Film Follows Climber Chris Sharma’s Search for Difficult, Picturesque ‘King Lines’

By Julie Jagg

SANTA CRUZ — When it comes to sports superstars, few fly farther under the radar than world-class rock climber Chris Sharma. His talents in climbing are considered on par with Michael Jordan’s in basketball. His ego, however, would seem more closely matched to modest tennis great Pete Sampras.

But all that’s about to change. The man who has been called humble, spiritual, even reticent in innumerous articles and interviews said he thinks, in truth, he’s a bit uppity.

“A lot of people focus on climbing. I focus on climbing hard routes, but I’m kind of a snob, I guess,” he said Tuesday while taking a break from his world travels to do some skateboarding here in his hometown.

“I want to climb hard routes, but I want something that inspires me”

Sharma, 26, has the ability to climb just about anything anywhere. But he said he turns up his nose at any problem — no matter how challenging — that’s not also picturesque.

“The esthetics for me, that’s the thing,” he said. “To find these amazing pieces of rock that also have another element. That’s kind of the definition of king lines: They’re big and hard and amazing, but they also have that esthetic”

Sharma began searching the world for rocks to climb at age 17. In the nine years since, he has found and conquered many of the gnarliest rocks in the most beautiful corners of the planet. Now his search for these “king lines,” as he calls them, is the subject of a documentary by the same name that will be shown Sept. 7 at the Rio Theatre as the headliner for the Reel Rock Film Tour.

Directors and college buddies Josh Lowell of Big Up Productions and Peter Mortimer of Sender Films teamed up to make “King Lines,” which has the highest budget of an climbing film in history and won an Emmy for a high-definition segment that appeared on NBC earlier this year. Mortimer said the project came together organically once Sharma told them the location and difficulty of his most recent project. It was Es Pontas, a line up a towering limestone arch encircled by sapphire blue waters off the coast of Mallorca, Spain.

“The arch is something where if you imagined a fantasy climb, that’s what you would imagine,” Lowell said. “It’s this perfect arch rising out of the Mediterranean Sea, and the movement that’s required to climb it is pretty amazing, too. If there was a video game of climbing, that arch would be in it.

“We thought, ‘Wow,’” Lowell added. “If Chris can do this thing, it will be the coolest thing he’s done and the coolest thing we’ve filmed.’ ”

Conquering Es Pontas entailed deep-water soloing, a climbing style fairly new to Sharma in which he would use no rope and rely on the water below to break his falls. Near the top of the climb was a 7-foot blank stretch, which he would have to jump, or dyno in climbing lingo, to complete the climb. Sharma estimates he made at least 100 failed attempts to get across that section, each time plummeting 35 feet into the jelly fish-filled water below.

A fall meant starting over completely. Sharma would have swim to the support boat, dry off, change his clothes and shoes and get a new chalk bag to help his muscular fingers grip the small divots and crevices in the slippery stone. Then he would begin again at the bottom of the arch, making at least 25 moves before he arrived back at the daunting blank section.

It took Sharma nearly four months’ time, spaced out over a year, before he finally landed his 7-foot leap of faith and picked his way to the top of the arch. Once there, though, his celebration was subdued, with the joy from completing a difficult task mixing with the melancholy of knowing his time with Es Pontas had ended.

“Obviously really I was ecstatic, really psyched. But climbing is this thing that happens in the process. Once you do it, you’re psyched, but that’s the end of the process,” Sharma said. “When you complete it, that’s great. But then it’s like, ‘What’s next?’ ”

He wasted little time finding out.

Sharma’s sponsors pay him to find exotic climbs, so as soon as his time with Es Pontas ended, the hunt for another challenge began. By the end of the shooting for “King Lines,” the film crew had followed him around Venezuela, France, Greece, Utah and Southern California.

Most recently, they filmed him working on his current obsession. It’s a sport climb across the ceiling of a 300-foot cave off Interstate 15 in the Mojave Desert that has so few changes in pitch it requires an extra-long rope. He’ll return there in October in the hopes of completing it, which Mortimer said would probably make it the most difficult climb ever made.

Once that experience ends, Sharma said he will continue to seek out other new and unique challenges. Undoubtedly, they’ll all be set in some of the most beautiful places in the world.

But Lowell and Mortimer said they can’t blame Sharma for picking climbs in the prettiest places. They noted that it makes it much easier for him to draw the attention photographers and filmmakers like themselves [location, location, location]. And, it makes for a much nicer work environment.

Plus, after spending months following Sharma and working with him through some fairly unglamorous situations, they’re convinced his penchant for the picturesque climbs doesn’t really come from snobbery.

