi nd out what theyve been up to in the last year.In August 2014, the Nepalese government honoured Hawleys

contributions to mountaineering by naming a 6,182 metre (20,328 feet) peak in the Humla district of northwest Nepal, Peak Hawley. Hawley, however, was unimpressed. I think the mountains should not be named after individuals. They should have local names, she said.Hawley is still plugging away at meeting expeditions in Nepal

and recording their activities for The Himalayan Database. Since the fi lms release, she was awarded honorary membership in the prestigious London-based Alpine Club for her remarkable contribu-tion to mountaineering. She is also still an offi cial of the Himalayan Trust founded by Sir Edmund Hillary.Since Ottos inaugural fi lm, Keeper of the Mountains, won a

Special Jury Mention at the 2013 Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival and was named one of the Best Adventure Films of 2013 by Outside Magazine, Otto has been inspired to pursue her next documentary (about a community in southeastern Arizona) while also working on an MFA in Film. Both Scott McElroy (who edited Keeper of the Mountains) and Mark Crawford (who did the musical composition) are part of the team on this new project. In September she took a couple weeks off to hike 162 miles across the Scottish Highlands. Otto still keeps in touch with Hawley. Both she and I have found it

really wonderful to see so many people enjoying the fi lm and fi nding Miss Hawleys life story inspiring, said Otto.

To keep up with Allison Otto, visit smalldogonthego.com. For Elizabeth Hawleys latest, we recommend perhaps climbing a peak in Nepal.

I think the mountains should not be named after

individuals. They should have local names Elizabeth Hawley

Hawley from back in the day.

Allison Otto with Elizabeth Hawley.


WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

NEPAL

Peak Hawley


Cerro Torre:A Snowballs

Chance in HellA LESSON IN HUMILITY

by Nicky Lynch

Film Feature


Towering over the landscape with incomparable steepness, Patagonias Cerro Torre is one of

the most stunning and coveted mountains in the world. The fi rst chapter in the history of the mountain begins with a questionable fi rst ascent in 1959 by Cesare Maestri and Toni Egger where Egger died on the descent and the camera was lost. Many failed attempts followed, and after international pressure to provide evidence of his ascent, Maestri returned to summit the peak in 1970. He guaranteed his success by using a gas-powered compressor, drilling 360 bolts into the mountain to set up the route. Yet more controversy ensued as climbing ethics came to the fore.

T


M I T C H C O R B E T T & M A T T H I A S G I R A U DC u s h e A m b a s s a d o r s

www.cushe.com

WANDERERT h e

c o l l e c t i o n

THE HEART OF A SNEAK , THE SOUL OF ADVENTURE.

Matthias WP // Tan

Into this latest chapter on the history of Cerro Torre enters climbing phenom David Lama, whose mountaineering genes come from an Austrian mother and a Sherpa father. Accompanying Lama is adventure fi lmmaker and mountaineer Thomas Dirnhofer, along with a helicopter, a camera crew and the addition of yet more bolts and fi xed ropes to capture Lamas fi rst attempt to free-climb the mountain in 2009.

Cerro Torre is prone to bad weather, but after a failed expedition and media backlash, the scandalous storm that ensued was of epic propor-tions. The expedition, David Lama, the fi lmmaking ethics, motives everything about it became the subject of extensive scrutiny and criticism.

Cerro Torre: A Snowballs Chance in Hell is certainly not the fi lm about a successful 2009 expedition that Dirnhofer had anticipated making as his fi rst documentary. Its as much about the making of the fi lm which turned into a multiple-year odyssey as it is about Lamas fi nal efforts with partner Peter Ortner to free-climb what is undoubtedly one of the worlds hardest alpine routes.

Dirnhofer says what initially intrigued him in this project was, The attraction of the mountain itself, plus the possibilities available when work-ing with a partner like Red Bull Media House. It was also extremely exciting to get to work with a young climber like David, who was so much less attached to the historical context of the climb than we were. Our ambitions did get us into a bit of trouble at fi rst, though, he added.

Drawing a parallel in the fi lm between the audacity of Maestri and the 2009 fi lm crew installing the fi xed ropes on the mountain, Dirnhofer says We all learned a lot and were able to show that we had learned our lesson during the fi rst year. Thats also why the story of us as the fi lm team is such an important part of the fi lm, because there was this awareness of how far we could fall from grace. He adds Using bolts on Cerro Torre may be the dumbest thing you can do. If you shoot a mountain picture or a climbing picture somewhere in the alps, you use fi xed ropes, you use bolts there, whateverbut if you do this on Cerro Torre you have a big red alert in the climbing community.

