Team Geared Up

O.k., so it’s Rampage #2 on a global scale. I know I shouldn’t describe it as this, but with another movie from BigUpProductions showing just how good Chris Sharma is on rock, you just get that nagging feeling that no-one would’ve really minded if that’s what it had been called :)
Update: Apologies - for those who don’t climb, Rampage was the first of the movies released by BigUpProductions and for anyone starting climbing in the late 90’s, the seminal movie to inspire for climbing!
So, how goes it? Well, the climbing is outrageous containing footage from super-hard deep water soloing lines in Mallorca, to bouldering in South America, to the hardest routes at Ceuse (involving 3 full dynos!!), to the what-will-be the hardest sports climb in America if not the world. In short you won’t be feeling like you got shortchanged. The footage was all recorded in high definition and with the help of another of the well known climbing-movie producers, Peter Mortimer, it means that the whole film has got a seriously professional and polished feel to it. Seriously, it’s almost too well made - especially as the previous movie I’d seen had been the seat-of-your-pants, UnderDeveloped which has a great home-grown feeling to it.
the movie is essentially a documentary on the life and lifestyle of Sharma - who 10 year non-stop climbing trip doesn’t look like it’s coming an end anytime soon. I suppose we all should feel jealous and miffed towards the guy, but as comes across in the film (and a compliment to the makers), you can’t but not admire what he’s done.

anyway, in short, what did I think of it overall? Well, the climbing footage is outstanding and genuinely inspiring and you won’t be short of motivation after seeing it. Seriously, some of the climbing looks seriously hard - and as usual Sharma is making it look like he’s walking down a path. You won’t be disappointed.
But, and it’s an interesting but, it hasn’t drawn me back to watching it repeatedly like my previous and first experience of Rampage - my original video of this is worn out from use. I can’t explain it but it doesn’t seem to draw me back as willingly as previously. It could be that I’m also out of university now so have more things to be doing that sitting around watching climbing movies all the time ;) Maybe that’s a good thing as it means the DVD might actually last!

- Neal :) -

For anyone looking to pick up yet another quality movie, check this out.