“That’s like saying someone who has a palette for really good food is a snob,” Mortimer said. “That’s so not true”

(Editor’s Note:  Julie Jagg, the author of the above article on Chris Sharma, is a Staff Writer and Assistant Sports Editor for the  Santa Cruz Sentinal.  Julie has given The Adventurist special permission to reprint this article.  Julie is also the author of her own Blog, “Out and About” dealing with Outdoor Adventure.  Very Nice.  Julie may be contacted at jjag@santacruzsentinel.com )

If You Go

Reel Rock Film Tour

WHAT: Collection of climbing films headlined by the ‘King Lines’ documentary on Chris Sharma of Santa Cruz. Sharma, fellow climbers Miguel Riera and Daila Ojeda and director Josh Lowell will be present.

WHEN: Sept. 7 at 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz, CA.

Tickets: $10 at Pacific Edge Climbing Gym, 104 Bronson St, Santa Cruz.

On the Net: www.reelrocktour.com; www.senderfilms.com; www.bigupproductions.com

Harassment on the High Peak: When an Everest Guide Does You Wrong

For many of us, coming up with the $40-50,000 to take a once in a lifetime gamble on Mt. Everest seems like a lifetime away.  What if you spent that kind of cash only to be told that you weren’t climbing?  What if you spent that kind of cash, the guide tells you “No Go”, then deliberately grabs your belongings and scatters them throughout camp?  While he is at it, he might as well do it in front of not only your team, but a film crew to boot and show the whole world how worthless you really are..

This is the news coming from Betsy Huelskamp.  Many of you may remember Betsy as the tough and rugged mountain climbing biker chic that began an Expedition this year with Russell Brice’s Himex Team.  If any of you followed the Expedition’s climbing blogs on Everest this season, then you would have probably thought of Betsy as Himex did:  slow, didn’t know anything about mountaineering–including how to put her crampons on…as well as a bit self-involved.

Well, Betsy has decided to fight back.  The picture she paints is quite different than what Himex would have you believe.  She breaks down everything from the beginning stages where she first contacted Russell Brice about joining the expedition, and Russell seemingly accepts at a reduced rate of nearly 50%–to the final decision to not let her go for the summit push, and the subsequent temper tantram that ensued and left Betsy’s belongings scattered throughout the camp.

If this sounds like odd behavior coming from a guide on Mt. Everest, then perhaps you should reevaluate who you align yourself up with for that big Everest Adventure. Read more

The Fall of Bear Grylls

ExplorersWeb is at it, yet again.  When I first started following this story, I questioned ExplorersWeb’s intentions.  Well it looks like they just may have been on to something.  Information is coming out of the woodworks on Bear, not only about his supposed flight over the top of Mt. Everest..but now it seems it may just be about his whole career…

I recieved a tip today about Mr. Grylls, in regards to his previous military service–after stopping by ExplorersWeb, it seems that they have recieved the same tip, as they have included this in their lead story…seems like the viewers are starting to get disgruntled at Mr. Grylls and are passing on the tips to sites like this one, The Adventure Blog and ExplorersWeb.  Here is the lowdown:

Mr. Grylls was indeed in the SAS or the British Special Forces, as he claims.  What he doesn’t mention to the public is that he was in the SAS (21)–an easier and less dangerous branch filled with prospects looking to get into the SAS (22)–the hardcore, real deal.

Bear also mentions on his site that he got out because he was in a “horendous” helicopter accident in Africa that left his back broken in three places…  We are still looking to verify this information as well–

So much has been coming out about Bear making up stories, changing words as he pleases–and in a sense trying to create a persona in the media that is a little far from the truth, that nobody is real sure about what to believe…

Even his shows Man vs. Wild and Born Survivor: Bear Grylls try to create him as this mythic superhuman that can and does get out of any situation–Alive.  Over the past couple of weeks, reports of what is really going on during these “Adventure Excursions” is starting to become more clear–they have been meticulously set-up to trick the viewer that Bear was actually doing everything he says, yet in reality, it was prearranged.

ExplorersWebs intentions, I am sure, was not to discredit Mr. Grylls in the beginning, but as the story has come around full circle now and every detail of Bear’s career is being analyzed, I think it is safe that we can all assume that nothing is as it seems.

For the complete breakdown of the truth vs. lies of Bear Grylls, I request that you head on over to the ExplorersWeb site and check out their lead story…

I guess to me, personally, I am now even questioning whether or not their is a Bear Grylls, or if this is all just a made up media blitz as well.  I guess we will all have to wait and see..