After the failure of the fi rst attempt, Dirnhofer wasnt sure if he would be able to deliver the fi lm. I was extremely disappointed, even ashamed, that I couldnt make a movie on the fi rst attempt. I had to learn my lesson, that it is not possible to fi lm scenes according to plan when making a documentary fi lm. When asked what hed like the audience to know about the fi lm, Lama states, Everything in the fi lm happened in the moment. Not a single climbing move

was fi lmed twice for the sake of the fi lm, no image was brushed whatsoever. Its documentary value is 100 per cent that was the demand we had on ourselves.

Cerro Torre is a fi lm that goes far beyond the usual stories of successful ascents. It highlights the emotional side of expeditions, the persever-ance, cooperation, courage and humility needed to succeed. And it provides us with a far better understanding of free-climbing and what it entails at this level, bringing to the audience an epic story of fi lmmaking and human endeavour on one of the worlds most astonishing peaks.

Visit: cerrotorre-movie.com

Cerro Torre towering over the Patagonia landscape.


PREV

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AGES DAVID LAMA COREY

RICH;

LAMA PORTR

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OF RED

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ERRO TORRE COREY

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ELSE

there was this awareness of how far we could fall from grace

Thomas Dirnhofer

Film Feature



Photo Contest


If were talking surfi ng, then Im typically thinking about clear blue waters, sunny days and tropical paradise but in Chris Burkards winning photo essay Arctic Swell, Norway he gives us a glimpse into what its like when you swap the suntan for frostbite north of the Arctic Circle in the Lofoten Islands, Norway.

Chris Burkard is a self-taught photographer and artist, based in Central Coast California. His work is layered by surf, outdoor, lifestyle and travel subjects and at the age of 28, he has established himself as a known name in the surf and outdoor industries. Currently, Burkard serves as Senior Staff Photographer for Surfer magazine. This essay speaks to his drive to document the Arctic and arctic surfi ng.

Burkards essay was one of over 100 submitted to the Banff Mountain Photo Essay Competition this year. With the help of our competition jury, four essays were selected to be put to a public vote from which Burkards essay was the winner.

Established in 1996, the Banff Mountain Photo Essay Competition recognizes creative excellence in photography on mountain subjects, and includes a grand prize of $3,000. The competition aims to showcase the best in mountain-themed photo essays and recognize the best stories told through a series of still images. The 2014 competition jury included notable photographers Gordon Wiltsie, Beth Wald and Sadie Quarrier.

If you want to put your mountain photography skills to the test in the 2015 competition, visit banffmountainfestival.ca for more details.

In the Arctic you never know what to expect. You can be in a blizzard one day seeking shelter and then scoring some of the best waves of your life the next

Chris Burkard

B E AU T Y AM I D S T T H E S T R UGG L E

BANFF MOUNTA IN PHOTO ESSAY COMPET I T ION

BY MAT T MATHESON

Presented by:

Sponsored by:

The stump, a Norwegian hot tub and resuscitator of frozen limbs

ROCKY MOUNTAIN

P H O T O A D V E N T U R E S


When people think of surfi ng, the last thing they think of is surfi ng in the Arctic.


p With the air temperature in the

teens (F) and water hovering above

freezing it takes a big commitment to

paddle out.

u Some of these places I go feel like

a photographic purgatory.


Photo Contest


Follow Chris on:

chrisburkard.tumblr.com

instagram.com/chrisburkard

facebook.com/chrisburkardphotography

p The clouds, the moodiness, the northern lights. It truly is beautiful and epic.

This photo essay has also been bundled with an awesome, immersive reading experience called The Swell Window. It combines audio, video and photography and its available to download for

FREE. This little digital bundle includes new writing by surfer, surfboard shaper, and author Christian Beamish along with Chris essay. Get yours from November 2014 onward at banffcentrepress.ca


Photo Contest


L E G E N D S A N D L O R ETHE B ES T O F MOUN TA IN E ER ING H I S TORY AND ADVEN TURE

REINHOLD MESSNER: MY LIFE AT THE LIMIT The worlds greatest a lp inist ref lects on a l i fe spent achiev ing the impossible. Paperback, 978-1-59485-852-9, $19.95

Interviewed by Thomas HetlinTranslated by Tim Carruthers

Messner is not only the greatest high-altitude mountaineer the world

has ever known; he is probably the best it will ever know.

