Climbing Video: Tommy Caldwell Bouldering In RMNP, Training For El Cap

Climbing Video: Tommy Caldwell Bouldering In RMNP, Training For El Cap

Posted September 22, 2009 at 1:15 pm · Comments { 24 } ·

Fall is here, the El Cap Report has returned with near daily updates from the Big Stone in Yosemite, and it shouldn’t be long before conditions are prime for people to work their projects on El Cap.  In other words, life is good.

On the El Capitan project front, it’s no secret that Tommy Caldwell has his eye on freeing a line near Mescalito on El Cap that he’s enlisted the help of Kevin Jorgeson to work on.  Via the Blue Water Ropes blog is this video of Caldwell running laps on a few problems in RMNP (most notably Nuthin’ But Sunshine (V13)) and he also discusses his general approach to training for El Cap free climbing projects.  Pretty cool despite overuse of  the blur effect.

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  • anon

    bad sound mix, dialogue too low

    “one thing I noticed…”

    no mattress carrying = stashed mattress?

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  • http://boldering.com medic

    gratuitous right heel dabbage on the v-gnar

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  • Seth

    Narc, I feel like I know exactly where you are going with this and I’m not going to be the first one to say it. Although i did notice it within the first minute. Curious and maybe a little disappointing.

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  • http://www.mountainsandwater.com peter b

    Let’s hear what Cedar has to say as I asked him in the comments section in the Bluewater blog

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  • http://climbingnarc.com Narc

    That didn’t take long.

    Since we can’t see every detail of how their day unfolded it’s unfair to categorically state that the pad was not carried with them, but it’s seems like a fair inference based on the footage. We’ll have to see if Peter gets a response to his comment.

    And yes, the footage was too blurry (for my tastes) and the audio was not synced well.

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  • Paul Campbell

    Even though you guys are talking about pad stashing. That was one huge fricken dab!

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  • http://climbingnarc.com Narc

    Dabbing while circuiting problems you’ve done before is not an uncommon practice. That said, I watched the video twice and didn’t see this dab.

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  • Paul Campbell

    Not that I really care (everyone loves Tommy) but his foot is blatantly pushing off the ground when he bumps his heel on the second move.

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  • http://since-you-asked.blogspot.com/ Julian

    Conspicuous lack of star wipe effect. Fail.

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  • CT

    video skipped a move on NBS.

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  • Pat

    While I do understand the concerns about pad stashing, how is this any different than the footage of D. Woods hiking up to RMNP in Dosage 5 sans pad?

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  • http://climbingnarc.com Narc

    I really didn’t mean for the discussion to get so sidetracked into nitpicking this free video quite this much.

    And Pat makes a good point…

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  • http://dreaminvertical.wordpress.com/ Luke

    I think that if some of the blur effect is due to video being shot on a 5D MK2. A reduced depth of field could cause the same result. Perhaps we are not used to seing video from a DSLR. This similar “effect” is seen in some of Tim Kemple’s videos including the Mallorca shorts.

    Just a thought.

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  • Eggbert

    USA! USA! USA! Take that Europe!

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    • http://sickygnargnar.blogspot.com steve schultz

      I’m with you Chris. Go ‘Merika!

      We missed you on the west bluff yesterday, Narc. And you Chris! It was steamy out there!

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  • anon

    I like how the original poster edited out his own “…one thing I noticed” comment, which got the whole stashed-mattress thing going in the first place.

    Also amusing are the comments choosing to focus on imagined flaws in execution of the boulder problem, as if bouldering itself was relevant as anything other than training for real climbing. Try applying your foam-padded strength tricks to actual climbing, kids, and prove yourselves as climbers like Tommy’s doing on El Cap, instead of embarrassing yourselves with insecure nit-picking. Caldwell is a HERO who walks the talk – try summa that yourselves or STFU.

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    • Seth

      Ah yes.. the old ‘bouldering is irrelevant and only used for training’ response. Glad we’ve never heard this one before. And some of us have ‘tried it before,’ and continue to do so, and still enjoy bouldering as much as any other form of climbing.
      (if you want my climbing resume I’ll be more than happy to send it to you)

      And while I agree that Tommy is a great guy, (you say HERO) it wouldn’t/doesn’t exclude him from packing it in, and packing it out. Simple as that.

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    • http://climbingnarc.com Narc

      My intent with the original wording of the post was not to incite a stream of negativity which is why it was removed. Based on the replies the point I was trying to raise was fairly obvious to most people.

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  • john

    It’s interesting to hear people talk about the blurring effect, yet no one brought up the fact that Cedar is goober. That seems like a more relevant point to discuss.

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  • Andrew

    I would prefer more video content from JJ. Has anyone noticed the serious lack of video from this guy?

    Please discuss…

    Peter Beal, I know you are hurt, but you also need more video content.

    Also please discuss…

    Chip Phillips, I appreciate all of the hard work on the Flagstaff bouldering guide, in fact I would be more than donate on a button for you to get some well deserved credit. But Chip, I keep seeing there are a few hundred more problems on the Mountain. I want more, fact.

    Please discuss…

    Come on guys, these are the real issues in our climbing community, not a free climbing video with a possibility of using stashed pads. Rise up and demand the answers you really want to know!

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  • http://www.mountainsandwater.com peter b

    I promise more video soon and hopefully a better camera as well

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  • http://www.danneufeld.com photophile

    Sweet video. Cedar always has great stuff.

    Too bad about the fake tilt/shift effect (over done imo). See 2:45 where it gets turned off, oops.

    About stashed pads…

    I’m not sure, but I didn’t hear anywhere in the video where they mentioned it was just the two of them. Maybe someone else came along and carried a pad? Maybe Cedar had one on his back as well?

    And who cares about a foot dab when you’re doing circuits.

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  • Brandon Laird

    This guy is one of the best climbers in the world, I mean this is the man who climed el cap TWICE in one day. Did you get that? TWICE IN ONE FREAKIN DAY! Who cares if his foot was on the ground on some bouldering…

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