A New Epic Begins: Racing to the South Pole in 2008

 

Building upon the historical context of the great Amundsen-Scott Race to the South Pole in 1911, Adventure Racing fans the world over will be given the opportunity to take a crack at becoming the first person to reach the geographic South Pole in 2008.  This historic race will be the first of it’s kind in almost 100 years.  Here is more from the race site:

“After almost two weeks of intensive Polar Training in Antarctica, teams of 3 will set off to race from the edge of the Antarctica continent, to race over 370 nautical miles across the largest ice cap in the world to the Geographic South Pole.

The racers will face constant challenges throughout their journey: surving in temperatures as low as -50C, navigating and skiing while pulling a 70Kg. pulk (sled), climbing up to 9300 ft. to the South Pole and through everything, working together as a team.

The South Pole Race promises to be an awe-inspiring event. All competitors will receive extensive and first rate logistical, safety, media and administrational support provided by South Pole Race.

South Pole Race is more than just a race. It is the journey of a lifetime. This is an opportunity to live your dreams and push beyond the limits of your imagination ”

This race will take part in three legs.  The faster competitors should be able to finish the race in 30 days, with the slower teams coming in around 45 days.

This definately sounds like a cool race–it does make you wonder though if the South Pole just might become the next Mt. Everest Base Camp with hundreds of people showing up each year to take part.

One of the better aspects of this race though is the addition of a training period in the polar arctic weather, as well as logistics being provided by the race itself.  All of these things will be included in your entry fee.  Also included will be all equipment.  The teams will all be outfitted with the same materials, keeping all competitors from gaining an advantage on the field.

At least one impressive team has already signed up to be taking part.  James Cracknell and Ben Fogler–the team that has just finished rowing across the Atlantic Ocean–they are still searching for that perfect third member though, as all teams must have 3 members, as well as one of those members having previous Polar experience.  This team will be filming their experience for a 5 part television series and will also be posting daily reports on the web.

This race promises to be yet another highlight in the coming years, rivaling some of the greatest Expeditions.  Currently a tentative schedule for the South Pole Race 2008, is as follows:

-July 22nd 2007: Training Event 1, Team Building More Information
- January 2008: Training Event 2, Week of Polar Travel training in Finse, Norway
- September 2008: Training Event 3 (weekend or day event)
- November 2008: Depart for Antartica and begin Pre-Race Antartic Training
- January 2009: Return from Antartica after Race Finish

November to January 2008 Promises to be an exciting time as this race officially begins.  I will definately be marking this in my calander for the coming year and be bringing you more information as it developes throughout the rest of 2007 and 2008..going right in to 2009.  If you would like more information about this historic event or would even be interested in making a bid to join this race, it is highly recommended that you swing by the South Pole Race 2008 Website, for more information.

Information in this article was obtained through PlanetFear as well as TheSouthpoleRace.com.

Free-Solo Climbing? Magazine Looking to Interview YOU!!

Would you like to be interviewed for a magazine?  A good friend of mine is currently seeking Free-Solo Climbers to interview for an upcoming magazine with Free Solo Climbing as the focus of this special issue.

With the recent death of Michael Reardon making headlines around the world, it has brought this sport into the headlines like never before.  Want to speak out and be a part of this experience?  Send a short note to my email in the box below.  (It goes directly to my email)

As if this isn’t cool enough, there is going to be a Michael Reardon tribute, photos, and interview, with the tribute written by myself, as well as an interview with the man known as “Spiderman”, Alain Robert–who has scaled some of the world’s toughest climbs, as well as tallest skyscrapers…YIKES!

Let me be absolutely clear.  I am currently looking for Free Solo Climbers (Only) to take part in a special magazine dedicated to this sport.  If you are a Free Soloist..Contact me!  Through this process, the goal is to help demystify a sport that gets a lot of bad press.  This could very well be a crucial piece of the puzzle in the sport we all love.  Now get to writing….

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Wednesday 8pm: A Time to Celebrate–A Time to Mourn: The Life of Michael Reardon

It looks like quite a few people have picked Wednesday as the day to remember the life of Michael Reardon who tragically has been lost at sea.

Boulderdash, Michael’s hometown climbing playground, will be holding a vigil for Michael from 5-8pm.

I am also hearing that a group from Pennsylvania is planning on getting together in Philadelphia at a pub to do the same.

Let’s all remember that Michael never wanted us to mourn his death–according to him, he wanted us to have a drink and laugh…I know that will be hard to do pending the circumstances, but he wouldn’t want it any other way…

8 pm Wednesday night.  Make plans to stop what your doing for a few minutes.  If you have a drink by all means give the guy a toast…if not, then just take a few quiet momments to remember Michael and his family.  Meditate, say a prayer–whatever it is you need to do, by all means do it.