TIME

My Life at the Limit

REINHOLD MESSNER

It is through resisting death that we humans experience what it is to be human. And it is in this seeming paradox that the most fundamental reasons for climbing mountains or seeking out extreme situations are to be found, whether its the South Pole, the North Pole, the Gobi, K2, or Chang Tang. The secret lies in the fact that I can only have the most intense experiences when I push myself to the limits of what is possible.

Famed mountaineer Reinhold Messner has had plenty of most intense experiences, including being the first person to climb the fourteen 8000-meter peaksall without the use of supplemental oxygen or high-altitude porters. In addition to his renowned climbing exploits and extreme expeditions, he is the bestselling author of more than sixty books and the founder of the Messner Mountain Museums, a collection of six European museums centered around mountain themes.Published for the first time in English, Reinhold Messner: My Life at the Limit is the most personal and reflective of all Herr Messners books. Guided by the probing and insightful questions of Berlin- and London-based journalist Thomas Hetlin, Messner reveals a vulnerable and human side of his personality that has rarely been so openly displayed. He shares not only stories of heroic adventure and tragic loss, but also details of his day-to-day life and his views on such diverse topics as family, organic farming, the yeti, European politics, religion, the legacy of George Mallory, and the inspiration for his multiple museums.

Fellow climber Conrad Anker has said of Messners solo ascent of Everest, It was like landing on the moon. After that, everything else kind of pales in comparison. In this compelling new autobiography, Messner shows us just why that one accomplishment deserves our universal wonderand just how much more there has been in his amazing life.

Spine

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backcover tagline, baseline of text is .25 from bottom of book front cover, logo lines up

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MOUNTAINEERING/AUTOBIOGRAPHY$19.95 U.S.

A LEGENDS AND LORE TITLE

N E W

A V A I L A B L Ewhere books are sold and at

mountaineersbooks.org/Legends(use code BANFF14 at checkout to save 20%)

Mountaineers Books is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit publisher

FREE SPIRIT: A Cl imbers L i feReinhold Messner

THE LAST STEP: The American Ascent of K2Rick Ridgeway

THE CALL OF THE ICE: Cl imbing 8000-Meter Peaks in Winter Simone Moro

MOUNTAINS IN MY HEART: A Pass ion for Cl imbingGerl inde Kaltenbrunner

ROCK CLIMBING: Master ing Basic Ski l ls , 2nd Ed.Topher Donahue and Craig Luebben

PSYCHOVERTICALAndy Kirkpatr ick

More than 600 outdoor recreat ion, l i festy le and conservat ion books in pr int

Follow Chris on:

chrisburkard.tumblr.com

instagram.com/chrisburkard

facebook.com/chrisburkardphotography

p The clouds, the moodiness, the northern lights. It truly is beautiful and epic.

This photo essay has also been bundled with an awesome, immersive reading experience called The Swell Window. It combines audio, video and photography and its available to download for

FREE. This little digital bundle includes new writing by surfer, surfboard shaper, and author Christian Beamish along with Chris essay. Get yours from November 2014 onward at banffcentrepress.ca


Photo Contest


Fred Beckey and Eric Bjornstad in Monument Valley Utah. Eric Bjornstad Collection


Film Feature


Fred Beckey and Eric Bjornstad in Monument Valley Utah. Eric Bjornstad Collection


Film Feature


Sending dirtbags to the silver screen since way

back Sender Films/Big Up Productions

releases Valley UprisingBY LOUISE HEALY

Sending dirtbags to the

The rise of the dirtbag climber

It all started with a cameo appearance from Biscuit,

the Jack Russell Terrier who made waves throughout

the canine climbing world when her bold ascents were

documented in the fi lm Front Range Freaks.



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this was a unique opportunity to look and document how this whole climbing lifestyle is born and the lineage of people doing it Pete Mortimer

For 14 years, Sender Films/Big Up Productions have introduced Banff audiences to some of the most memorable faces, stories and downright crazy climbing antics on the circuit. Alex Honnold free-soloing Half Dome, Ueli Steck racing up the Eiger, Didier Berthod wrestling with Cobra Crack, and Andy Lewis slacklining naked are just some of the stories that made audiences gasp, laugh and cheer.

Now comes the next installment about the renegade climbers who frequented Yosemite National Park, pushing the limits with the law and carving out the roots of a counterculture of outdoor sports. And who better to document the rise of the pioneering US dirtbag movement than the man behind some of the most revered climbing fi lms around: director Pete Mortimer.

Mortimers latest offering, Valley Uprising the much-anticipated 90-minute documentary chronicling the epic history of climbing in Yosemite National Park has been in the works for the last seven years, and the World Tour includes a special segment from it.