Tomorrow I will be taking a look at a few of Michael’s accomplishments in the climbing world…I should be here most of the day.  If you feel the need to stop by here and post your thoughts, by all means do it.  Alot of people are not sure what to do, but I can guarantee you that his friends and associates are looking at this site.  Many of them have posted comments.  So if you have any fond memmories or stories to tell–any encounters with Michael that you would like the world to know about, feel free to put them up by posting a comment–

Please join me tomorrow in a celebration of the man and the myth…..the friend…the husband…the father….Michael Reardon as we take a special look back…

Michael Reardon: A Few Messages of Rememberence

It has been a rough day.  My email has been busy with messages regarding the recent accident of Michael Reardon.  Friends and Associates of Michael’s have been expressing themselves through here, from his hometown of Thousand Oaks and abroad. I would just like to take a momment to bring a couple of these to light.

Before I do so though, I would like to say that Yes, Michael was a climber known around the world–at the same time though judge him for his life as a whole–this was no “Climbing accident” and I am hoping that these words will stay out of the media and he is not judged for living his life the way he wanted to…He has a family…he has friends…let’s keep all of them in our thoughts and prayers tonight.  Now to the comments:

From Beanscene Espresso in Oak Park, California:

Beanscene Espresso is a coffee house located in the Oak Park Shopping Center, Oak Park California.

Michael was a frequent customer always very friendly to our staff. He would also sit in a corner table working on his laptop typing away. Once we new what Michael did for a living, all of us at the store were in awe that someone could climb cliffs, mountains, rocks etc.
with no ropes. What a guy!! On behalf of the entire staff of Beanscene Espresso, our thoughts and prayers are with his family and the climbing community.

From Eric “EZ” Harrison through The Adventurist

As I sit here contemplating what to do next, I am staring at the Rockies with a massive storm pounding the mountain range with a purple furry of rain and lightning. I just hung up the phone with my
good buddy Buck and he just informed me about a mutual friend not only to myself and Buck, but to the climbing community as a whole. I guess Michael Reardon has fallen into the ocean while checking out a
climb on the coast of Ireland. A rogue wave washed Mike into the ocean and swept him out to sea. Another climber that was with Mike, called the Coast Guard and other authorities for help on Friday. They are still searching for him. There are articles on line for the full
details.

He was just in town not but a month ago and we drank beer laughing about stupid shit. Mike has made a name for himself with his amazing solos, but he will always be just Mike, the kind of guy who screams hello from across the bar and always shakes your hand with a huge smile on his face. Genuine is the one word that I would use to describe Mike. A lot of people talked a lot of shit about Mike’s accomplishments, but he did what he loved to do. I get pissed when people have to down talk anyone who does something big even if it is
out of character. Mike was one of those people who liked everyone and never judged anyone who was maybe not as crazy as he was or didn’t climb as hard. In my eyes, Mike was just being Mike and living life
as he knew how. He loved his family, his friends and his climbing. I am happy for Mike, because he did what he loved to do and proved everyone wrong.

I bumped into Mike years ago in Bishop while he was working on “High Plains Drifter”. He was having a hell of a time. He tried and tried, but couldn’t send on that trip. I would bump into him at JTree after he just soloed some route and asked if I would go with. There was no way I was going to go soloing, and I thought to myself,
you crazy bastard, you can solo this, but you can’t do “High Plains Drifter”.

He eventually sent “High Plains Drifter”, but I would always trip how he could do such hard ass routes and not do “High Plains”. I have no idea what his motivation was or why he did what he did, but I do know, he did do what he did and he did it well.

I don’t want to think that he is gone forever; I want to have hope that the Coast Guard will find him in some cave just kickin it, waiting for the seas to calm down. Mike, if you are out there, come home and make us all laugh again.Thank you for reading this and please pray for Mike and his family.

Eric “EZ” Harrison

The Adventurist Makes Contact with Boulderdash

Boulderdash, Michael’s play and proving grounds in Thousand Oaks, California has notified me that they have included this forum for Michael Reardon in an email to their subscriber list.  If you are coming here from Thousand Oaks through Boulderdash, thanks for stopping by and I am sorry that it had to be in this fashion.  Our thoughts and Prayers are with all of you.

I have inquired Boulderdash about a possible fund being set up in Michael’s wife and daughter’s name:  Marci and Nikki.  To Michael, his family was his life.  Yeah, he had climbing–but that was definately second.  In his interviews he was always talking about his family and what they mean to him. 

We all marveled in his great sends, but at the end of the day, it was his wife and daughter that made him the proudest.  For all he done for the climbing world–for all the excitement that he brought–I think his main concern would be for his family, and I feel as a community, we should all try to do what little we can and help support them in their time of need.

Once a fund is established, I will let everyone know how they can help.  Thanks for stopping by. 

Feel free to post your thoughts and comments here.  I will be sharing more of these in the coming days…just type your comments in the box below.  I am using this method rather than the normal “Blog Comment” forum because I feel that in respect for Michael and his family–that quite frankly the comments need to be moderated.  Your messages will be sent directly to my email box, and from there I will share them on this site.

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Let’s all keep Michael, Marci, and Nikki in our thoughts and Prayers, as well as his family, friends and associates.

J. Alan Hendricks, Editor

American Climber Michael Reardon Tragedy Update

 American Free-Solo Climber Michael Reardon has has been lost at sea.  He had just finished up a monster climb, was standing on a rock outcrop, taking some celebratory photos, when a wave caught him from behind and drove him into the sea.

Efforts are ongoing as a massive search for his body is now in place–  It has been noted that officials have claimed that this is more a recovery effort, than a search and rescue, as Michael Reardon, a this time, is feared dead.

A few more details are beginning to come out.  Here is the latest update from Rockclimbing.com:

Valerie O’Sullivan, a photographer from Killarney who had accompanied him on a number of climbs, told The Times that his death had shocked the climbing community in Ireland.

“He was standing below a climb he had just completed and the photographer, Damon Corso, was about 30ft away taking pictures of him. Michael was on a real high after the climb. He was about 10ft above the sea and he let go and had his hands out, celebrating, to say he had completed the climb of his life. But then a wave just came in. The wave hit him on the knees and he lost his balance and slipped on the algae. He was shouting for help but there was nothing Damon could do.”

Miss O’Sullivan said Mr Corso raised the alarm from his mobile telephone. “It is very unpredictable and there are some very powerful waves,” she continued. “It’s a bottomless pit made up of caves and caverns below the water. It is treacherous”.

Michael Reardon was swept into the sea yesterday around 5pm.  Shortly thereafter the Irish Coast Guard was alerted, who have been continously combing the area for any signs of his body.

Ventura County, California in state of shock

The Ventura County Star out of Ventura County, California is running an article today about Michael Reardon.  This article is a pretty good read as it not only talks about Michael’s climbing background, but also about his relationship in the Oak Park Community from which he lives.  Michael was well known not only as climber but also as an instructer to younger people just beginning to learn the ropes of what it was that made Michael so great.  You may read this article here:

Oak Park Climber Missing Abroad

Michael Reardon was the coverboy of the April/May issue of Urban Climber Magazine.  This issue takes a look at Michael climbing some of the toughest routes at Joshua Tree.  It offers beautiful photos of his majestic climbs, as well as this quote that will leave you stunned:

I don’t care about the size of my house or the age of my car.  My thoughts when climbing are of the last time I hugged my daughter and the warmth of my wife’s foot touching mine under the covers at night.

Perhaps in this tragedy this will offer his family a little bit of comfort in knowing that they were with him.  He leaves behind his wife Marci and their 13 year old daughter Nikki.  Our thoughts and Prayers are with his family in this tragic time of loss.

Documentary on Mt. Rainier Looking for Cast and Crew!!

This is a callout to all of you that have ever pictured yourself’s as Brad Pitt or perhaps Angelina Jolie…there may even be a Grizzly Adams hiding in there some place…

Anyways a member of CascadeClimbers is currently in the process of lining a few individuals up to help him shoot a documentary on Mt. Rainier from August 3-6, 2007.

The documentary will be a satirical look at climbing entitled “How to Successfully….or Unsuccessfully Not Climb Mt. Rainier”.  Could be interesting.

Thatcher, who is trying to put this all together, is looking for a few more people to join his film team.  He currently has a script  (Yes, it will be scripted) in roughdraft form that he would be glad to email you if you are interested.  Also, to find out more with this current project, as well as the day-to-day schedule of events to take place with this documentary, you made read more at this post on CascadeClimbers.

As if this all wasn’t enough, I also can provide you with his email if you would like to contact him.  (I also have his home number, but am refraining from putting it up–I am not so sure that he needs the Viagra spammers calling his number from the web.  I hope he appreciates my kindness.  Haha.)

Anyways, if this interests you in the slightest, make contact with Thatcher as this seems like a pretty interesting project…and hey…look at it this way…if it bombs, you still get a few nice days of climbing out of it..

Here is his email:  thatcherk1@gmail.com