Its about knowing how to document the drama of a climb, and our team is the best team in the world at doing that, said Mortimer from his home in Boulder, Colorado. Its fair to say that Mortimer and co-directors Nick Rosen and Josh Lowell know a bit about drama. They are the brains behind the dramatic climbing fi lms The Swiss Machine (2010), Honnold 3.0 (2012),

the Reel Rock Film Tour series and most recently High Tension (2013).

Valley Uprising is the biggest story for us so far, said the 40-year-old. Generally we take really personal stories but this was a unique opportunity to look and document how this whole climbing lifestyle is born and the lineage of people doing it.

I get really emotional when I watch the fi lm. The amazing climbers in fi lm are all part of this great culture and lifestyle, a crazy cast of characters over 60 years who have been drawn by this same call to the beautiful, majestic cliffs in Yosemite. They have dedicated their lives to progressing the sport and interacting on those walls.

And while Mortimer has climbed side-by-side fi lming with some of the great climbing heroes Hazel Findlay, Didier Berthod, Dean Potter; and Alex Honnold he is as self-effacing, gregarious and down-to-earth as they come. Even as a life-long climber its so crazy to see what theyre doing up there, said Mortimer. Its such an honour to be a fl y on the wall and experience it with them.

Mortimer is no stranger to Banff and honours of his own.

The fi lm director has been a regular at the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival for more than ten years, 23 of his fi lms have appeared on the World Tour circuit and nine fi lms (fi ve of which in association with Big Up Films) have been awarded honours, including multiple Radical Reels Peoples Choice Award and Best Film awards.

We pour so much energy into making our fi lms and making sure that they get out to as many audiences as possible and the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival and World Tour is an incredible opportunity for us to reach audiences who may never usually see rock climbing fi lms. Thats what we love about the World Tour.

We couldnt say it better ourselves.

Pete Mortimer

Dale Bard, Jim Bridwell, Fred East and Jay Fiske atop El Capitans

Pacifi c Ocean Wall, 1975.


Film Feature

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GRAND PRIZE$4,000Sponsored by MEC

Award for Creative Excellence$2,000Sponsored by Sole

Best Film Exploration and Adventure $2,000Sponsored by MSR

Best Film Mountain Culture $2,000Sponsored by Helly Hansen

Best Film Mountain Environment, Wildlife and Natural History$2,000Sponsored by Film Festival Flix

Best Film Climbing $2,000Sponsored by Alpine Club of Canada

Best Film Mountain Sports, Summer $2,000Sponsored by Live Out There

Best Film Mountain Sports, Winter $2,000Sponsored by Oboz Footwear

Best Short Mountain Film $2,000Sponsored by The North Face

Best Feature-length Mountain Film $2,000Sponsored by Town of Banff

Peoples Choice Award $2,000Sponsored by Treksta

Peoples Choice Award for Radical ReelsSponsored by Deuter

Summit of Excellence AwardSponsored by Patagonia Banff

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Banff Mountain Film Competition AWARDS

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GRAND PRIZE Phyllis and Don Munday Award$4,000Sponsored by the Alpine Club of Canada

Best Mountain and Wilderness Literature The Jon Whyte Award$2,000Sponsored by The Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies

Adventure Travel Award $2,000Sponsored by The Juniper Hotel and Bistro and the Wild Flour Bakery and Caf

Mountain Image Award$2,000Sponsored by Alpinist magazine

Mountain Guidebook Award$2,000Sponsored by The American Alpine Club

Mountain Fiction and Poetry Award$2,000Sponsored by Orofnio Wines

Mountaineering History Award$750Sponsored by the UIAA and William Putnam


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Were having a contest!Enter to win the Grand Prize of a trip for two to Africa with World Expeditions and South African Airways.

Southern Africa evokes a strong spirit of the wild. Enjoy an adventure tour and wildlife safari in one of the worlds richest ecosystems, accompanied by an expert local guide whose trained eye ensures you really experience the regions diversity and extensive wildlife.EntEr to win at banffmountainfestival.ca/contest Contest closes: october 15, 2015

Other cOntest prizes include:

Head-to-toe gear for your next adventure from The North Face;

Deuter backpacks; Kicking Horse Coffee; a Bergans of Norway tent; an MSR stove system, tent, and a

pair of poles; Cushe Footwear; a CLIF Bar Adventure Travel Pack; Icebreaker Adventure Travel Pack;

Petzl headlamp; MEC gear; a ski and stay with the The Lake

Louise Ski Area and Great Divide Lodge; a Mammut Avalanche Airbag

Pack; a subscription to National Geographic and other great prizes

from Festival partners.

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Whether you dig archaeology . . . clamor for cultures . . . focus on photography . . . dare to explore . . . dive deep into history . . . go Wild for Wildlife . . . or just yearn to learn . . .

The magazine with the famous yellow border is a window to the world for you and millions of others around the globe.

National Geographic was searching the world before Search, mapping it before GPS, and sharing it before Instagram. We invite you to step inside the yellow border, to travel through the decades, to go out in the field, behind the lens, and into the vault of secrets with our explorers, our photographers, and our editors in National Geographic The Covers.

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2014 National Geographic Society Follow us on Twitter: @NatGeoBooksLike us on Facebook: Nat Geo Books

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Films arescreened in over

40countries.

Countries include: Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, China, Iceland, India, the

Philippines and many more! Visit

banffmountainfestival.ca to see where well

be next!

Join us in Banff in 2015 for the

40th annual Festival!

The idea for the Festival started

over beers in a basement as something pass the time

between the summer climbing and snow flying. The first screening so

popular we had to move to a larger

theatre!

More than

370films are submitted.

40 are selected for the World

Tour and Radical Reels Tour.

Satisfyingoutdoorsy folks since

1975!

You can check out Radical Reels screenings in

Canada, US, Germany, Mexico and more than

25 shows in Australia!

10Road Warriors take the tour to over

200locations in Canada

and America.

SIM

ON

BA

CH

AN

D

FAMILY AFFAIR My family and I attend every year as part of my

birthday celebration. Its always a big hit. We love the tradition; we hope to continue it for a long, long time. Maybe our son will carry it on with his family. Never missed a viewing in 15 years...except

two years due to poorly planned child birthing.

CHILDHOOD DREAM (The World Tour) reminds me of my childhood

dreams of adventure and inspires me to be more active and fearless on a daily basis!

WORLD DOMINATION Awe-inspiring works of art. After I watch one

of the Banff Mountain Films I just want to pack my bags and head out on an adventure. Just me and my dog. We will take on the world!

AROUND THE WORLD We love it when your fi lms come to Fairbanks,

Alaska. The shows give us a chance to see other parts of this GREAT planet of ours. Thank you for all your hard work. I am so lucky to live in a small town (Walla

Walla, Washington great name) where the world tour has come for the last 20 years! It is my goal to attend the Banff Mountain

Film Festival in Banff - it has been added to my bucket list.

INSPIRING This is honestly the best fi lm festival I have ever

attended. I laugh, I cry, I immediately go home and plan BIG trips. Last year after attending the World Tour, I planned a one-month hiking excur-sion in Patagonia with my boyfriend. Amazing. Thank you so much for making this happen!

WORKIN IT It was awesome. I didnt meet my prince

charming adventure soul mate like the host stated happened to some! Oh well, next year. I will do some aerobics in the meantime ;). Love the fi lms, wish I could watch them over and over again! They get me stoked! So happy.

SOCIAL MEDIA @Blackwaterwine:@BanffMtnFest tickets

booked fi x of adrenaline and jealousy induced big screen action coming. @FionaKing83: @BanffMtnFest having the

most amazing night. Have laughed & cried & feeling inspired. Cant wait for second half! @BlakeDeVries: What an epic night! Thank

you @BanffMtnFest! If you havent seen it, you should; if you have, fl y somewhere to see it again. #MountainFever Todd Walton Hot date tonight with my bride

and the Banff Mountain Film Festival. Ohhhh yeah. Thats Barry White oooh yeah not Kool Aid oh yeah just to be clear. Facebook

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

@BanffMtnFest @thebanffcentre #Banffworldtour

facebook.com/ BanffMountainFilmFestival facebook.com/RadReels facebook.com/thebanffcentre

youtube.com/thebanffcentre

[email protected]

Give us your feedback and enter to win a trip to Africa at banffmountainfestival.ca/contest

Got a question? Check our FAQs atbanffmountainfestival.ca/tour/faq

Last WordsWORLD TOUR TID BITS & YOUR FESTIVAL FEEDBACK


PHOTO: AARON HUEY

With deep appreciation to all those around the world who partner with us in exploration.The National Geographic Expeditions Council is a grant program that supports exploration and adventure globally, inspiring people to care about the planet. Learn more about our grants at nationalgeographic.com/council

2014_BANFF_NG_final.indd 1 9/19/14 6:57 PM

banff mountain film festival magazine

Documents

mountain livin

mountain culture

film award sponsors

north face

fi lm scenes

fi lm makers

worlds fi nest climbers

book award sponsors